Alverstone Marshes

Alverstone Garden Village is a housing estate built between the 1930s and the 1970s; entirely contained within Youngwoods Copse, and thus almost invisible from the older hamlet of Alverstone. At the 2011 Census the Post Office indicated that the population was included in the civil parish of Newchurch, Isle of Wight. Transport is provided by Wightbus route 23, which runs through the estate on its way between Newport and Shanklin.

Alverstone is a village 2 miles from the east coast of the Isle of Wight, near Sandown. The name Alverstone is most likely of Saxon origin meaning "Alfred's Farm". Up until 1960, boating took place on the river and tea-gardens were very popular with local people, who came by train on excursions. There is evidence from an archaeological dig in Alverstone of a Roman military presence in the area.Kern Farm is the oldest farm in Alverstone, situated to the north of the village. It was at one point a Mill held in 1086 by William I and previously by King Harold at the time of the Norman Invasion. Alverstone Farm, situated to the east of the village, consists of a manor mentioned in the Domesday Book and other sandstone buildings of interest. When Richard Webster became Chief Justice of England in 1900, he chose the title Lord Alverstone because it was the title he was permitted to choose which was "closest" to Sandown, one of his favourite locales. Alverstone Manor is located here. Prince Albert was instrumental in creating a 'model' brickworks in Alverstone in the middle of the 19th century (but that is a different 'Alverstone', east of Whippingham Isle of Wight, on the southern edge of QV's Osborne Estate).The Village Hall was built by Lord Alverstone in 1879 to serve as the village school. It remained as a school until 1921 when it briefly served as a church. The Newport Junction Railway opened a station at Alverstone on 1 February 1875, and the station first appeared in a public schedule in June 1876. The journey to Sandown took 3 minutes and the journey to Newport took 20 minutes. Alverstone railway station finally closed 6 February 1956. The original wooden station was replaced with one built with earth and clinkers, with wood siding. There are many wetlands around Alverstone. Nature lovers enjoy visiting the Alverstone Marshes. The Alverstone Mead is a 55-acre (220,000 m2) woodland and nature reserve about 1-mile (1.6 km) from Sandown. Alverstone Mead is southeast of Alverstone, and south of the cycleway between Sandown and Newport. It was farmed as water meadows until 1993. Since then the lease has been held by the Wight Nature Council and it has served as a nature reserve with some ancient woodland. It was once part of the Lower Borthwood Farm.Transport is provided by Wightbus route 23, running between Newport and Shanklin.

Alverstone railway station, was an intermediate station situated on the edge of Alverstone village on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England.

Alverstone Mead Local Nature Reserve is a lowland freshwater wetland nature reserve close to Sandown, Isle of Wight. it is a part of the Alverstone Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest. The site is on the floodplain of the Eastern Yar, and is a popular spot for birdwatchers. The old trackbed of the Newport-Sandown railway runs through it, and is now a cycleway. In addition, the station house of Alverstone railway station, now a private residence, is still intact, and sits adjacent to Alverstone Mead. It is owned by the Isle of Wight Council and leased to the Wight Nature Fund.

Knighton is a hamlet near to Newchurch on the Isle of Wight. The name should be pronounced as Kay-nighton to avoid confusion with the larger, homophonic village of Niton, near Ventnor. Knighton is situated under Knighton Down and has historically always been a part of the parish of nearby Newchurch. Knighton consists of little more than a collection of farm houses, most now turned to residential use. The only amenity in the settlement is a post-box. To the south is Knighton Sandpit Ltd which is an aggregate extraction company. The pit is also used for off-road driving events. This is however, a little way from the main residential area. Knighton Gorges Manor in Knighton was one of the grandest manor houses on the Isle of Wight. But when the owner's daughter married against his will, he had it demolished, rather than allowing her to inherit it. Hugh De Morville, one of the knights responsible for the murder of Thomas Becket, fled to Knighton Gorges. There was a medieval settlement in Knighton, but nearly all of the population moved to the nearby village of Newchurch to escape the “Black Death”. Flint arrow heads can still be found in fields surrounding the area. It was estimated that at one time, the hamlet contained up to 60 houses. Jimmy Tarbuck lived at Griggs Farm in the 1980s whilst performing in the nearby town of Sandown. Knighton is the home of the “Wight Crystal” drinking water company, whose water comes from Knighton. John Wavell and Anna Cowlam farmed Knighton farm after their marriage in 1735 in Newchurch. They were the great-great-grandparents of Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell (1883-1950), former Field Marshall and Viceroy of India.

Borthwood is a hamlet on the Isle of Wight, adjacent to Borthwood Copse, the National Trust woodland. Borthwood includes some holiday cottages and a pet kennel. At the 2011 Census the Post Office specified that the population of the hamlet was included in the civil parish of Newchurch, Isle of Wight. Borthwood was the site of brickmaking operations in the past.

Queen's Bower (or Queen Bower) is a hamlet on the Isle of Wight, England that has effectively merged with Winford and Apse Heath to create a village. It is classed as part of Sandown, with the postcode PO36. It is in the civil parish of Newchurch, Isle of Wight. Transport is provided by Southern Vectis bus route 8 to Sandown, which stops at Hairpin Bend on Alverstone Road once every hour throughout the day, which is right on the perimeter of Borthwood Copse. It lies to the north of Borthwood, a National Trust property, and gets its name from a hunting lodge for hunting deer in Borthwood, owned in the 13th century either by Isabella de Fortibus — last "Queen" of the Isle of Wight, or King Edward I's queen after he took over the Island. Although somewhere along the line between then and the present, the name has become lost in translation as it is believed to have been originally known as 'Queen Dower' as the land was passed down to her. The only commercial property in the area is the Queen Bower Dairy which is also a caravan park. The National Trust site of Borthwood Copse, which was originally a royal hunting ground is nearby. The area is also home to the 'Isle of Wight Cheese Company' which gets its milk from the dairy farm. Alongside Alverstone and other nearby settlements, Queen's Bower is one of the locations on the Isle of Wight where red squirrels can often be found.

Borthwood Copse, near Sandown, Isle of Wight, England is a piece of woodland owned by the National Trust and is one of the numerous copses which make up part of the medieval forest which covered most of the eastern end of the Island. Borthwood Copse sits on the outskirts of Newchurch, and is close to the neighbouring hamlet of Apse Heath and the villages of Queen's Bower and Alverstone. Borthwood Copse was originally a royal hunting ground. It was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1926 by Frank Morey. He had purchased it a few years earlier to preserve it for wildlife. Subsequent additions have been added to the land and it now covers a total of 60 acres (240,000 m2). There are some ancient oaks, and a distinctive grove of beech trees which stand amongst glades of coppiced sweet chestnut and hazel. The woodland is one of the very few examples of working coppice with standards which can be seen on the Isle of Wight. A bridleway and many smaller paths lead through the woodland, which is open to the public. It is particularly popular with visitors in the autumn with its vivid colours and, in the springtime, when carpeted with bluebells. Borthwood Copse is one of the countless locations in the Eastern Isle of Wight that are home to large numbers of Red Squirrels. Owing to its position on the downs, much of Borthwood Copse is hilly, and in wet weather the soil often becomes waterlogged and marshy, making travel through the copse on foot difficult. Within the wood is a viewpoint looking east from where you can catch a glimpse of Culver Down and the sea. As the copse climbs a small hill, Bembridge Windmill can be seen in the distance through the downs on clear days. Wildlife includes dormice, red squirrels, a wide range of bats, and many invertebrates. The view point is called Kite Hill.

All Saints' Church, Newchurch is a parish church in the Church of England located in Newchurch, Isle of Wight, England. The church is medieval dating from the 13th century. In 1883, restoration of the church was carried out by A.R. Barker, at the instigation of the vicar Rev. Alfred Dicker.The simple layout of the church consists of a nave, a chancel, northern and southern aisles, and a tower. It was built on the site of an older structure which was donated by William FitzOsbern to the Lyre Abbey. Subsequently, the church came under the control of the Beaulieu Abbey. When this religious authority was dissolved, the control of the church was entrusted by Henry VIII to the Bishop of Bristol (now Gloucester and Bristol).The church was one of the seven parishes on the Island when it was built, but now is part of several others. The unique white timber clad tower contains a small peal of six bells with a tenor weighing just 7 cwt or 350 kg.

Newchurch is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. It is located between Sandown and Newport in the southeast of the island. Anthony Dillington, owner of the Knighton Gorges Manor in Newchurch wrote to his son Robert in 1574 that, "This is the very Garden of England, and we be privileged to work in it as Husbandmen......." Newchurch obtained its name from the new church built in 1087 by the Norman monks of Lyra. The Newchurch Parish for many centuries stretched from the north to south coasts of the Island; by the early Nineteenth Century the growing resort towns of Ventnor and Ryde were included within its boundaries. The parish was administered by the Church Parish Vestry until 1894 when civil matters were passed to the newly formed Parish Council which now forms the second tier of Local Government under the Isle of Wight Council. In 1982 Alverstone was included in the civil parish. The present day parish includes Newchurch Village, Apse Heath, Winford, Whiteley Bank, Alverstone, Alverstone Garden Village, Queen's Bower, Princelett and Mersley. Public transport is provided by Southern Vectis bus route 22, operating between Newchurch and Shanklin. Wightbus used to operate bus route 23 between Newport and Shanklin but this was discontinued when Wightbus ceased operations. The Sustrans route 23 cycle route also runs through the village at the bottom of the Shute, allowing easy access to Cowes, Newport and Sandown. Between 1875 and 1956 Newchurch had the advantage of a railway station. There is a pub called "The Pointer Inn" and a sub-post office.

Knighton Gorges Manor was one of the grandest manor houses on the Isle of Wight, located in the hamlet of Knighton, near Newchurch. The Elizabethan-Tudor style house's history has been a saga of tragic events. It started with a ghastly note of Hugh de Morville, an escapee who resided there after murdering Archbishop Thomas Becket of Canterbury, on 29 December 1170, along with his three other comrades in crime Reginald FitzUrse, William de Tracy and Richard le Breton, then the death of Tristram Dillington in 1718 under mysterious circumstances and finally, 100 years later, followed by another tragic event of the owner of the Manor, George Maurice, destroying the manor in 1821 on his own volition (before his death), purely as a parental annoyance and spiteful action, to his daughter marrying a clergyman, against his wishes thus preventing her from owning the manor.These events have also generated reportedly paranormal events occurring at the manor location, witnessed in the form of the destroyed manor house itself appearing in an apparition form, ghost of Sir Tristram riding a ghostly horse each year on the anniversary of his death, and sighting of animal-like gargoyles on top of each gatepost at the entrance to the manor site.

Newchurch railway station, was an intermediate station situated on the edge of Newchurch village on the line from Newport to Sandown incorporated by the Isle of Wight (Newport Junction) Railway in 1868, opened in 1875 and closed 81 years later. Despite its rural location a "respectable" number of families alighted at the simple station, "little more than a wooden hut". The nearest location to the site is a bungalow, Newchurch Crossing.