Whitwell
Whitwell is a pretty village seeped in history with some stone and thatch
cottages, the population today is around 550. It takes its name from the
White Well, a place of pilgrimage during mediaeval times. The well can still
be seen down a track opposite the church.
The pub in Whitwell, The White Horse Inn, claims to be the oldest on the
Island with some of its walls dating back to the 15th Century. From the end
of the nineteenth century until 1952 the IOW central railway ran through
Whitwell, which had it's own station situated at Nettlecombe Lane.
Throughout the village at regular intervals handsome iron pillars can be
seen, these are old water standards provided in 1887 by William Spindler a
prominent figure in St Lawrence. His tomb lies in the Whitwell graveyard.
The church at Whitwell was built in two parts, the first and oldest part was
built by the de Esturs and dedicated to their family patron saint. Later the
owners of Stenbury Manor built a small chapel on the south side of the
church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The two buildings were separate until
the 16th Century when the dividing wall was knocked down. Today it is a
beautiful little church with its old churchyard walls.
Courtesy of www.nettlecombefarm.co.uk
Click for places to stay and places to visit in this area
Recommended Books:
Old English Villages (Country S.) |
English Villages (Writer's Britain S.) | Illustrated Guide to Country Towns and... | Domesday Heritage: Towns and Villages of... |
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