The estate of Barton is first mentioned in the Doomsday Book of 1086, and after a period as an Augustinian oratory was run as a farm until the 19th century. When Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought Osborne House, Barton Manor became their home farm. In 1902, after the Queen's death, King Edward VII made a gift of Osborne to the nation and kept Barton Manor until 1922 when it was sold into private hands. The gardens are a real delight, with the rhododendron walk, the splendid rose maze, a water garden, a secret garden and the national collections of Watsonia and red hot pokers. The estate is open on special days in the year in aid of the local Earl Mountbatten Hospice. |