Historical NoteThere was no French raid on the Isle of Wight in 1803, although the whole of Great Britain was waiting for a French invasion. The country was filled with units of Volunteers and Militia, ready to augment the regular army if the French did manage to elude the Royal Navy and land an army in Britain.
The Long Stone does exist in Wight. It is much as described in this book, easily accessed by a footpath off the B3399, slightly to the west of Mottistone Manor. It is the only standing stone on Wight and has the alternative name of the Mottistone, which could be a Saxon name meaning 'the stone of the speakers'.
The mansions of Knighton Hazard and Limestone Manor did not exist until I transferred them from my imagination to the pages of this book. The chapel that I placed at Knigh
