An aerial view of Alum Bay on the Isle of Wight

© Matt Cooper/Gallery Stoc

Collecting coloured sands. Twenty-one shades of Alum Bay

The picturesque Alum Bay, situated at the most westerly tip of the Isle of Wight, is famed for its multi-coloured sands, which have been collected and made into souvenirs since early Victorian times. There are 21 recognised shades of colour, and many holidaymakers will bring home a glass object filled with different layers of the sand as a memento of their visit. The tradition started when Queen Victoria, who built her much-loved summer residence and final home Osborne House at East Cowes in the north of the island, was presented with gifts created from the unique sands in 1860.