St Lawrence, Isle of Wight
Encyclopedia
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...
, in southern 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 located to the west of 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...
and many consider it a part of that town. St Lawrence is situated on the Undercliff, and is subject to regular landslips.
Features
St. Lawrence is much older than Ventnor. One of its churches dates from the 13th century; before the addition of a chancel in 1830, it was only 25 feet long and 11 feet wide, and was considered the smallest church in England. Although there are undoubtedly smaller chapels including the tiny church at Les Vauxbelets on Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
, this arguably remains the smallest to be built as a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
church — although this role has long since been supplanted by a larger church in the village - see St. Lawrence's Church, St. Lawrence
St. Lawrence's Church, St. Lawrence
St Lawrence's Church, St Lawrence is a parish church in the Church of England located in St Lawrence, Isle of Wight.-History:The church was built in 1878 to a design by Sir George Gilbert Scott. and consists of a nave, chancel, north aisle, porch and western turret with two bells. -Organ:A...
. It also has a 15th century baptismal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
- a stoup
Holy water font
A holy water font or stoup is a vessel containing holy water generally placed near the entrance of a church. It is used in Catholic Church and Lutheran churches, as well as some Anglican churches to make the Sign of the Cross using the holy water upon entrance and exit...
that is about 500 years old and a series of 18th century hat pegs. The piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
niche is almost the same age as the church.
The larger church at St. Lawrence dates from the 19th century, but has a 17th century altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
and a chest that dates from 1612.
There is a glassworks
Glassblowing
Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
styled as Isle of Wight Glass by the Old Park Hotel in St. Lawrence. Nearby is the site of the Tropical Bird Park, which is now closed. Close to the newer church is the site of the Rare Breeds Park, which closed while the 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...
was closed to the west of the village due to landslip.
William Spindler
St Lawrence was in the nineteenth century the subject of an ambitious plan by a German developer, named William Spindler (who had made his fortune as a chemist in Berlin), to develop St Lawrence as a resort to rival Ventnor. He lived on the Isle of Wight from 1881 to his death in 1889 and is buried in WhitwellWhitwell, Isle of Wight
Whitwell is located in the south of the Isle of Wight, slightly to the south of Godshill, and extends to the southern shore of the island. The nearest town is Ventnor, about 5 kilometres South of the village. Niton is the nearest village about away, which together, Whitwell and Niton form a civil...
. During his time in St. Lawrence he had an enormous influence there and on the surrounding areas. He possibly alienated local opinion with a series of "improving pamphlets" criticising local perceived laziness. His legacy has been a number of grand Victorian houses, often semi-derelict and half hidden by woodland. Perhaps his most noticeable memorials are several huge pieces of masonry in Binnel Bay
Binnel Bay
Binnel Bay is a bay on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England. It lies between the villages of St. Lawrence and Niton. It faces south towards the English Channel, its shoreline is in length. It stretches from Binnel Point in the east to Puckaster Cove in the west.The bay is remote and...
, which once formed a harbour which is all but inaccessible from the land. These have fallen into titanic ruins and are known locally as "Spindler's Follies
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
".
Transport
It is linked to other parts of the Island by WightbusWightbus
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...
bus route 16
Wightbus route 16
Wightbus route 16 or the Rail link service was a bus service operated on the Isle of Wight by Wightbus between St Lawrence and Shanklin via Ventnor Botanic Garden, Ventnor and Bonchurch...
, serving 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...
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...
and intermediate villages.