Blackwater, Isle of Wight

Blackwater
The main road through Blackwater.
Blackwater Location within the Isle of Wight
OS grid reference	SZ507864
Unitary authority	Isle of Wight
Ceremonial 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′32″N1°16′59″W / 50.67545°N 1.28318°W / 50.67545; -1.28318

Blackwater is a village on the Isle of Wight, England. It is located about two miles south of Newport, close to the geographic centre of the island. ^[1] It is in the civil parish of Arreton. The Newclose County Cricket Ground is just to the north of the village.

Name

The name means 'the dark coloured stream', from Old English blæc and wæter, which may be referring to a stream that ran into the River Medina there.

The mill there was referred to in the late 1800s as Huffingford Mill, an ancient name recorded in the Domesday Book (1086) as Ovingefort or Huncheford, later being called Huvingeford (1289) and Hofyngeford (~1300). It is suspected to mean 'the ford of the people living by the hood-shaped hill', from Old English hūfe, -inga- and ford. The hill may be Great Down or St George's Down ^[2] .

Former Railway Station

Newport Junction Railway opened a railway station at Blackwater. Blackwater Station first appeared on railway timetables in June, 1876 and operated until June 6, 1956. The trackbed of the former railway line is now part of National Cycle Route 23.

Transport

Public transport is provided by Southern Vectis bus routes 2 and 3, serving Newport, Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor. ^{[3] [4]} Former Wightbus 33 between Newport and Ryde, also serves part of the village. ^[5]

References

View north-east along the main road through Blackwater. The old station house (subsequently extended) is on the left. Behind is St George's Down.

1. "Blackwater, Isle of Wight" (Map). Google Maps .
2. Mills, A.D (1996). The Place-Names of the Isle of Wight. Shaun Tyas.
3. "Southern Vectis - bus route 2". www.islandbuses.info. 2008. Archived from the original on 1 April 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
4. "Southern Vectis - bus route 3". www.islandbuses.info. 2008. Archived from the original on 28 April 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
5. "Traveline - Wightbus route 33". www.traveline.org.uk. 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2008.

External links

Media related to Blackwater, Isle of Wight at Wikimedia Commons