Bowcombe

Bowcombe is a hamlet on the Isle of Wight. It has an elevation of 144 feet (44 m) and is located 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) southwest of Newport in the centre of the Island.^[1] Public transport is provided by Southern Vectis buses on route 12.

Bowcombe
The hamlet of Bowcombe
Bowcombe Location within the Isle of Wight
OS grid reference	SZ4686
• London	78 miles (126 km) NE
District	Isle of Wight
Shire county	Isle of Wight
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Newport
Postcode district	PO30
Dialling code	01983
Police	Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Fire	Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Ambulance	Isle of Wight
UK Parliament	Isle of Wight West
List of places UK England Isle of Wight 50°40′44″N 1°20′17″W

Geography

The hamlet gives its name to the nearby Bowcombe Down and 2000-acre Bowcombe View Shooting Ground. The down is home to a listed historical site that contains a Bronze Age barrow and an Anglo-Saxon cemetery.^[2]

History

Bowcombe was mentioned in Domesday Book at the time it had 60 households, which was very large for a settlement at the time, with a total value of £20 in 1066.^[3] In 1870–72 John Marius said of the village in the Imperial Gazetteer "Bowcombe vale, around it, formerly displayed much beauty, but has suffered by destruction of its wood." In the account, it describes that to the west there are traces of a Roman road and that it "commands a rich and extensive view." At the time it had a population of 93.^[4]

Notable residents

• Sir William Stephens (c. 1641 – 1697) Member of Parliament.^[5]