Lost Villages
In common with the mainland, the Isle of Wight has lost a number of villages since the Conquest, some destroyed by raiders (which was the fate of Wolverton near Bembridge), some depopulated by the plague, or other causes. At the present time villages tend to become absorbed by urban districts, but may still retain their old character within their new environment. Of these Lake and Shanklin are examples.
LAKE, once a village forming part of Blackpan Manor, was mentioned in 1280 in connection with William atte Lake, the name possibly deriving from the Old English word `lam', a stream. The stream, now partly underground, runs from Hildyards (the home in 1300 of John de la Hilde Yard) to Lake Common where in later times the post-chaise horses used to graze, and so to the river Yar; and the village is now no more than an urbanised link between Shanklin and Sandown.
The present roads follow the old rough tracks, and beside the Newport road is a beautiful thatched farmhouse called Merrie Gardens, dated 1684, the name comes from the Old French 'merise', meaning cherry. Such trees were plentiful in the Island, and the name appears in other districts. At the junction of the Newport and Sandown roads there was once a tollgate, the toll-keeper living in a thatched cottage (on the site of the Three Ways Cafe) with the smithy nearby, part of which remains.
The first Church was originally at St. Paul's, Gatten; built of corrugated iron it was removed in a farm cart to Lake in 1876, and used until 1894 when the present Church was built, Lake becoming a separate parish in 1930.
SHANKLIN, although mentioned in Domesday Book as Sencliz, seems to have had few inhabitants until the 18th century. The Survey N1ap of 1795 shows only Shanklin Farm (manor) in the village area, with its chapel and the parsonage with its own farm buildings. The chapel (13th century) was much enlarged in 1850; until 1857 only the Lord of the Manor had burial rights there, other people having to be buried at Bonchurch or Brading. The late 17th century house was rebuilt in 1883 by the White-Popham family, and is now called the Manor Hotel.
The nucleus of cottages now known as the `Old Village' included the Chine Inn which was burnt down in 1869, and the Crab Inn and skittle alley. A photograph dated 1860 shows a shop kept by the Buckell family, who also looked after the fire engine which was hopefully called `Nil Desperandum', although it belied its name when the hose proved to be far too short to deal with the fire at the Crab inn. The Fisherman's Cottage at the foot of the Chine was built between 1817 and 1824 by Wm. Colenutt, who undertook to keep the Chine pathway clear in return for being the sole guide.
Warm sea-water baths were available here, and a picture of the cottage shows a row of bathing-garments hanging out to dry.
During the Napoleonic wars English people, unable to travel abroad, began to take an interest in such districts as Lakeland and the Isle of Wight; Shanklin, with its romantic Chine and little cottages hedged about with ivy among the trees, became popular, and after 1815 various houses were built, some large, others of the `cottage orne variety. Strangely enough, some of these elegant residences could be approached only through muddy farmyards!
Francis White-Popham, 1829-94, was Lord of the Manor and sole land-owner when development began, and was careful to ensure a good standard of building, with reasonable spacing, and enough ground for cottage gardens; there were a few regulations, such as the concealment of washing-lines from the public view! Rose Cottage and Eglantine Cottage (where Keats stayed) were lodging houses, and the first hotel was Williams', now Holliers. The tiny village gradually expanded into a sizeable town, the first train arriving in 1864; and there was a Town Crier who was paid one shilling for twelve `cries'. The cluster of beautifully thatched houses with the road twisting between them still retains the appearance of a village, and at the Old Rectory, once the parsonage of the Manor, the myrtle trees for which it was famous flourish to this day.
