Up on the windswept Needles Headland on the Isle of Wight above the iconic Needles rock formation are a group of coastguard cottages let by the National Trust. Plain and functional, they are situated in an atmospheric location with spectacular views. The three cottages are named after ships wrecked on the Needles – Irex and Pomone, and Varvassi, which was the last big ship to founder on this treacherous coast, back in 1947. Much of its cargo of Mediterranean wine was washed up on local beaches. The cottages are part of a 370-acre site of open downland owned by the National Trust.
