Dimbola Museumand Galleries

Julia Margaret Cameron lived and photographed at Dimbola from 1860 to 1875, working from the Gothic tower that still connects the two original cottages she bought that year. The Julia Margaret Cameron Trust formed in 1994 to save the house from a threat of demolition linked to a 1991 sale, and the charity has run it as a museum since. Galleries trace Cameron's life and portraits alongside rotating exhibitions of contemporary photographers, and one room holds a permanent display on the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival. A Victorian dressing-up room lets visitors try on period costume. The attached tea room serves cream teas, cakes and a traditional Sunday lunch, with free entry regardless of whether visitors pay to see the galleries. Wheelchair users can reach the ground floor, with a stair lift to the upper rooms.