Five Fascinating Facts about Brading Roman Villa

5 things you didn't know about Brading Roman Villa on the Isle of Wight

• The lovely cedar museum with wild living roof was originally going to be an ugly metal box structure until the mayor of Brading stepped in and stopped it. Mike Rainey was tasked with job of designing a building that would both protect the mosaics and yet enable them to be viewed by visitors.  He had a job keeping everyone happy from the archaeologists to the planning department.   

Brading Roman Villa Picture supplied by Brading Roman Villa

Viking World

Before you even enter the impressive glass museum where the Viking longboat Íslendingur is housed, you will see the kneeling statue of Hrafna-Flóki and his raven, the first Norseman to travel to Iceland.  It is not known exactly when he settled in Iceland but it is likely that he sailed to Iceland on a boat similar to the Islendingur when he left western Norway stopping off at the Shetland Isles and the Faroe Islands where he picked up 3 ravens to help him navigate to Iceland, earning him the nickname Hrafna-Flóki, Hrafna meaning Raven. 

Hrafna-Flóki and his raven

Great Ambiance in Brading's Old Wax Museum

You may be forgiven for thinking that breakfast at an old wax museum might taste a bit...fake. But Brading's old wax museum has been transformed into a chic new table service cafe serving locally produced food.  And as a bonus, there is also a chocolate factory and shop next door.

Waxworks Cafe

 

Inside the Waxworks Cafe

10 Free Things to do in Manchester

Bridgewater Canal

1. Canal Trail
Starting at Deansgate, a walk along the Bridgewater Canal will be a contrast between industrial, historical iron and steel and bright modern, colourful graffiti.  It will take you along the one of the most ambitious engineering projects of its time, a success that heralded the beginning of the canal age in Britain and you will be able to hear the hidden Medlock River and see it emerge near Potato Wharf.  

Modern Urban Art

 

Canal Trail