We love the literary links to the Isle of Wight, one such being Charles Dickens who had a surprisingly close relationship with the Island, visiting it at key moments in his life and career.
Dickens at Bonchurch In the summer of 1849, Dickens rented a house called Winterbourne at Bonchurch, bringing his family to the island for several months. He had high hopes the sea air would invigorate him — but found the damp climate of Bonchurch disagreed with him terribly, leaving him lethargic and out of sorts. He wrote to friends complaining the place made him "unable to work."
David Copperfield Written on the Island Despite his grumbles, Dickens was working on David Copperfield during his Isle of Wight stay — one of his most beloved and autobiographical novels. The island air, however reluctantly absorbed, was present during the creation of a masterpiece.
Ventnor and the Victorian Fashion for the Island Dickens was part of a broader Victorian literary and artistic migration to the Isle of Wight. Tennyson famously lived at Farringford near Freshwater, and the island became something of a retreat for creative minds of the era.
A Lasting Impression Despite his complaints, Dickens returned to the island in later years and retained an affection for it. The Isle of Wight clearly left its mark, much as it does on all who visit.
