Bowcombe
Human settlement in England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| 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 | |
Name
The name possibly means 'the valley belonging to a man called Bofa', from Old English Bofa (personal name) and cumb. The name would have been transferred to the hamlet from Bowcombe Down. There is an incorrect theory that it means 'fair valley', from the French beau.
1086: Bovecome, Bouecome
1141-1143: Boecombe
1185: Bouecumba
1255: Bouecombe
1299: Bowcombe
1635: Buccomb[2]
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.[3]
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.[4] It was the name of a Hundred, with meetings being held there.[2]
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.[5]
On 15 October 1940, a Messerschmitt Bf 109, piloted by Fedwebel Horst Hellriegel, was returning from a raid on the Mainland when it crash-landed up Bowcombe Down.[6]
Notable residents
- Sir William Stephens (c. 1641 – 1697) Member of Parliament.[7]
