Rookley

Rookley
Village
Rookley village green
Rookley Location within the Isle of Wight
Population	607
OS grid reference	SZ507841
Civil parish	Rookley
Unitary authority	Isle of Wight
Ceremonial county	Isle of Wight
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	VENTNOR
Postcode district	PO38
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°39′17″N1°17′00″W / 50.65482°N 1.28329°W / 50.65482; -1.28329

Rookley is a village and civil parish ^[1] on the Isle of Wight. It is located five kilometres south of Newport near the centre of the island. The population of the civil parish was recorded in the 2021 census as 607. ^[2]

It has a country park on the site of the last working Isle of Wight brickworks. There is a pub at the country park and another, the "Chequers", a short distance from the village. The latter was the centre of the island's smuggling trade in the 18th century.

Name

The name means 'the wood or woodland clearing frequented by rooks', from Old English hrōc and lēah, the wood probably referring to Bunkers Copse, a small wood in the village.

1202: Roclee

1235: Rokele

1328: Roukley

1583: Rookeley

1769: Rookley ^[3]

History

The Chequers Inn

On 26 September 1940 a Messerschmitt Bf 110, piloted by Fw Rohde and Fw Both, crashed in a field ~0.5 miles (0.80 km) south of the Chequers Inn, with both the pilots being taken as POWs. ^[4]

Demographics

At the 2001 census, its population was 641. At the 2011 census, its population was 638. In 2021, its population was 607. It had a 0.5% annual population change from 2011 to 2021. ^[5]

Gender (2021) ^[5]

Gender	Number	Percent
Male	298	50.3%
Female	294	49.7%

Age Groups (2021) ^[5]

Age	Number	Percent
0-17	90	15.2%
18-64	330	55.7%
65+	172	29.1%

Age Distribution (2021) ^[5]

Age	Number	Male	Female
0-9	40	24	16
10-19	65	37	28
20-29	41	22	19
30-39	48	21	27
40-49	57	24	33
50-59	119	54	65
60-69	94	41	53
70-79	91	43	48
80+	37	17	20

Country of Birth (2021) ^[5]

Country	Number	Percent
U.K	562	92.7%
E.U	19	3.1%
Europe (other)	9	1.5%
Middle East and Asia	2	0.3%
Africa	7	1.2%
Other country	7	1.2%

Ethnic Group (2021) ^[5]

Group	Number	Percent
White	589	97%
Asian	7	1.2%
Black	3	0.5%
Mixed/multiple	8	1.3%

Religion (2021) ^[5]

Religion	Number	Percent
Christian	303	53.5%
Islam	2	0.4%
Buddhism	1	0.2%
Other religion	3	0.5%
No religion	257	45.4%

Transport

Southern Vectis bus route 3 serves the village on its way between Newport, Ventnor, Shanklin, Sandown and Ryde, including intermediate villages and hamlets. ^[6]

Looking out towards Bunkers Lane, Rookley

Amenities

The Village Association Playing Field and Village Hall are in Highwood Lane. They are available for hire via the website. Gardening Galore is a popular event held annually. ^[7]

References

1. "English Parishes & Welsh Communities N&C 2004". www.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 May 2007.
2. "Rookley (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
3. Mills, A.D (1996). The Place-Names of The Isle of Wight. Shaun Tyas.
4. Searle, Adrian (1989). Isle of Wight at War 1939-1945. The Dovecote Press. ISBN   1874336733.
5. "Rookley (Isle of Wight, South East England, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
6. "Southern Vectis - bus route 3". www.islandbuses.info. 2008. Archived from the original on 28 April 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
7. "Rookley Village Association". Island Webservices. 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.