Isle of Wight - The Needles tea towel

There aren't many rock formations more famous than this! A row of three chalk stacks off the coast of the Isle of Wight, The Needles reach about 30 metres above the waves of the Channel. The only problem is that they don't really look like needles - so what on earth's the name about? Well, the formation actually takes its name from a fourth needle-shaped pillar which collapsed in a storm in 1764. Despite this happening over 250 years ago, the name has stuck!

At the western end of the stack formation is the Needles Lighthouse, built in 1859 to aid navigation around the sand banks and cliffs. With its base only just above the waves, the Lighthouse is 33 metres high and painted with thick red stripes to distinguish it from the white chalk stacks. It wasn't made fully-automated until 1994, making the Needles Lighthouse one of the last three remaining manned rock lighthouses in England and Wales.

This design shows a sailboat gliding through the waves beyond the Needles. Seagulls circle overhead and the red of the lighthouse stands out against the blue of the sky - the perfect scene to enjoy as you dry the dishes!