A Perfect Point of View: The History of the Albion Hotel

From a smuggler’s inn to a luxury hotel, Sara Whatley tells the story of the Albion in Freshwater Bay

Freshwater Bay on West Wight is a unique place, with a fascinating history. Watching over the bay you will find an iconic building, which has stood there for over 300 years. The secrets locked in those walls remain silent, but the history of the building is a story worth telling. In the 1700 Freshwater Bay would have been busy with small boats coming ashore to profit from its forgiving aspect, being the only cove along the West coast which provided protection for small boats, a southerly view to scout out incoming ships, and caves to hide in.

Smuggling and looting of stranded ships that had failed to round the Needles would have been rife and Freshwater Bay provided the perfect place for these illicit activities. Fresh water from river Yar which runs from Yarmouth, now damned at this end, would also have been a great draw, providing much needed fresh water to stock the ships before they set out to cross the Channel.

Savvy locals decided to profit from this traffic and in the early 1700s two inns were built in the bay; The  Mermaid Inn to the west, and the locally named Cabin to the east. A big storm in 1824 took out lots of building in Freshwater – the Cabin was lost but The Mermaid Inn survived and was incorporated into the newly built Albion Hotel in the early 1830s.

In the 1840s the hotel was further extended southwards and would have welcomed the most notorious guests of the time. It is said that a young Queen Victoria visited the Albion Hotel, as she was well acquainted with the island. As a child she frequently visited Norris Castle, designed by James Wyatt for Lord Henry Seymour, and later, in 1845, acquired the adjoining Osborn estate, where she and Prince Albert created their private home away from court life.

Osborn House was a seaside retreat for Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their growing family, and up until her death in 1901 the family spent many happy days here.  During this time Queen Victoria understandably brought a certain notoriety to the Isle of Wight and in particular many artists, authors and creatives were attracted to Freshwater Bay. They would have mixed with the locals in the Albion and been inspired by the stunning scenery.

In the 1850s the Albion saw further expansion with the most southerly extension being added. The hotel also received a Royal Warrant and became the Royal Albion. Life in the bay would no longer have been smugglers and lootings but rather bathing machines lining the shore and many visitors coming to enjoy the Island’s glorious microclimate. Of course, the Royal Albion would have been run off its feet with hundreds of visitors flocking to the beach, as it firmly established itself as a desirable destination during this time.

The history of the hotel during the war years is a little murky, but by the late 1940s and into the 1950s trade would have picked up once again with post war middle classes looking to escape the terrors and treat themselves to some fresh air and sunshine.  By the 60s holiday revellers would flock to the bay – buoyed by the introduction of the two-week mandatory holiday. Fish and chips, ice creams and rock pooling were all the rage and still holds a nostalgic attraction today.

Then came the Isle of Wight Festival. This iconic festival – widely acknowledged as Europe’s equivalent to Woodstock – began in 1968 and by 1970 the famous line-up had included Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Doors, Joni Mitchell and many more playing to crowds of over 600,000. After playing an exuberant show, many of the stars and fans would have been found winding down at the bar of the Albion, and since 2002 when the festival was reinstated the same in still true.

For the last 20 or so years the hotel slumbered and gradually fell into disrepair, until recently it was given a much-needed new lease of life with a huge multi-million-pound refurbishment. Mark Craven was sitting on the beach in Freshwater Bay enjoying a day off with his wife, Gayle, when he looked over at the Albion and said to her, “What a shame that hotel has been left to rack and ruin.” Then someone behind them said it was still open.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Mark told me. “It looked like it had been abandoned.” He jumped up, crossed the road and asked to speak to the manager and have a look around. “It was like something out of the 80s,” he said. “And they only had a single guest staying there.” At the time in August 2022, Gayle and Mark had just finished refurbishing their 9-bedroom guest house in Totland Bay. “But we were looking for a new challenge; 9 bedrooms was not enough,” laughed Mark. So he spoke to investors, David and Liz Walker, who said they had been interested in the Albion for a long time. By that Christmas they had exchanged contracts and work began.

The extensive refurbishment of the hotel took two years, which included 20,000 island trade hours and the delicate task of retaining original features while bringing the hotel up to modern standards. “We are all proud to be investing in the island,” Mark said. “Of our 53 staff only one is from the mainland.”

The Albion reopened in June this year and went headlong into the busy season. They happily welcome everyone for a drink, a meal or a longer stay – both locals and visitors alike. The wonderful scenic view remains a sight to behold, and the refurbished hotel now showcases an unparalleled finish and design, which is down to Liz and David’s impeccable style and foresight.

The 40 rooms have been created with comfort and elegance in mind, and there is still a nod to the history of the hotel – the two luxury suites are named the Albert Suite and the Victoria Suite. “Gayle and I are so proud to have been part of bringing an iconic hotel and building back to life, which was only made possible through Liz and David’s vision and investment. We can’t wait to do a full season next year,” Mark told me. He finished by saying, “We all want this to be the best hotel on the island,” and it looks like they are well on their way to achieving that very thing.

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