Puckaster
Encyclopedia
Puckaster is a hamlet on the Isle of Wight
, England
. Puckaster is on the southern coast of the Isle of Wight, south of Niton
, between St. Catherine's Point and Binnel.
"Portus Castrensis" although others dispute this. Also, on July 1, 1675 King Charles II
was forced ashore in Puckaster
Cove in bad weather and heavy seas, as recorded in the Niton
Church Register:
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Hopsonn
as an orphan lived in Niton
. Seeing the fleet passing offshore he literally ran away to sea, down Puckaster Lane and into a rowing boat, later distinguishing himself, especially at the Battle of Vigo Bay
in 1702 and returning to beecome a local Member of Parliament. He is mentioned by Samuel Smiles
in Self Help.
The coastline around Puckaster is quite treacherous, leading to the creation of St. Catherine's Oratory on St. Catherine's Down and eventually other lighthouse
s in the area. Among the other shipwrecks near Puckaster was that of the West Indianman "Three Sisters". The Three Sisters went aground at Puckaster in January of 1799. Three of the crew were drowned in this accident.
. To this end, Puckaster Farm was purchased in an effort to preserve this area.
Puckaster has inspired several renowned paintings and drawings. For example, British painter Edward William Cooke
(1811–1880) made a watercolor of Puckaster Cove in 1831. The Brigham Young University
Museum of Art owns an anonymous drawn plan of a Puckaster dwelling and a watercolor of a Puckaster cottage. Mrs. W. Bartlett and W. Willis made a well known etching of Puckaster Cove that was published in "Barber's Picturesque Illustrations of the Isle of Wight" in 1845. The Tate Collection
includes a drawing by artist Sir David Wilkie
(1785–1841) titled, "Sir Willoughby Gordon and his Daughter Julia, Cooking on a Griddle at Puckaster, near Niton, Isle of Wight 1822". Painters L. J. Wood and Richard Henry Nibbs
(1816–1893) have also produced notable paintings of Puckaster.
lived in Puckaster. Prince Philip
stayed in Puckaster as a young man when he was learning to sail.
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...
, 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...
. Puckaster is on the southern coast of the Isle of Wight, south of Niton
Niton, Isle of Wight
Niton is a village on the Isle of Wight, near Ventnor with a thriving population of 1142, supporting two pubs, several churches,a pottery workshop/shop, a pharmacy and 3 local shops including a post office...
, between St. Catherine's Point and Binnel.
History
Puckaster has historical significance. Some have tried to identify Puckaster Cove with the RomanRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
"Portus Castrensis" although others dispute this. Also, on July 1, 1675 King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
was forced ashore in Puckaster
Cove in bad weather and heavy seas, as recorded in the Niton
Niton, Isle of Wight
Niton is a village on the Isle of Wight, near Ventnor with a thriving population of 1142, supporting two pubs, several churches,a pottery workshop/shop, a pharmacy and 3 local shops including a post office...
Church Register:
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Hopsonn
Thomas Hopsonn
Sir Thomas Hopsonn was born in Bonchurch, near Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, England in 1642.Orphaned at an early age he was fostered and apprenticed as a tailor in nearby Niton....
as an orphan lived in Niton
Niton, Isle of Wight
Niton is a village on the Isle of Wight, near Ventnor with a thriving population of 1142, supporting two pubs, several churches,a pottery workshop/shop, a pharmacy and 3 local shops including a post office...
. Seeing the fleet passing offshore he literally ran away to sea, down Puckaster Lane and into a rowing boat, later distinguishing himself, especially at the Battle of Vigo Bay
Battle of Vigo Bay
The Battle of Vigo Bay, also known as the Battle of Rande , was a naval engagement fought on 23 October 1702 during the opening years of the War of the Spanish Succession. The engagement followed an Anglo-Dutch attempt to capture the Spanish port of Cádiz in September in an effort to secure a naval...
in 1702 and returning to beecome a local Member of Parliament. He is mentioned by Samuel Smiles
Samuel Smiles
-Early life:Born in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland, the son of Samuel Smiles of Haddington and Janet Wilson of Dalkeith, Smiles was one of eleven surviving children. The family were strict Cameronians, though when Smiles grew up he was not one of them...
in Self Help.
The coastline around Puckaster is quite treacherous, leading to the creation of St. Catherine's Oratory on St. Catherine's Down and eventually other lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
s in the area. Among the other shipwrecks near Puckaster was that of the West Indianman "Three Sisters". The Three Sisters went aground at Puckaster in January of 1799. Three of the crew were drowned in this accident.
Geography
Puckaster is part of the Undercliff area, and subject to coastal erosion concerns. It is also the home of some rare bees and other unique insects. Its unique climate allows the growth of some plants that are found nowhere else in the British Islands; this was even the subject of a publication by philosopher and economist John Stuart MillJohn Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill was a British philosopher, economist and civil servant. An influential contributor to social theory, political theory, and political economy, his conception of liberty justified the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state control. He was a proponent of...
. To this end, Puckaster Farm was purchased in an effort to preserve this area.
Puckaster has inspired several renowned paintings and drawings. For example, British painter Edward William Cooke
Edward William Cooke
Edward William Cooke, R.A., F.R.S., F.Z.S., F.S.A., F.G.S. was an English landscape and marine painter, and gardener.-Life and work:...
(1811–1880) made a watercolor of Puckaster Cove in 1831. The Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
Museum of Art owns an anonymous drawn plan of a Puckaster dwelling and a watercolor of a Puckaster cottage. Mrs. W. Bartlett and W. Willis made a well known etching of Puckaster Cove that was published in "Barber's Picturesque Illustrations of the Isle of Wight" in 1845. The Tate Collection
Tate
-Places:*Tate, Georgia, a town in the United States*Tate County, Mississippi, a county in the United States*Táté, the Hungarian name for Totoi village, Sântimbru Commune, Alba County, Romania*Tate, Filipino word for States...
includes a drawing by artist Sir David Wilkie
David Wilkie (artist)
Sir David Wilkie was a Scottish painter.- Early life :Wilkie was the son of the parish minister of Cults in Fife. He developed a love for art at an early age. In 1799, after he had attended school at Pitlessie, Kettle and Cupar, his father reluctantly agreed to his becoming a painter...
(1785–1841) titled, "Sir Willoughby Gordon and his Daughter Julia, Cooking on a Griddle at Puckaster, near Niton, Isle of Wight 1822". Painters L. J. Wood and Richard Henry Nibbs
Richard Henry Nibbs
Richard Henry Nibbs was an English painter and book illustrator who specialised in marine art.Nibbs was born in Brighton, Sussex , England and educated at a school in Worthing . He lived in Brighton throughout his life...
(1816–1893) have also produced notable paintings of Puckaster.
Famous residents
Yacht designer and builder Uffa FoxUffa Fox
Uffa Fox CBE was an English boat designer and sailing enthusiast.-Life:Uffa Fox was born on the Isle of Wight and was raised in East Cowes. He lived for a while in Puckaster on the Isle of Wight.-Work:...
lived in Puckaster. Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
stayed in Puckaster as a young man when he was learning to sail.
Mythology
Author Cassandra Eason identifies Puckaster as a place which is frequented by fairies in her book, "A Complete Guide to Fairies & Magical Beings".External links
- Puckaster Cove photo, Steve Gascoigne, Available Light Photography
- Website with old pictures of the Undercliff of the Isle of Wight