Bonchurch
Encyclopedia
Bonchurch is a small village to the East of Ventnor
, on the southern part of the
Isle of Wight
, England
. It is situated on The Undercliff, which itself is subject to regular landslips. A large section of the settlement is found in Upper Bonchurch, halfway up St Boniface Down
on the main A3055 road
. A nearby Site of Special Scientific Interest
is actually named Bonchurch Landslips
(or "The Landslip"). Bonchurch is one of the oldest settlements on the Isle of Wight.
had lived near to the water spring. Five burial mounds have been discovered at St. Boniface Down. Evidence has also been discovered showing that the Romans established a settlement in the area.
The Saxon patron saint
, St. Boniface, is believed to have visited the Isle of Wight, and possibly the area where Bonchurch is now located, in the 8th century. Legend states that monks from Lyra
in Normandy
landed at Monks Bay
, near to modern-day Bonchurch, and erected a building in dedication to St. Boniface. This building could be the wooden building which is believed to have existed in the 9th century where the Old Church now stands.
The first documented proof of the existence of Bonchurch is found in the Domesday Book
. In the Domesday Book, the settlement was called Bonecerce. 'Cerce' is Anglo-Saxon for 'church', whilst 'Bone' is presumed to have been derived from St. Boniface.
Bonchurch has two churches. The oldest one is called the Old Church. The Domesday Book recorded its existence. See Old St. Boniface Church, Bonchurch
and St. Boniface Church, Bonchurch
.
In July 1545, the Battle of Bonchurch
was fought. 500 French soldiers had landed at the coast near Bonchurch, one of three landings that took place on the coastline of the Isle of Wight by French soldiers. 300 Isle of Wight militiamen engaged the French forces, and the militiamen won the engagement. Some accounts state that local women participated in the battle by shootng arrows at the French soldiers. The victory is considered to have decisively stopped the French invasion of the Isle of Wight
.
Soon after the battle, a number of men from the French fleet which had retreated from the Solent
after the Battle of the Solent
landed on the coast near Bonchurch. The men were engaged in a military action by English soldiers whilst they were on a mission to collect fresh water on the island. A French senior officer, Chevalier D'Aux
, was killed. His body was buried in Bonchurch, but would be exhumed and taken back to France in 1548 after the war between England and France had ceased.
In the mid to late 19th Century, Bonchurch developed into a fashionable centre for writers and artists. Celebrated Victorians such as Charles Dickens
, Thomas Carlyle
, and Lord Macauley came here and stayed in large villas that they rented, often for the season.
The poet Algernon Charles Swinburne
spent his boyhood in Bonchurch, at East Dene, and was buried in 1909 at Bonchurch New Church, his grave being the subject of a poem by Thomas Hardy
. He had an atheist funeral which was picketted in protest by his relatives. In the 20th Century Henry de Vere Stacpoole
lived in the village for over 40 years, and was buried here in 1951.
". It is implied it is not far from Locksley
, but the non-fictional geography is different.
The village is also the setting of Graham Masterton
's supernatural horror novel Prey.
is the main bus service through the upper part of the village, to Newport
, Ryde
, Sandown
and Shanklin
, with Night buses on the weekends. Wightbus
run local service 31 to Ventnor.
Ventnor
Ventnor is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, England. It lies underneath St Boniface Down , and is built on steep slopes and cliffs leading down to the sea...
, on the southern part of the
Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated on The Undercliff, which itself is subject to regular landslips. A large section of the settlement is found in Upper Bonchurch, halfway up St Boniface Down
St Boniface Down
St Boniface Down is a chalk down on the Isle of Wight, England. It is located close to the town of Ventnor, in the southeast of the Island, and rises to , the Island's highest point, north of the town...
on the main A3055 road
A3055 road
The A3055 is an A-Class Road on the Isle of Wight in Southern England. It forms the Southern portion of the circular around-the-Island A-class loop, the northern section being the A3054...
. A nearby Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
is actually named Bonchurch Landslips
Bonchurch Landslips
Bonchurch Landslips is a 28.2 hectare site of special scientific interest which is located north-east of Ventnor. The site was notified in 1977 for both its biological and geological features.-References:*...
(or "The Landslip"). Bonchurch is one of the oldest settlements on the Isle of Wight.
History
The presence of a water spring is believed to be the reason why humans first settled in the area where present-day Bonchurch is located. A prehistoric race lived in the area around the Undercliff, land which was wild forest. Evidence has also been found showing that men that lived during the Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
had lived near to the water spring. Five burial mounds have been discovered at St. Boniface Down. Evidence has also been discovered showing that the Romans established a settlement in the area.
The Saxon patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
, St. Boniface, is believed to have visited the Isle of Wight, and possibly the area where Bonchurch is now located, in the 8th century. Legend states that monks from Lyra
Lyra
Lyra is a small constellation. It is one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Its principal star, Vega — a corner of the Summer Triangle — is one of the brightest...
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
landed at Monks Bay
Monks Bay
Monks Bay is situated on the southern coast of the Isle of Wight, England just to the east of the village of Bonchurch.Monks Bay is believed to be where French monks from Lyra Abbey landed from Normandy. It has proved popular with visitors and is one of the natural highlights of the town, which...
, near to modern-day Bonchurch, and erected a building in dedication to St. Boniface. This building could be the wooden building which is believed to have existed in the 9th century where the Old Church now stands.
The first documented proof of the existence of Bonchurch is found in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. In the Domesday Book, the settlement was called Bonecerce. 'Cerce' is Anglo-Saxon for 'church', whilst 'Bone' is presumed to have been derived from St. Boniface.
Bonchurch has two churches. The oldest one is called the Old Church. The Domesday Book recorded its existence. See Old St. Boniface Church, Bonchurch
Old St. Boniface Church, Bonchurch
Old St. Boniface Church, Bonchurch is a parish church in the Church of England located in Bonchurch, Isle of Wight.-History:The nave and chancel dates from the 11th century, with the bell cote dating from the 16th century as does the bell. The south porch was added in the 19th century. It was...
and St. Boniface Church, Bonchurch
St. Boniface Church, Bonchurch
St. Boniface Church, Bonchurch is a parish church in the Church of England located in Bonchurch, Isle of Wight.-History:The church dates from 1847 and 1848 by the architect Ferrey. It replaced Old St. Boniface Church, Bonchurch....
.
In July 1545, the Battle of Bonchurch
Battle of Bonchurch
The Battle of Bonchurch took place sometime in late July 1545 at Bonchurch on the Isle of Wight. No source of information states a specific date, although it could have happened on 21 July. The battle was a part of the wider Italian War of 1542-1546, and the battle took place during the 1545...
was fought. 500 French soldiers had landed at the coast near Bonchurch, one of three landings that took place on the coastline of the Isle of Wight by French soldiers. 300 Isle of Wight militiamen engaged the French forces, and the militiamen won the engagement. Some accounts state that local women participated in the battle by shootng arrows at the French soldiers. The victory is considered to have decisively stopped the French invasion of the Isle of Wight
French invasion of the Isle of Wight (1545)
The French invasion of the Isle of Wight occurred during the Italian Wars. France had a long history of attacking the Island, and the 1545 campaign proved to be the last time the French would attempt to take it...
.
Soon after the battle, a number of men from the French fleet which had retreated from the Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
after the Battle of the Solent
Battle of the Solent
The naval Battle of the Solent took place on 18 and 19 July 1545 during the Italian Wars, fought between the fleets of Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England, in the Solent channel off the south coast of England between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight...
landed on the coast near Bonchurch. The men were engaged in a military action by English soldiers whilst they were on a mission to collect fresh water on the island. A French senior officer, Chevalier D'Aux
Chevalier D'Aux
Chevalier D'Aux was a senior French commander who, while leading a foraging party into the Isle of Wight to search for sources of clean water to replenish the stocks of a French fleet, which had just been forced to retire from Portsmouth, was attacked and killed in July 1545 by a group of the local...
, was killed. His body was buried in Bonchurch, but would be exhumed and taken back to France in 1548 after the war between England and France had ceased.
In the mid to late 19th Century, Bonchurch developed into a fashionable centre for writers and artists. Celebrated Victorians such as Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era.He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator.Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was...
, and Lord Macauley came here and stayed in large villas that they rented, often for the season.
The poet Algernon Charles Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He invented the roundel form, wrote several novels, and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica...
spent his boyhood in Bonchurch, at East Dene, and was buried in 1909 at Bonchurch New Church, his grave being the subject of a poem by Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy, OM was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.While he regarded himself primarily as a...
. He had an atheist funeral which was picketted in protest by his relatives. In the 20th Century Henry de Vere Stacpoole
Henry De Vere Stacpoole
Henry De Vere Stacpoole was an Irish author, born in Kingstown . His best known work is the 1908 romance novel The Blue Lagoon, which has been adapted into feature films on three occasions...
lived in the village for over 40 years, and was buried here in 1951.
Pop culture
In the 2006 TV Robin Hood, Much is made Earl of Bonchurch in the episode "A Thing or Two About LoyaltyA Thing Or Two About Loyalty
"A Thing or Two About Loyalty" is the ninth episode of the 2006 Robin Hood television series, made by Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC One. It aired on Saturday 2 December 2006 at 7pm.-Plot:...
". It is implied it is not far from Locksley
Locksley
Locksley may refer to:* Robin of Locksley , a 1996 television movie* Locksley , an American rock band* Locksley, New South Wales* Locksley, Victoria* Locksley railway station, Victoria* Locksley , a Pennsylvania train station...
, but the non-fictional geography is different.
The village is also the setting of Graham Masterton
Graham Masterton
Graham Masterton is a British horror author. Originally editor of Mayfair and the British edition of Penthouse, Graham Masterton's first novel The Manitou was released in 1976. This novel was adapted in 1978 for the film The Manitou...
's supernatural horror novel Prey.
Transport
Southern Vectis route 3Southern Vectis route 3
Southern Vectis route 3 is a bus service operated on the Isle of Wight by Southern Vectis between Newport, Ventnor and Ryde. It also runs via Rookley, Godshill and Brading. The general daytime frequency of the route is every half-hour each direction, although in the evenings and on Sundays fewer...
is the main bus service through the upper part of the village, to Newport
Newport, Isle of Wight
Newport is a civil parish and a county town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Newport has a population of 23,957 according to the 2001 census...
, Ryde
Ryde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
, Sandown
Sandown
Sandown is a seaside resort town and civil parish on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin to the south. Sandown Bay is the name of the bay off the English Channel which both towns share, and it is notable for its long stretch of easily accessible...
and Shanklin
Shanklin
Shanklin is a popular seaside resort and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, England, located on the east coast's Sandown Bay. The sandy beach, its Old Village and a wooded ravine, Shanklin Chine, are its main attractions. The esplanade along the beach is occupied by hotels and restaurants for the...
, with Night buses on the weekends. Wightbus
Wightbus
Not to be confused with Wrightbus, the bus manufacturerWightbus was a bus operator on the Isle of Wight, owned by the Isle of Wight Council...
run local service 31 to Ventnor.
Sources
- Goodwin, John. Bonchurch from A-Z. Bonchurch: The Bonchurch Trading Company, 1992. ISBN 0873009 003
- Brett, Peter. Bonchurch. Bonchurch: Bonchurch Parochial Church Council.