St. Lawrence
St. Lawrence was referred to in early history as St. Lawrence-under- Wath, which may have been an old word for "cliff". The situation of this parish is extremely beautiful, positioned as it is between the great rocky cliff on the north, and the sea to the south, with wooded slopes and lush meadows leading down to the wild rocky shore.
The Old Church is stated to have been erected in 1191, and the earliest dwelling on record seems to be the Manor House. The Manor was held by the de Aula family, during the first half of the 12th century, and the remaining ruins in the garden of Wolverton Manor are considered to be those of a domestic building of the early 14th century. The name Wolverton may have been acquired when the Hackets of Wolverton (Shorwell) came into possession, apparently at the end of the 13th century.
The Old Church, as it is now called, was probably built by the de Aulas as a private Chapel, and it is possible that they gave the chapel, and the village, the name of St. Lawrence to honour their patron saint. The Church, prior to its extension by the first Earl of Yarborough, was the smallest in England; it occupies an elevated position on the Old Road (or Up Shute) which is now Seven Sisters' Road (said to have been named after a group of elm trees planted by a man in memory of his seven daughters). The Church was lit by candles and oil lamps until 1970, when electricity was installed. On the erection of the larger parish church in 1876, the Old Church ceased to be used, except for funerals, and services on St. Lawrence's Day, until in 1924 Sunday evening services were recommenced there.
Of the old houses near the Church, Maple Cottage is supposed to be almost as old as the Church. Vestry Cottage adjoins another ancient building, with a third behind it, hidden from the road.
Legend has it that long ago Vestry Cottage was used by the parson as a robing-room; it was once occupied by John Green who combined the office of Parish Clerk with that of Schoolmaster. Later the schoolroom was transferred to the house now called Selwyns, a room being built on for this purpose. Then as the population grew, a new school was built in 1898. However, the run-down of Old Park estate and the closing of the Coastguard Station at Woody Bay (now turned into dwellings for local residents) caused a drop in the number of pupils and the School was closed. This building is now the Village Hall, a stage and extra accommodation having been added.
St. Lawrence was at first so small that it hardly merited the appellation of "village", and even in 1756 there were only twelve dwellings, but in the latter half of the last century many more houses were built.
Rose Cottage, "Up Shute", was once called "Jo Anni's Cottage", the occupier, Johanni Lovegad, having been brought as a boy from Greece or Italy by Lord Yarborough, and employed as a gardener at Appuldurcombe. He seems to have been somewhat of a character, and much in sympathy with the local smugglers. Another old cottage now called Spring Cottage, with spring water issuing from a recess in the wall by the main road, used to be called The Duck.
The story goes that a duck went missing from Week Farm, about a mile and a half away on top of the cliff, and early next morning was reported to have been found, exhausted, at the spring, and it was positively asserted that it had fallen into the well at the farm and found its way underground to St. Lawrence. This cottage was also known as Smugglers' Retreat, and here smuggled spirits could be obtained at a cheap rate, until it was closed by the Lord of the Manor.
The pump from which the villagers obtained their water is still to be seen in Seven Sisters' Road. After Sir Charles Cayzer purchased the property at the beginning of the present century, he had water laid on in all the cottages.
Another interesting old building is the Toll-Keepers' cottage on the Niton road, where the road was once barred by a toll-gate.
Towards the close of the 18th century, Sir Richard Worsley, then the owner of the Manor and a noted historian, built a "neat and elegant building" called The Cottage – now turned into three flats!
In the grounds were mounted guns said to have been cast during the French Revolution, which were presented to Sir Richard by the King after they had been taken from a French Privateer captured off the coast where they now stand. By the side of the drive to the cottage is a little Gothic shrine known as St. Lawrence's Well, which used to be a great attraction for visitors.
Old Park, once the residence of Sir John Cheape, was acquired at the turn of the century by Mr. W. Spindler, a German millionaire. He wished to build a model village all along the coast to Ventnor, and commenced operations by endeavouring to construct a harbour at Binnel Bay. An esplanade and sea-walls were erected, but were ill-designed and did not long survive the battering of the heavy seas, and Mr. Spindler himself, after making a number of local benefactions, unfortunately died, and the estate was left empty for over 30 years. It is sad that his memory chiefly remains in the ruins of "Spindler's Folly".
Craigie Lodge, near Carfax, was the residence of Mrs. Craigie, better known as John Oliver Hobbs, the novelist. A plaque on the entrance front bears testimony to this.
Admiral Lord Jellicoe and his family lived at St. Lawrence Hall, almost in the Pelham Woods which used to be described as a Mecca of spring flowers; the Hall was later destroyed by fire.
Alfred Noyes, the poet, lived at Lislecombe, a fine old house with a beautiful garden, associated with Bank End Farm with its splendid herd of Guernsey cattle, unfortunately lost through Brucellosis, but now being built up again.
A famous building was the Royal National Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, deemed to be the finest in the country for the cure of tuberculosis, its sheltered position in the Underclifl', and the sea breezes, contributing in no small way to its success. The Hospital was in several blocks, including a fine Chapel, and a great number of patients were restored to health there. In 1968, because of the decline in tuberculosis, the Hospital became redundant and was demolished.
The stained glass windows from the Chapel – representative works of Sir Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris and Ford Madox-Brown – were removed to the present Parish Church of St. Lawrence. The grounds were taken over by the Ventnor Council, and are being transformed into Botanical Gardens, already flourishing and beautiful; and in the exceptional climatic conditions a number of unusual plants and trees are being grown.
The closure of the railway was a great loss to the district. It removed one of the most delightful train journeys in the Island, besides being a very necessary form of transport. It used to be quite a thrill to walk up "Redgun" path (an Old English word meaning a bridlepath) and wait near the tunnel while an alarm bell rang stridently, warning of the approach of the train which would presently emerge puffing from the gloomy tunnel, clattering down to the little station, before going on to Ventnor West station, at Steephill.
