Entries from 1885 Kelly's Isle of Wight directories
for Civic, Freshwater
see on 1904
1885 list of towns
Total number of matches found: 35
To account for missing numbers in Streets, it may be understood that either the house was empty at the time the revision was made, or let in weekly tenements, or that the information was refused.
| FRESHWATER is an extensive parish 12 miles west from Newport, 14 south-west from Cowes and 2 south from Yarmouth, in the extreme west of the island. |
| The church of All Saints, a building of stone in the Norman style was rebuilt and partly restored in 1876, at a cost of 3,000GBP, which was raised by public subscriptions. |
| There are chapels for Wesleyans, Baptists and Bible Christians. |
| Freshwater is much resorted to in summer as a marine bathing place, on account of its pure atmosphere, its remarkable cliffs and caverns, and its beautiful land and sea views : it stands on an estuary, formed by the mouth of the little river Yar, which, being at its source separated only by a narrow isthmus of pebbles from the small creek called Freshwater Gate, in the centre of Freshwater Buy, on the opposite coast, cuts off this angle of the island, which in consequence, was formerly called the Isle of Freshwater. |
| There are two commodious hotels at Freshwater Bay, one at Alum Bay, and one at Totland Bay. |
| The cliffs, which bound the whole extent of Freshwater Bay, are of stupendous height, and afford beautiful views from their summits : the prospect from the Lighthouse, on the highest and extreme western point of the cliff, 600 feet perpendicular above the level of the sea, is exceedingly magnificent, and includes full view of the Needles: on the other side, within a short distance west of the mouth of the Yar, where the estuary meets the sea, and nearly opposite Hurst Castle, on the Hampshire coast, these cliffs commence ; from that point they skirt the length of Totland Bay and Alum Bay westward, gradually increasing in height till, at the lighthouse, they meet the ridge from the southern side ; then stretching out into the sea in broken crags, disjointed from the mainland by the force of the waves, they form those singular rocks called the Needles, of which the highest, being wholly undermined by the sea, fell many years ago, and totally disappeared ; the remaining three rocks are tipped by a number of jagged points, resembling the grinders of an enormous jaw ; the entire range of these cliffs, when viewed from the sea, is beautiful : in some places they are perpendicular, in others they project over the sea in an awe-inspiring manner they are frequented, particularly from May to August, by great numbers of sea birds, who deposit their eggs among the crevices of the shelving strata at a great height: the country people take the birds thus harbouring by the perilous expedient of descending by ropes fixed to iron bars driven into the ground, and while thus suspended beat them down with sticks as they fly out of their holes. |
| Several caverns and deep chasms in these rocks seem to penetrate a considerable way within them ; in many places the issuing springs form small cascades of water rippling down to the sea. |
| A very remarkable natural cave is situated near Freshwater Gate : the principal entrance forms a rugged segment of a circle, about 20 feet high and 35 wide ; it runs into the rock about 120 feet: this entrance can only be approached at low water, and even then the jutting crags and lofty fragments of rock which obstruct the passage render the access very difficult. |
| At some distance to the eastward, about 500 yards from the shore, are two insulated rocks, through one of which the waves have formed an opening resembling a picturesque arch. |
| Some very extensive Government Forts have been erected here. |
| Farringford House is the seat of Lord Tennyson D.C. L. , M.A. the poet laureate. |
| Lord Heytesbury is lord of the manor of Freshwater; |
| Edwin Granville Ward esq. of the manor of Weston ; |
| Lord Tennyson of the manors of Priors and Kings; |
| Benjamin Cotton esq. the manor of West Afton. |
| The area is 4,835 acres of land and 479 foreshore and water; rateable value, 13,994GBP ; the population in 1881 was 2,809, including 331 in the fortifications. |
| COLWELL BAY is 2 miles north-west. |
| Sexton, John Tubbs. |
| Totland Bay & Alum Bay Pier, James Cotton, collector |
| Totland Bay Reading Room, Charles Conway, manager |
| POST, MONEY ORDER & TELEGRAPH OFFICE & Savings Bank & Annuity & Insurance Office, Easton, Freshwater Bay. - William Thomas Orchard, postmaster. |
| POST MONEY ORDER OFFICE & Savings Bank, School Green (Railway Sub-Office) - Robert Lever, postmaster. |
| POST, MONEY ORDER & TELEGRAPH OFFICE Savings Bank & Annuity Insurance Office, Totland Bay. - Charles Henry Mallard, postmaster. |
| POST OFFICE, Norton. -Mrs. Fanny Page, receiver. |
| INSURANCE AGENTS |
| County Fire, J. G. Treacher, Laudwell house |
| Westminster Fire, R. Cowdery, Palmerston |
| COAST GUARD STATIONS |
| Freshwater Bay, Samuel Bennett, chief boatman in charge, & 5 men |
| Alum Bay & Totland Bay, Thomas Thorn, chief boatman, & 6 men |
| SCHOOLS |
| National, School Green, built in 1850, at a cost of 1,050GBP, for 300 children ; Bartholomew Roberts, master ; Mrs. Ann Jackman, infants' mistress |
| Catholic, built in 1881, for 100 children; average attendance, 70 |
| CONVEYANCE TO NEWPORT.-Chambers & Whitewood's omnibuses, mon. wed. & sat. return same day |
| CARRIER TO NEWPORT. - Simmonds, tues. & sat. returns same day |