YARMOUTH
"YARMOUTH, a parish, seaport, and market town in the liberty of West Medina,
Isle of Wight, county Hants, 10 miles W. of Newport, 12 S.W. of Cowes, and
6 by steamer across the Solent to Lymington. This place, anciently called
Eremuth, and now occasionally South Yarmouth, to distinguish it from Great
Yarmouth in Norfolk, derives its name from its situation at the mouth of
the river Yar, which falls into the Solent, and is here crossed by a
bridge, just constructed, connecting the town with the neighbouring parish
of Freshwater. It is a coast-guard station and sub-port to Cowes, being the
first port within the Needles passage. In ancient times it appears to have
been of much greater extent and importance than it is at present, as proved
by the "town field," which, though now destitute of buildings, is laid out
regularly at right angles, marking the lines of the ancient streets. Its
decadence is attributed to the French, by whom it was, in the reign of
Richard II., pillaged and entirely burned, and on two subsequent occasions
it was nearly destroyed by them."
[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]
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