| The Needles |
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The Needles is a row of distinctive Stacks of Chalk that rise out of the Sea off the western extremity of the Isle Of Wight , England , close to Alum Bay . A Lighthouse has stood at the western end of the formation since 1859 . The formation takes its name from a needle-shaped pillar called Lot's Wife that used to stand in its midst until it collapsed in a storm in 1764 . The remaining rocks are all short and squat and not at all needle-like, but the name has stuck. The Needles Old Battery was built on the cliff top above the stacks in 1861 – 63 to guard the West end of the Solent. It was initially equipped with 7" Armstrong RBLs , which were replaced by 9" RMLs in 1873 . Early searchlight experiments were conducted in 1889 – 92 , just after which the new battery was built higher up the Cliff . In 1903 the old guns were considered obsolete and thrown off the cliff. During World War I early trials of Anti-aircraft Gun s were carried out, and the site saw action in World War II . The new Needles guns were scrapped in 1954 . The headland was used for Black Knight rocket tests from 1956 – 71 , and the site is now open to the public, owned by the National Trust . It was featured on the 2005 TV programme '' Seven Natural Wonders '' as one of the wonders of the South . EXTERNAL LINKS |
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