Dimbola Lodge


Dimbola Lodge was the Isle of Wight home of the Victorian pioneer photographer Julia Margaret Cameron from 1860 to 1875. It is now owned by the Julia Margaret Cameron Trust, which runs the Dimbola Museum and Galleries.

History of the property

In 1860, Julia Margaret Cameron bought two adjacent cottages in Freshwater Bay from a local fisherman named Jacob Long. In order to make the house look more beautiful to her friends returning from the beach, they were linked by a central tower in the Gothic style current at the time. The structure dominates the skyline from Freshwater Bay and gives a focus to the surrounding area.
The lodge took its name from the family's coffee plantation in Dimbula, Ceylon. Dimbola Lodge served as both her home and her studio. It was here that the greatest of Julia Margaret Cameron's photographs were made.
After the Camerons returned to Ceylon the property was again divided into two parts. These were later named Dimbola, which became a private residence and holiday flats, and Cameron House which eventually became unoccupied and under the threat of demolition by developers. The Julia Margaret Cameron Trust acquired both properties in 1993, and Dimbola Museum and Galleries is now open to the public.
In 2006, a sculptural tribute to Jimi Hendrix was erected here, looking out towards Afton Down where the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival was held.