BattlefieldsArmada Beacon — St Boniface Down Isle of Wight 1588
Tudor

Armada Beacon — St Boniface Down Isle of Wight 1588

1588
Isle of Wight, England
Also known as: Isle of Wight Armada beacon 1588 · St Boniface Down beacon IoW 1588
Era
Tudor
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Isle of Wight, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Spain (Armada)
Forces
Isle of Wight garrison alerted
VS
Victor
England
Forces
Beacon keeper and watch
Outcome
Beacon on St Boniface Down — the highest point of the Isle of Wight — fired as the Armada passed through the Solent; alarm relayed to the mainland and fort garrisons placed on full alert
The Battle

History & Significance

St Boniface Down, the highest point of the Isle of Wight at over 240 metres, commanded views across the Solent and the Channel to the south. The beacon there was one of the most visible in the southern beacon chain, capable of being seen from both the Hampshire mainland and the Sussex coast. Its firing in 1588 was a critical link in the relay that spread the Armada alarm across the south of England.

Casualties & Losses

None

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Isle of Wight

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near Isle of Wight