History

Wootton - Collected Facts

Lisle Court was built for Robert S. Holford in the 1880's. The family, whose main seat was at Westonbirt in Gloucestershire, held considerable lands in the Island during the nineteenth century.

At one time, the tide mill at Wootton Bridge belonged to Quarr Abbey. Tunnels under the causeway allowed the water from the lake to reach the two undershoot wheels. The original road came over the bridge and in front of the mill and the Sloop Inn before ascending the hill to Wootton.

In 1810 Daniel List moved his shipbuilding business from East Cowes to the mouth of Wootton Creek. In 1824, Lord Yarborough's famous yacht 'Falcon' was built here.

Hop Kilns at Briddlesford Lodge Farm. Hops were grown on this farm before the first World War. In the farmyard is a relatively small rectangular brick structure divided into two hop kilns. Both kilns have unusual low curved roofs with a central hole to which a cowl must have at one time been fitted. William Griffin moved from Brading to Briddlesford with 15 cows in 1920.

Wootton Station — 1950 Waiting room and booking office built. Wootton Station Line closed in 1953 remained in use until 1966. The passing loop was taken out of use in 1956. June 1975 trackbed removed.

Church of St Marks, Station Road was requisitioned by the ARP. as a rest centre in 1944. Ground at the rear was used for growing vegetables.

Femside Way named in 1989.

Bumbles was used by Home Guard in WW2.

The Fleming Estate owned the mud and rights to control the flow of water in the creek, there was hope for a fresh water fishery but silting up of creek stopped this idea. Now owned by Crown Agents.

Land by the bridge, Kite Hill side [yard] housed the PLUTO Crane during WW2, was a British Road Services depot at one stage. September 1969 — Island Plant Hire Co Ltd. The Riverside Works & Depot, New Road Tel WB 211. 1991 — JCM Construction.

Fishbourne Quay

1971 — Clifford J Matthews, The Keel, Fishbourne Tel: WB 251, Works: Coathy Butts, Fisbourne. Fencing Special Woodwork Timber Buildings
1938 — Messrs W & C Hayles sold to H R Watt leased to Messrs Batt & Lakeman
1951 — Ranalah Yacht Yard Ltd.

November 1929 Right Hon. Charles Robert 5th Earl Grey, Guy Holford Benson and Reginal Linsay Benson bought the 160 acre Fattingpark Farm for £2000.

1950, Col. Stephenson Clarke (Binstead) bought Fattingpark Farm.

1933, George Moody sold what is now Lushington Garage to Percy Harwood and his father.

October 1944, George Moody sold the Haven, Park Road to George Bernard Moody (Grove House Park Rd) for £2000.

January 1951, George B Moody sold 2 Park Cottage, Station Rd., to Rodney Arthur Warne.

October 1964, G. B. Moody sold to Phylis Lucy Batt and John Crough Cowning, Ordnance Survey plots No. 628, 630, 631 and 681 and part of 626, 678, 679 and 682.

George Moody died December 1971.

Where Lushington Garden Centre now stands was known as Lushinton Copse.

No roundabout at the bottom of Lushington Hill, just a road junction and three cottages (bombed during the war). Brickworks shown in the land going down from the roundabout to East Cowes (Alverstone Brick & Tile Works).

Palmersbrook House and Buildings

Road shown crossing the fields from the house (lodge) at the bottom of Lushington Hill towards Brocks Copse, path to Alverstone farm looping off, path carries on across Brocks Copse Woods toward Osborne House. Built for Queen Victoria if she used Whippingham Station, which she did only once to visit Ventnor.

Just up from Belmont is "South Lodge" which was part of Westwood Estate, road leads through the woods to the house.

Wootton Rise on Palmer Rd, is quoted as 390 feet above sea level.

Wootton Farm at one stage was owned by Robert Staynor Holford.

Site of 119 High Street was a thatched cottage known as Woodbine Cottage.

Last business in the old Lloyds Bank building was Creature Comforts who left in 1990. (Now converted to property).

Old Ordnance Survey shows small building on the site of Bumbles Lane marked as a reading room.

In Mill Square in 1851 Richard Alford was shown as local blacksmith/post office.

Louise Florence Makant d. Wootton Lodge 21 June 1890 – 4 lancet windows in Chancel St Edmunds erected by William Makant 1894 (husband) moved to Ryde.

Matilda, daughter of Samuel Shute and Ann (wife) of Fernhill d. Paris 2 Jan 1858. Her remains deposited by the side of her mother and sister Emily in a vault at Trinity Church, Tunbridge Wells.

Marriage between Miss Anne Eveline Coleman, daughter of Rev. Coleman and R Sutton Clarke 10 Sept. 1904.

Packsfield – thatch cottage up the lane from the level crossing was called Chapel Cottage Mr & Mrs Richardson lived there. 4 Railway cottages at the bottom of Packsfield Lane now demolished, (three houses built).

St Michael Church, Briddlesford, [North/South orientation] opened 16th September 1885. Gift from Mrs Mary Nunn Harvey – Lady of the Manor. Sunday School on the east side of the church and would seat 250. St Michael & All Saints, tin church sold to Cornwall in 1910 for £55.00. Sunday School stayed until around 1923 and sold for scrap (£18.00). The Rectory house is the first passed the junction down Whiterails Road on the left. Was pre-school in 1940-45?

Rafters – Mabel Capel wife of owner of holiday camp – lived there 30/5/1934.

St Marks land bought by Miss Shedden for £118. Church opened 1909, builder E W Jenkins of Newport. Requistioned as a rest centre 1944 and closed 1946, reopened as a furniture repository, Reopened as a church by George Raynor in 1969.

1857 - Packet boat service sailed from Wootton Mill to Portsmouth.

Dr. Frank Kennedy ran Wootton Photographic Club.

1977 – Greengrocers – Now Tony's Fish & Chips?

Jack Whitehead Wood Carver owned houseboat Vericona moored on the creek – built 1873 Dartmouth, (used as houseboat early 1900's broken up 1973). Carvings - St Edmunds Church – Christ arms outstreached. HMS Warrior – Figurehead, Little Canada – Totam Pole.

Pump Lane, New Rd – Orchard, allotments.

Two modified houses/cottages at Littletown were shown on old maps as small cottage. The plan shows two other buildings on the opposite side of the pathway which are no longer there. The plan also shows buildings on the corner of Littletown and Balambs Farm. Balambs Farm, now demolished and a private house built in situ.

A building is shown in the field at the original location of the Bible Christian Church near what is now Woodford Cottage. It is said that this was a cottage.

Oakfield House, Station Rd. [Possible site of Wootton Villa, re Many Ann Denham] was origally linked by a road from the house to a lodge (now demolished and bungalow built on the site) opposite what is now Park View.

Rear Admiral Denison donated the bell tower at St Edmonds.