St Catherine's Point
Encyclopedia
St. Catherine's Point is the southernmost point on the Isle of Wight
. It is located close to the village of Niton
and the point where the Back of the Wight
changes to the Undercliff of Ventnor.
On nearby St. Catherine's Down is St. Catherine's Oratory, locally known as the "Pepperpot", a stone lighthouse built in the 1323 by Walter De Godeton. It is Britain's oldest medieval lighthouse.
Reportedly, de Godeton felt guilty for having scavenged wine , destined for a monastery from the wreck of the St. Marie of Bayonne
in Chale
Bay. He was ordered, on pain of excommunication, to make amends by building this lighthouse. Fires were lit in the lighthouse tower to warn ships at sea of the presence of the coast.
There was an attached chapel at one time, but it has been long demolished. There is a Bronze Age
barrow nearby which was excavated in the 1920s.
A replacement lighthouse was begun in 1785. However it was never completed. Locally this half finished building is known as the "salt pot".
St. Catherine's point is often foggy, so it is not the best location for a lighthouse, but as a weather station the location is fairly suitable.
at the foot of the Undercliff. The lighthouse is a 27 metre high white tower with another tower built on the front which contains the old fog signal. It is one of the oldest lighthouses in Great Britain, being first established in 1323. It has a range of 26 nautical miles (48.2 km).
Trinity House
provides tours of the lighthouse year round.
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...
. It is located close to the village 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...
and the point where the Back of the Wight
Back of the Wight
Back of the Wight is an area on the Isle of Wight, England that has a unique history and social background. Part of this stems from the fact that the area was and still is very cut off from the rest of the island and is made up of small villages strung out along the coast, such as Brighstone,...
changes to the Undercliff of Ventnor.
On nearby St. Catherine's Down is St. Catherine's Oratory, locally known as the "Pepperpot", a stone lighthouse built in the 1323 by Walter De Godeton. It is Britain's oldest medieval lighthouse.
Reportedly, de Godeton felt guilty for having scavenged wine , destined for a monastery from the wreck of the St. Marie of Bayonne
Bayonne
Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
in Chale
Chalé
Chalé is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais. The city belongs to the mesoregion of Zona da Mata and to the microregion of Manhuaçu.-See also:* List of municipalities in Minas Gerais-References:...
Bay. He was ordered, on pain of excommunication, to make amends by building this lighthouse. Fires were lit in the lighthouse tower to warn ships at sea of the presence of the coast.
There was an attached chapel at one time, but it has been long demolished. There is a Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
barrow nearby which was excavated in the 1920s.
A replacement lighthouse was begun in 1785. However it was never completed. Locally this half finished building is known as the "salt pot".
St. Catherine's point is often foggy, so it is not the best location for a lighthouse, but as a weather station the location is fairly suitable.
St. Catherine's Lighthouse
St. Catherine's Lighthouse was built after the wreck of the Clarendon in 1837 to the west of NitonNiton, 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...
at the foot of the Undercliff. The lighthouse is a 27 metre high white tower with another tower built on the front which contains the old fog signal. It is one of the oldest lighthouses in Great Britain, being first established in 1323. It has a range of 26 nautical miles (48.2 km).
Trinity House
Trinity House
The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters...
provides tours of the lighthouse year round.
External links
- Weather station information at Met Office
- St. Catherine's Lighthouse - official tour information at Trinity HouseTrinity HouseThe Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters...
- Photos and information on St. Catherine's Lighthouse