WOOTTON
"WOOTTON, a parish in the liberty of East Medina, Isle of Wight, county
Hants, 4 miles N.E. of Newport, and 3 W. of Ryde. The parish is bounded on
the N. by the Motherbank, and on the E. by a creek or inlet of the sea,
which runs from Fishbourne past the bridge, or causeway, called
Wootton-Bridge, about 2 miles to Briddesford. There is a ferry from here to
Portsmouth. The village consists of only a few houses and cottages built in
the valley on either side of the creek, but close to the bridge in the
adjoining parishes of Arreton and Binsted is a larger village called
Wootton Bridge. On an eminence S. of the bridge is Fern-hill, a modern
residence with a tower. It was built by the late Lord Bolton, when governor
of the island, and is now the residence of S. Saunders, Esq. The living is
a rectory* in the diocese of Winchester, value £250. The church, dedicated
to St. Edmund, contains tablets to the White and Shute families. The
Wesleyans have two chapels. In the vicinity are the ruins of Quarr Abbey,
and at Wootton Farm is an oak 47 feet in girth."
[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of
Great Britain and Ireland (1868) - Transcribed by Colin Hinson (c)2003]
[Last updated: 4th August 2003, 04:02 BST - Brian Pears]
