Alverstone

Alverstone
Alverstone
 Alverstone shown within the Isle of Wight
OS grid referenceSZ577856
Unitary authorityIsle of Wight
Ceremonial countyIsle of Wight
RegionSouth East
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town SANDOWN
Postcode district PO36
Dialling code 01983
Police Hampshire
Fire Isle of Wight
Ambulance Isle of Wight
EU Parliament South East England
UK ParliamentIsle of Wight
List of places
UK
England
Isle of Wight

Coordinates: 50°40′00″N 1°11′00″W / 50.66667°N 1.183333°W

Alverstone is a village 2 miles from the east coast of the Isle of Wight, near Sandown. 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.[1] It has ever since been the ancestral home of the Alverstones, the social wing of the Cambridge University Athletics Club, named after Webster a prominent figure in the club when a student there. Alverstone Manor is located here.

Prince Albert was instrumental in creating a 'model' brickworks in Alverstone in the middle of the 19th century.[2] There is evidence from an archaeological dig in Alverstone of a Roman military presence in the area.[3]

The Newport Junction Railway opened a station at Alverstone in the 1870s, and the station first appeared in a public schedule in June 1876. Alverstone railway station finally closed 2 June 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. Since 1993 the lease is held by the Wight Nature Council. It was once part of the Lower Borthwood Farm.[4]

Transport is provided by Wightbus route 23, running between Newport and Shanklin.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Sandown Pier, Isle of Wight, UK, h2g2, BBC.co.uk, 17 January 2001.
  2. ↑ LIME KILN UNEARTHED AT WHIPPINGHAM, Archive of Monthly News Items, As previously featured in the History Centre, Isle of Wight History Centre, Online Island History, September 2000
  3. ↑ THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF A ROMAN MILITARY PRESENCE, Archive of Monthly News Items, As previously featured in the History Centre, Isle of Wight History Centre, Online Island History, November 2005.
  4. ↑ Isle of Wight official website article on Alverstone Mead
  5. ↑ "Traveline - Wightbus route 23". www.traveline.org.uk. 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-04.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alverstone.