Freshwater

Isle of Wight

Page 2

Old postcards are sometimes poorly produced and grainy, I've done my best to scan them. Please click thumbnails for full size picture. Dates are from the card or my estimate (where possible). The maker of the card is shown in brackets (where available).

This hotel is on the cliffs on the west side of the bay. It was

originally Plumbleys Hotel, the Freshwater Bay Hotel and in now Freshwater Bay House owned by the Holiday Fellowship. (Tuck)

A view looking back from Tennyson Down towards

Freshwater Bay, probably from around 1910.

Fort Ridoubt is on the cliff to the right. (Ettlinger)

My mother was born in Freshwater Bay and I spent much of my childhood there. My Grandmother ran a cafe there, Pinks Cafe. When she died it was initially converted to a dwelling, then back to a tearoom but has now reverted to a dwelling. The picture below was taken in the mid 50's

Location of my grandmother's house . The corner of Freshwater Bay

Hotel may be seen on the right. probably from the 1930's. (Sweetman)


The outside of my grandmother's cafe (Pinks), late fifties.	The inside of the shop, 1960's

An interesting picture showing the corn being cut in the field opposite my grandmothers shop in the old fashioned way, by hand. Undated.	Freshwater Bay across fields from the west after harvesting. (Merwood)

A classic picture of Freshwater Bay, my copy is not a postcard, rather a cigarette card. In More Memories of West Wight by Eric Toogood he gives the caption 'Two Horse ploughing teams from Osmans of Sheepwash and Farringford Farms. Back to the camera, Fred Whittington with Duchess and Flower. Coming towards the photographer, Fred Shutler with Duke and Prince'. I have subsequently been informed that Fred Shutler is actually the one walking away from the camera. The date is given as November 1937 and attributed to the Times newspaper. This land is now owned by the National Trust.

Along Gate Lane

Gate Lane runs from Freshwater Bay to the junction of Bedbury Lane and Victoria Road, on the way to the Freshwater village.

The first point of interest is Dimbola Lodge, formerly the home of Julia Margaret Cameron, the victorian photographer. This has recently been purchased by a charitable trust and is now run as a museum. Picture dated 1926.

(Picture from Freshwater in old picture postcards by the late Joy Lester)

Julia Margaret Cameron page

A little further up the road is a parade of shops, which contained a chemist, a grocery store (Laceys) and an Inn (Starks Hotel) unfortunately all are now closed, the Inn is residential accommodation. This picture is from the 1920's. (Picture from Freshwater in old picture postcards by the late Joy Lester)

Almost opposite the above picture is St Agnes's Church, one of the few in the country with a thatched roof. I don’t know the origin of this note, but it is taken from Eric Toogoods ‘West Wight Remembered’:

ST. AGNES CHURCH

In 1908 it was decided to build a church in Freshwater Bay and so make a Place of Worship for residents and visitors.

Prior to this date, Services had been held in the ‘Iron Room’ in the Square. The building was unsuitable in every way – too cold in winter and too hot in summer, and looked unattractive outside.

The Reverend A. J. Robertson was Rector of Freshwater at that time and he made a water colour painting of the kind of building he felt he would like for a real Church in the Bay. The Architect, Mr. I. Jones designed the Church from the painting that the Rector had done.

An appeal for funds went out and met with a ready response, and the order to build was given to Messrs. C & W White. On August 12^th, 1908, the new Church was consecrated by Bishop Ryle, then Bishop of Winchester.

The site for the Church was given by Lord Tennyson, son of the Poet Laureate – who lived at nearby Farringford. It was Lady Tennyson who suggested that the Church should be dedicated to Saint Agnes, as she had always admired this young and beautiful Saint.

Lady Tennyson gave the Church Porch as a memorial to her mother.

The stone used to build the Church came from an old and derelict farm house on Hooke Hill, Freshwater, and the date stone 1622 was incorporated into the vestry wall, thus rather misleading those who think the Church belonged to the 17^th century.

The Church was thatched with Norfolk reeds by Messrs. Boulton and Paul of Norwich, and was probably the first building to be thatched with reed on the Island. The original roof lasted many years, but in 1962, it was necessary to re-thatch, and this was done by an Islander at the cost of £600 – the reeds again came from Norfolk.


St. Agnes church, Freshwater dated 1910, just after it was built. (Stuart)	A more unusual view showing the back of St Agnes church with beyond it Afton downs. (Sweetman)

Freshwater page 1

Freshwater page 3

Home Page

15 March 2008