[2][1] 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.

[3] Dimbola took its name from the family's coffee (later tea) plantation in Dimbula, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

The Julia Margaret Cameron Trust was formed, with the immediate and urgent aim of saving the house which was achieved three years later.

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.