Shorwell

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Shorwell
Civil parish
Status: Parish
Population:
Administration
Primary council: Isle of Wight
Politics

Shorwell (pronounced Shorel by some locals and Islanders) is a village and civil parish[1] on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. It is located six kilometres from Newport in the southwest of the island. Shorwell was one of Queen Victoria's favorite places to visit on the Isle of Wight.

Northcourt Manor in Shorwell was built in 1615 by the Deputy Governor of the Island, Sir John Leigh, and is the largest manor house on the island. It is now a bed and breakfast establishment.[2] The grounds of Northcourt Manor contain a spring, the Shor Well which feeds a stream. There is a pub called the Crown Inn, featuring a fishpond and stream, currently owned by Nigel Wynn.

Shorwell is graced by a twelfth century church, St.Peters.[3] The interior of the church features a famous 15th century painting of St. Christopher. There is also a painting of the two wives and 15 children of John Leigh.

The church also features an alabaster monument of John Leigh praying, accompanied by his great grandson Barnabas who died at the age of 9 months while Leigh's body was waiting for burial in 1629. They share a tomb which is inscribed;

"Inmate in grave, he took his grandchild heir, Whose soul did haste to make to him repair, And so to heaven along as little page With him did post, to wait upon his age."

The island's oldest netball club is also based in Shorwell.

It is linked to other parts of the Island by Southern Vectis circular bus route 7, serving Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport including intermediate towns.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ English Parishes & Welsh Communities N&C 2004
  2. ^ Northcourt Manor official website
  3. ^ St Peters, Shorwell, Histories of the Isle of Wight Churches, based upon a paper written by Canon George Jeans MA FSA; a former vicar, which was presented to the Hampshire Field Club in 1893, The Villages and Towns of the Isle of Wight, Southern Life (UK) website; History of the Villages of Hampshire, Dorset and Isle of Wight Counties.
  4. ^ Southern Vectis - bus route 7. www.islandbuses.info (2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-04.

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 50°38′N, 1°21′W

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