The Needles are huge stacks of rock which lie off the western point of the Isle of Wight. These stacks originally made up part of the cliffs but, over time, coastal erosion has separated them from the headland.

They were formed from chalk and flint and rise to about 30 metres above sea level. The Needles are best viewed from Alum Bay, known for its coloured sands.

The name 'Needles' comes from the two steep pinnacles of chalk, the largest of which, was called Lot's Wife, rising to 120 feet high. The Needles experienced a spectacular collapse in 1764 and the rocks fell away into the sea.