A Day Trip to Osborne House
Osborne House is a childhood favourite of mine, reminding me of the trips with my grandparents and mum. Growing up the stunning orange house sitting amongst the green trees could be seen from my house, a constant reminder of the beauty. If anyone were to ever ask me where I would want to live for the rest of my life, I would without a doubt say Osborne House, from the stunning architecture, beautiful views and my personal favourite, the terrace. There is something for everyone at Osborne, whether that be walks, views, art or history.
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How To Get To Obsorne
Getting to Osborne is quite a long journey on foot, but well worth it. Ferries leave from Portsmouth or Southampton, in which there are a range of ports they arrive at the Isle of Wight, Ryde, Fishbourne, and Cowes. Although costly, these ferries carry cars and allows the journey on the other side to be smoother than if you were to walk, however walking can be just as easy with a simple bus route to Osborne House. You could walk from the ferry ports, however from Fishbourne this is over two hours with lots of inclines, and Ryde is much further away, so unless you plan to spend the majority of the day walking, I would suggest driving or using public transport.
Walking along the path up towards the house is not long and as you arrive, between the trees to your right the house is slowly revealed.
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I would recommend viewing the house first thing to beat the crowds inside, yet it is a very popular attraction and so it will always be busy.
The House
There is an abundance of rooms that have been remodelled to replicate the bedrooms, bathrooms, sitting rooms, and dressing rooms of Victoria, Albert and their children. The volunteers steer the guests in the correct way to ensure all rooms are viewed in the correct order and no rooms are left unseen. English heritage have managed to perfectly show the beauty of the house, with the history of Queen Victoria and her family.
Art
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The majority of the pieces that line the walls of Osborne are the originals, collected by Victoria during her reign and time at the holiday home. However, many of the images of Victoria and her family are replicas, with the originals housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Not only does Osborne House have a vast and beautiful collection of artwork collected by Queen Victoria, the walls of the Durbar wing near the end of the tour, house a collection of Victoria’s second family from India. Although some were her legal godchildren, others were viewed as such without the title, emphasising how Victoria made them her second family, especially after the death of her husband, Albert.
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Durbar Room
The last room, the Durbar banquet Room, is a vast piece of art and architecture. The table is set up as it would have been for a formal dinner, allowing guests to feel a part of the experience immersing themselves in the style of the 19th century. Along each side of the room, glass cabinets hold Indian gifts. The architecture of the room is incredible, designed by Lockwood Kipling and carver Bhai Ram Singh, the intricacy of the moulds along the ceiling shows the beauty of the room. The Durbar Room highlighted Victoria’s position as Empress of India. This room features in the movie ‘Victoria and Abdul’ in 2017 and is the only one of Victoria’s homes to feature in the movie.
The Terrace
After leaving the house you are led out onto the terraces that overlook the path towards the beach, that is just in sight between the trees.
Ever since my first visit to Osborne, I have always wanted to wear a pretty flowy princess dress and dramatically walk down the steps, running my hands along the balustrade. The flowers on the terraces are replanted twice a year, with summer being the most stunning time to see them.
On the lower terrace sits the Andromeda fountain, sitting in the centre and just one of three fountains out the back of the house.
The B
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The walk down to the beach is roughly twenty minutes surrounded by the sprawling green grounds and trees of Osborne, eventually coming to the beach where Victoria and her family loved to spend their days. A small café is situated here, with a considerable amount of benches which makes it the perfect stop for lunch.
Children’s Area
It is from the beach that the Swiss Cottage and the gardens can be reached. The gardens are mainly used as an allotment, and although not as beautiful as the terrace and the flowers there, it is still a beautiful area. The Swiss Cottage, built by Prince Albert for his children, was a retreat for them to learn and play hidden away in the trees. Two of the boys built a mini fort and barracks behind the Cottage, in 1856 which can still be seen now. In this area there is also the children’s museum, where toys and their collections are displayed in cabinets.
Osborne House is a beautiful masterpiece of architecture and sits proudly amongst the greenery on the Isle of Wight. Despite visiting Osborne multiple times, every time is just as awe inspiring as the last, as if I am seeing it for the first time again.