Today, Pagans across the Isle of Wight mark St Arwald’s Day, a celebration of the Island’s last Pagan King.
King Arwald ruled the Isle of Wight in the seventh century. He died in 686 AD defending it from Caedwalla, the king of Wessex, who led a brutal invasion.
The last Pagan stronghold in England
Arwald’s death marked a turning point. The Isle of Wight became the final place in England to convert to Christianity.
Pagans continue to honour Arwald’s legacy each year on 22nd April.
Canonised in death
After Arwald fell in battle, his two brothers fled the Island. They attempted to escape across the Solent to the New Forest.
Caedwalla’s forces captured them. He forced them to convert to Christianity at sword-point before having them killed.
The Church later canonised the two brothers as a single saint, known as St Arwald. They were described as “the first fruits” of the massacre of the Island’s people.
A lasting legacy in art
In 2018, the IW Hidden Heroes project featured King Arwald as part of a major exhibition at Quay Arts in Newport.
Nigel George from public art team Ecclestone George responded to Arwald’s story with a striking new piece.
Working with The Maker’s Guild in Portsmouth, he created a sculpture that became one of the most memorable from the exhibition.
A poetic tribute
OnTheWight reader, Mark Francis, wrote a sonnet for Arwald in 2010, reflecting the mystery and reverence that surrounds his legacy.
The poem imagines Arwald’s presence lingering in the Island’s landscape—from the Bloodstone Wood to the Shalcombe Downs—connecting past and present.
Tell me, where does Arwald lie?
Is he in the Bloodstone Wood,
Bending bluebells with a sigh,
Buried in blackthorn and monks hood?
In bosky dells and gathered gloom –
A whisper through the silent shade,
Amongst the harts horn for his tomb,
In the oak woods peaceful glade.
Or does he ride to gabrel hounds,
High above the Shalcombe Downs,
On thunderclouds upon the storm,
By power of oak and ash and thorn.
When squirrels shiver in their fur
Comes Arwald to Whitgarasburgh.
Remembering Arwald
To learn more about King Arwald, visit the Isle of Wight Hidden Heroes Website, which shares deeper stories and historical context.
St Arwald’s Day remains a meaningful moment for many, keeping alive the memory of a king who stood for his people and his beliefs.
