Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2014 | Page 114

re-opening in 1996 but closing again in 2009. The water to make the beer being drawn from St. Boniface’s Well, which of course still exists. It is to be hoped someone with an entrepreneurial spirit has another crack at brewing in this area. Modern Ventnor has its roots embedded in fashionable Victorian society when, along with so much of the rest of the Island, it prospered with Queen Victoria’s presence at Osborne. For example, the first Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, the Rev. Arthur Peile, was also an Honorary Chaplain to the Queen. And much of the architecture of the town can be traced to this period. All through the late 19th and early 20th century, Ventnor continued to prosper and grow. But as with so many other places, World War II brought an end to holidays for all but a lucky few, adding to the problem for Ventnor, was the fact that it was the site of a key radar installation which made it a prime target for German bombing raids. The austerity of the post-War years and the closing of the railway line in 1966 presented further challenges for Ventnor. Throughout its history, the town has worked hard to make the most of its coastal location and it is only in relatively recent times that it has been without either a harbour or a pier. As early as 1862 local people had constructed a harbour which had pretty swiftly collapsed. Undeterred, in 1871, a second harbour was begun. But in 1881 before it was completed it fell victim to a storm. So in 1887 the Royal Victoria Pier was opened, and at 650 feet, it must have been a magnificent sight with its Concert Hall and later the famous Pavilion. And as already mentioned, becoming a key way to visit the town when the South Steam Packet Company started services to the Pier in 1888. In one way or another the Pier survived up until 1993, and I remember visiting it with my parents and grandparents. But the resilience and the