Shorwell (pronounced Shorrel by some locals and Islanders) is a village and civil parish[2] on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. It is 4+12 miles (7.2 km) from Newport in the southwest of the island. Shorwell was one of Queen Victoria's favourite places to visit on the Isle of Wight.

Shorwell
Shorwell village
Shorwell is located in Isle of Wight
Shorwell
Shorwell
Location within the Isle of Wight
Population670 (2011 census including Kingston and Yafford)[1]
OS grid referenceSZ457829
Civil parish
  • Shorwell
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townNEWPORT
Postcode districtPO30
Dialling code01983
PoliceHampshire and Isle of Wight
FireHampshire and Isle of Wight
AmbulanceIsle of Wight
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Isle of Wight
50°38′40″N 1°21′18″W / 50.64453°N 1.35499°W / 50.64453; -1.35499
Thatched cottages in Shorwell

History

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The parish of Shorwell contains three manors: North Shorwell (or Northcourt), South Shorwell (or Westcourt), and Wolverton.[3] The Shorwell helmet, a sixth-century Anglo-Saxon helmet, was found in the parish. Northcourt was built in 1615 by the Deputy Governor of the Island, Sir John Leigh, and is the islands's largest manor house. In the 13th century North Shorwell was gifted to the abbess of Lacock Abbey.[4]

Features

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The Crown Inn

Northcourt Manor's grounds contain a spring, the Shor Well, which feeds a stream, one of the tributaries of the Buddle Brook. There is a pub called the Crown Inn, featuring a pond stocked with brown trout.

Shorwell's terrain is hilly, and backs onto the chalk downs leading to Chale Bay and Compton Bay; several public footpaths crisscross this region, linking the village up to walking routes nearer the sea. The twelfth-century St. Peter's Church is in the village.

The island's oldest netball club is based in Shorwell as well as Shorwell United, the Island's oldest Sunday League football club.[citation needed]

It is linked to other parts of the Island by Southern Vectis bus route 12, serving Freshwater, Totland and Newport as well as intermediate villages.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  2. ^ English Parishes & Welsh Communities N&C 2004
  3. ^ Adams, William Henry Davenport (1856). The history, topography, and antiquities of the isle of Wight (Now in the public domain. ed.). Smith, Elder, and Co. pp. 154–. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  4. ^ Tait, Rachel; Tiley, Kate (2023). 100 Treasures and Curiosities from the Collection of Carisbrooke Castle Museum. Medina Publishing. p. 42. ISBN 9781911487975.
  5. ^ "Southern Vectis - bus route 7". www.islandbuses.info. 2008. Archived from the original on 12 June 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
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