In search of Island Fairies!!

Living on the Isle of Wight there's one thing that's lacking, and that's Fairies!!
Up and down Britain you'll find all manner of fairy tales! One of my favorite fairy folk lore books is that of the writer Elizabeth Andrews "Faeries and Folklore of the British isles". From Cornwall to Hereforrdshire, she tells of fairies a plenty but not here. There's only a few things that I've manage to find and it wasn't easy! Puckaster Cover seems to be one place where the fairies gather on full moon nights and May eve: i found this  piece of writing  by an Island witch and lover of all things magical and mystical: Cassandra Eason

"Puckaster Cove on the Southern tip of the Isle of Wight is a place where the fairies
held their revels at the full moon and on May Eve. They kept their gold in
puffballs but guarded it jealously from mortals. One May Eve in full moonlight, the
story goes, a man returning from a wedding was walking along the shore when he saw a
strange golden light that led him to the cove, where he came upon the fairy
feast. The man was made welcome by the fairies, who offered him food and drink
that he had never tasted before, danced for him in the moonlight to the music
of their pipes, and sent him on his way with gold from their puffballs, saying he
should never be poor again. The man became a wealthy landowner, and many have
followed his path to Puckaster Cove on moonlit nights to pick the puffballs
that shine golden under the moon. But by morning they have crumbled to dust."

I might just have try and get over to Puckasters cove on a night i know will be a full moon or when may eve is approching and see if i can spot a fairy or two.

.
My Second finding was that Queen Victoria loved fairies, and because of this love for the wee folk a Royal Yacht was named HMS Fairy! you maybe wondering what this has to do with the Isle Of Wight?, as you may or may not know Queen Victoria lived at Osborne House  in Cowes. HMS Fairy was sailed down Osborne house during the summer months. i found this thanks to Myrea and David of Fairies World

 

 

My third and final finding is that of a Longstone, which is set on the heath land up in Mottistone. this is the only scared site on the island, To my knowledge longstones are places of magic and deep rooted connection to the earth, people have been visiting the Longstone for many years, mainly at the Equinoxes (Spring, Midsummer, Autumn and Mid Winter) Its believed that this longstone may at one time have looked like a door way, a door way to what still remains a mystery. Like the stones in Men-an-toll in Cornwall maybe this "doorway" was to the FaeryLand.?? .... 

 

and that's it, that's all i could find!.... but all is not lost as Fairies are being brought to life by the people of the Island.  about 3 years ago the t.v show Homes Under the Hammer featured a couple who brought a property in Niton. They then weaved there magic and turned the run down hotel into a beautiful Enchanted Manor!, each room has a theme and all throughout there is the beautiful art work of Josephine wall. and what puts the cherry on the top of this wonderful place is that it holds weddings!!

please follow the link and see for yourself what lovely place it is www.enchantedmanor.co.uk
And on weekends you'll often see girls dressed up in tutus and wearing fairy wings, and when the festivals come to town Tutus and wings are everywhere.

But the hunt for tales of the fair folk wont stop here.............