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Wootton Bridge is a large village, civil parish and electoral ward with about 3,000 residents on the Isle of Wight, first recorded around the year 1086.<ref name="Wootton name">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The parish also contains the settlement of Wootton.

Wootton is found midway between the towns of Ryde and Newport, which are 7 miles apart, and historically centred on the old parish church of St Edmund. The hamlet of Wootton Common to the south, centres on the crossroads that bears its name.

The newer village of Wootton Bridge is found in the area immediately west of Wootton Creek, and the parish council that bears its name is now responsible for the whole of the Wootton area.<ref name="statistics">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Village nameEdit

Wootton's name is said to mean "Woodtown", which means a clearing in a forest, although other interpretations do exist. The first known mention of the town as "Odetone" or "Wootten" was in 1086, and the name has evolved and changed much over the past millennium.<ref name="Wootton name"/>

File:Wootton Bridge Kite Hill village sign.JPG
The village of Wootton Bridge is found on the easternmost side of Wootton, bordering with Fishbourne. The symbol depicted on the sign represents a heron.

More recently, following the construction of the bridge across Wootton Creek, the name "Wootton Bridge" has been used to describe the settlement closest to it, however this name is now also used by some to refer to the whole of Wootton. This is possibly due in part to Royal Mail, who used the name "Wootton Bridge" to differentiate Wootton from the 19 other Woottons found across England.

"Wootton Bridge" is described by some as the "modern name"<ref name="Wootton name" /> for the area. However, "Wootton" remains firmly established on wayfinding signs and maps of the island, including those of Ordnance Survey<ref name="ordnance survey">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and remains the most popular name for the area.<ref name="Google Trends">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Isle of Wight Festival 1969Edit

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The 1969 Isle of Wight Festival took place on 29 to 31 August at Woodside Bay in Wootton. The event was one of the largest music festivals to that date, and had an estimated audience of some 150,000.<ref>2010 audio interview with Ray Foulk</ref> The line-up included Bob Dylan, The Band, The Nice, The Pretty Things, Marsha Hunt, The Who, Third Ear Band, Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, Fat Mattress and Joe Cocker.<ref name="Isle of Wight Festival">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Wootton CreekEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} There is a millpond on Wootton Creek formed by a sluice gate in Wootton Bridge. At one time there was a second sluice gate in the bridge that would use the tidal water from the millpond to power a mill grinding flour. The mill was demolished in 1962 and houses later built on the site.<ref name="Wootton Mill">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The pond is part of a Special Area of Conservation and is important for wildfowl and for bats. The heron has been adopted as the symbol of the village.<ref name="Wootton Bridge">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Firestone Copse is a Forestry Commission woodland open to the public which is situated on the edge of the pond.<ref name="Firestone Copse forest">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Notable featuresEdit

File:Wootton Station - geograph.org.uk - 834675.jpg
Wootton station sign in June 2008.

St. Edmund's ChurchEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} St. Edmund's Parish Church dates from the 11th century.<ref name="St Edmunds Parish Church">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> St. Mark's Church, Wootton is in the south end of the village.

File:Wootton Woodside Beach 2.JPG
Woodside Beach, Wootton

The Sloop InnEdit

The Sloop is another prominent building in Wootton, with its prime position next to Wootton Bridge. The pub is about 150 years old, and is currently managed by Mitchells & Butlers as part of its Crown Carveries pub chain.<ref name="The Sloop Inn">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Fernhill Ice HouseEdit

In an area of woodland adjacent to agricultural land and public footpaths just outside the village of Wooton, an ice house can be found in excellent condition, having been maintained by the council since the 1980s. This structure is one of a few remnants of a grand estate called Fernhill, which was destroyed by fire in 1938.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

TransportEdit

Southern Vectis bus routes 4, 9 and 34 link Wootton with the towns of Newport, Ryde and East Cowes, including intermediate villages.<ref name="Southern Vectis bus route 4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Southern Vectis bus route 9">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Wootton StationEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Wootton Station is the western terminus of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. The current station, opened in 1987, is in a different location from the original which was closed in 1953. However the authentic station signage from the original is in place in the newer station.<ref name="Isle of Wight Steam Railway">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Notable residentsEdit

Victorian admiral Sir John Baird died in Wootton in 1908, he is buried in the churchyard.

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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