Newtown, Isle of Wight
Encyclopedia
Newtown is a small hamlet on the Isle of Wight
, in England
. In medieval times it was a thriving borough.
Newtown is located on the large natural harbour
on the Island's north-western coast, now mostly a National Nature Reserve
owned and managed by the National Trust
.
The Caul Bourne stream running through Calbourne
passes through Newbridge
and Shalfleet
and empties into the Solent
at Newtown.
The earliest charter that we know of was granted by the Bishop-elect of Winchester, Aymer de Valence. He signed its charter at his ecclestical estate at Swainston Manor
in 1256. The high hopes for its success are reflected in the names of its streets, such as Gold Street and Silver Street. However, it might have suffered from competition from Yarmouth
, Newport
and Southampton
. In 1284 the village was somewhat reluctantly given to Edward I
. Apparently there were some 60 families living in Newtown at the start of the 14th century.
By the mid 14th century, it was slowly starting to mature into a thriving commercial center. In 1344, it was assessed at twice the value of Newport. Its harbor was busy and reputed to be the safest on the island. There was a prosperous saltworks and Newtown was famous for its abundant oyster beds. There was an annual three day festival on the "eve, the day and the morrow of the Feast of St. Mary Magdalen", who was honored in the name of the local thirteenth-century chapel. Then the plague struck, and a French raid in 1377 destroyed much of the town as well as other Island settlements. It has never fully recovered from this blow.
By the middle of the 16th century it was a small settlement long eclipsed by the more easily defended town of Newport
. A survey in 1559 noted that Newtown no longer had a market and it did not have a single good house still standing. Its harbor slowly became clogged with silt so that it was not accessible to larger vessels.
Elizabeth I
breathed some life into the town in 1584 by awarding it two parliamentary seats. A town hall was built in the 17th century. However, these two parliamentary seats ultimately made Newtown borough
one of the most notorious of the rotten borough
s, prevalent in the UK before reforms in the 19th century. By the time of the Reform Act 1832
that abolished the seats, a survey pointed out that Newtown had just fourteen houses and twenty-three voters. Much larger municipal areas with many more voters had less representation.
The town hall
was restored in 1813, and again in the 1930s. It is now open to the public.
The Newtown Arms Inn was closed in 1916. It was in an unusually shaped building locally referred to as "Noah's Ark."
Newtown has stayed small, but this has led to the preservation of the original layout of the village, to the interests of historians. There are also two square ponds by the boathouse which were dug as saltern
s, as part of a salt industry that used to exist in Newtown.
, Germany
. He played his pipe and led the rats out into the Solent
where they drowned. The townspeople refused to pay the agreed upon price, and gave the piper only 20 pounds. At this, the piper played his pipe and led the children of the village away. The village lost an entire generation, so it had no young people to defend the town when the French attacked in 1377, leading to its destruction.
operate infrequent bus route number 35 to Newport
, via Porchfield
and Marks Corner.
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In medieval times it was a thriving borough.
Newtown is located on the large natural harbour
Newtown River
Newtown River is a large natural inland harbour located on the Isle of Wight's northwestern coast. It is sometimes also referred to as Newtown Creek....
on the Island's north-western coast, now mostly a National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
owned and managed by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.
The Caul Bourne stream running through Calbourne
Calbourne
Calbourne is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. It is located eight kilometres from Newport in the west of the island.The village takes its name from the stream that passes through town, the Caul Bourne...
passes through Newbridge
Newbridge, Isle of Wight
Newbridge is a hamlet on the Isle of Wight. It is situated on a small hill, nine kilometres to the west of Newport on the western half of the island. The village has a social club, situated in the old school house, and a holiday park with indoor and outdoor swimming pools and the villages only...
and Shalfleet
Shalfleet
Shalfleet is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. it is located between Yarmouth and Newport in the northwest of the island.-Background:...
and empties into the Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
at Newtown.
History
The town was originally called Francheville (i.e., Freetown), and only later was it renamed Newtown. It probably was founded before the Norman Conquest. There is some indication that it was attacked by the Danes in 1001.The earliest charter that we know of was granted by the Bishop-elect of Winchester, Aymer de Valence. He signed its charter at his ecclestical estate at Swainston Manor
Swainston Manor
Swainston Manor lies to the east of Calbourne, Isle of Wight, England. Now a hotel, Swainston Manor was originally a manor house on a site dating back to 735 CE. Eight hundred years ago it became the location of a palace built by the Bishops of Winchester. It has a 12th century chapel on its...
in 1256. The high hopes for its success are reflected in the names of its streets, such as Gold Street and Silver Street. However, it might have suffered from competition from Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Isle of Wight
Yarmouth is a port and civil parish in the western part of the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of mainland England. The town is named for its location at the mouth of the small Western Yar river...
, Newport
Newport, Isle of Wight
Newport is a civil parish and a county town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Newport has a population of 23,957 according to the 2001 census...
and Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. In 1284 the village was somewhat reluctantly given to Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
. Apparently there were some 60 families living in Newtown at the start of the 14th century.
By the mid 14th century, it was slowly starting to mature into a thriving commercial center. In 1344, it was assessed at twice the value of Newport. Its harbor was busy and reputed to be the safest on the island. There was a prosperous saltworks and Newtown was famous for its abundant oyster beds. There was an annual three day festival on the "eve, the day and the morrow of the Feast of St. Mary Magdalen", who was honored in the name of the local thirteenth-century chapel. Then the plague struck, and a French raid in 1377 destroyed much of the town as well as other Island settlements. It has never fully recovered from this blow.
By the middle of the 16th century it was a small settlement long eclipsed by the more easily defended town of Newport
Newport, Isle of Wight
Newport is a civil parish and a county town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Newport has a population of 23,957 according to the 2001 census...
. A survey in 1559 noted that Newtown no longer had a market and it did not have a single good house still standing. Its harbor slowly became clogged with silt so that it was not accessible to larger vessels.
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
breathed some life into the town in 1584 by awarding it two parliamentary seats. A town hall was built in the 17th century. However, these two parliamentary seats ultimately made Newtown borough
Newtown (UK Parliament constituency)
Newtown was a parliamentary borough located in Newtown on the Isle of Wight, which was represented in the House of Commons of England then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
one of the most notorious of the rotten borough
Rotten borough
A "rotten", "decayed" or pocket borough was a parliamentary borough or constituency in the United Kingdom that had a very small electorate and could be used by a patron to gain undue and unrepresentative influence within Parliament....
s, prevalent in the UK before reforms in the 19th century. By the time of the Reform Act 1832
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
that abolished the seats, a survey pointed out that Newtown had just fourteen houses and twenty-three voters. Much larger municipal areas with many more voters had less representation.
The town hall
Newtown Old Town Hall
Newtown Old Town Hall is the town hall of the former mediaeval and later rotten borough of Newtown on the Isle of Wight in England. Newtown is now a small village, and its town hall is owned by the National Trust....
was restored in 1813, and again in the 1930s. It is now open to the public.
The Newtown Arms Inn was closed in 1916. It was in an unusually shaped building locally referred to as "Noah's Ark."
Newtown has stayed small, but this has led to the preservation of the original layout of the village, to the interests of historians. There are also two square ponds by the boathouse which were dug as saltern
Saltern
Saltern is a word with a number of differing meanings. In English archaeology, a saltern is an area used for salt making, especially in the East Anglian fenlands....
s, as part of a salt industry that used to exist in Newtown.
Legend
There are stories of a pied piper who was hired to save Newtown from an excess of rats for 50 pounds, similar to the story of the Pied Piper in HamelinHamelin
Hamelin is a town on the river Weser in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Hamelin-Pyrmont and has a population of 58,696 ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He played his pipe and led the rats out into the Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
where they drowned. The townspeople refused to pay the agreed upon price, and gave the piper only 20 pounds. At this, the piper played his pipe and led the children of the village away. The village lost an entire generation, so it had no young people to defend the town when the French attacked in 1377, leading to its destruction.
Transport
WightbusWightbus
Not to be confused with Wrightbus, the bus manufacturerWightbus was a bus operator on the Isle of Wight, owned by the Isle of Wight Council...
operate infrequent bus route number 35 to Newport
Newport, Isle of Wight
Newport is a civil parish and a county town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Newport has a population of 23,957 according to the 2001 census...
, via Porchfield
Porchfield
Porchfield is a village on the Isle of Wight between Cowes and Yarmouth. It is located seven kilometres southwest of Cowes in the northwest of the island....
and Marks Corner.