AN ISLE of Wight author has teamed up with her husband for her latest book release.

Sarah Burdett’s new book, Osborne House Stable Block (Not Only for Horses), has been extensively researched, utilising resources including the National Archives at Kew and the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.

Michael Hunter, art curator at Osborne House, said in the book’s foreword: “The Osborne Stables have an unusual history which is revealed throughout the detailed and well researched book.”

The book spans two and a half centuries from the original stables built by Robert Blachford in 1784 — before Queen Victoria built Osborne House — until the present, with the stables now used by Vectis Storage.

All chapters of the book are fully illustrated, connected by detailed timelines relating to when the naval college had royal cadets, for example Louis Mountbatten, who entered in 1913 and left in 1915.

After the First World War and before the Second World War the stable buildings were used at different times as a holiday camp, a Red Cross training camp, and by sea cadets.

The Second World War also saw the buildings being used by the Royal Army Medical Corps and as a prisoner of war camp.

Post-war, the buildings became the design office for Saunders Roe, British Hovercraft Corporation and Westland Aerospace.

Although some parts of the stable block history have been dealt with in other publications, this book links the highlights of the last 150 years, and the impact on the communities of East Cowes and Whippingham.

The book can be obtained from Vectis Storage and East Cowes Heritage Centre, for £9.99.