Yarmouth has a part to play in the history of the Isle of Wight and indeed the history of England. King John had his headquarters here in the early 13th Century, Charles I was kept waiting here on his way to the King's Prison in Hurst Castle, and Henry VIII built a castle here to help defend his Kingdom from potential invaders.
The 17th century hero of Yarmouth, Sir Robert Holmes, has his statue in the church: the statue was meant to be an effigy of King Louis XIV , the 'Sun King' of France, but the local sculptor decided to finish the head in situ , at Versailles where he could give it a true likeness of the French sovereign. Holmes captured the ship taking the unfinished statue to France and forced the sculptor to give the head his own features instead. The sculptor's heart was not into it , and this is why the quality of the head's artwork is rather poor compared to the rest of the statue.
Did you know ?
Robert Holmes captured a large amount of gold from a Dutch ship off the coast of Guinea. The gold was made into coins called ' guineas'.
The George hotel is a 17th Century town house in the heart of the bustling vilage and harbour of Yarmouth Book online now Price: From £90 No of rooms: 17 Cards: Amex Visa/Mcard Switch Child rate: No Ratings: AA 3
The George hotel is a 17th Century town house in the heart of the bustling vilage and harbour of Yarmouth Book online now Price: From £90 No of rooms: 17 Cards: Amex Visa/Mcard Switch Child rate: No Ratings: AA 3
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The George hotel is a 17th Century town house in the heart of the bustling vilage and harbour of Yarmouth