Yarmouthis a town, port andcivil parish[3]in the west of theIsle of Wight,off the south coast of England. The town is named for its location at the mouth of the smallWestern Yarriver. The town grew near the river crossing, originally a ferry, which was replaced with a road bridge in 1863.[4]
| Yarmouth | |
|---|---|
 Yarmouth town centre | |
  Yarmouth Location within theIsle of Wight | |
| Population | 865 (2011 Census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SZ356896 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | YARMOUTH |
| Postcode district | PO41 |
| Dialling code | 01983 |
| Police | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Fire | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Ambulance | Isle of Wight |
| UK Parliament | |
History
edit
Yarmouth has been a settlement for over a thousand years, and is one of the earliest on the island. The first account of the settlement is inÆthelred the Unready's record of theDanegeldtax of 991, when it was calledEremue,meaning "muddyestuary".TheNormanslaid out the streets on a grid system, a plan which can still be seen today. It grew rapidly, being given its firstcharteras a town in 1135.[4]The town became aparliamentary boroughin the Middle Ages, andthe Yarmouth constituencywas represented by two members of Parliament until 1832.[4]
Until the castle was built, raids by the French hurt the town; in 1544 the it was reputed to have been burned down. Legend has it that the church bells were carried off toCherbourgorBoulogne.[4]
Yarmouth Castlewas built in 1547, and is now in the care ofEnglish Heritage.[5]It is effectively a gun platform, built by Henry VIII to fortify the Solent and protect against any attempted invasion of England.
For many years Yarmouth was the seat of the Governor of the Island.Yarmouth Town Hallwas built in 1763.[6]
InSt. James's Church,there is a monument to the 17th centuryadmiralSir Robert Holmeswho was at Yarmouth. He obtained it in a raid on a French ship, when he seized an unfinished statue ofLouis XIV of Franceand forced the sculptor to finish it with his own head rather than the king's.[7]
In 1784, most of Yarmouth's ancient charters were lost: A ship's captain, drunk after a court dinner, stole what he thought was a case of wine, as he returned to his ship. When he discovered it was a case of books, he threw it overboard.
Yarmouth Pierwas opened in 1876. It received Grade 2 listed status in 1975. Originally 685 ft (207.5m) long, it's now 609 ft (186m) but is still the longest timber pier in England open to the public, and also a docking point for theMV BalmoralandPS Waverley.
SeveralSites of Special Scientific Interestlie close to Yarmouth, including Yar Estuary SSSI &Bouldnor And Hamstead CliffsSSSI.
Commerce
edit
As a port and market town Yarmouth has had local commercial significance. It still has someboat yardsandchandlery,and although relatively small it still supports a number of shops,hotels,pubsandrestaurants,supported partly by passing trade from the ferry terminal and visiting boat owners.
Transport
edit
TheWightlinkcar ferry sails from Yarmouth toLymington(Lymington Pier) inHampshire.
Southern Vectisoperate bus services from Yarmouth bus station, a small building near the ferry terminal, the main route being route 7 servingTotland,Alum Bay,Freshwater,NewportandShalfleetas well as Yarmouth.[8]To reach Yarmouth, route 7 uses Pixley Hill, which has caused some controversy amongst local residents who do not believe the road is large enough for buses.[9]The controversy was initially started by former route 11 being extended to serve Yarmouth and using the lane in September 2008.[10]
In the spring and summer,Southern Vectisalso operate an open top bus called "The Needles Breezer"that runs throughFreshwater BaytoAlum Bayand ontothe NeedlesBattery down a bus and pedestrian-only road along the cliff edge; returning to Yarmouth viaTotlandand Colwell.[11]For the more athletic, Yarmouth is on theIsle of Wight Coastal Path.
The parish was once served byYarmouth railway station,with services toNewport.Passenger services ended in 1953, and the track has long since been removed; the trackbed between Yarmouth andFreshwaterhas been converted into abridleway.In August 2014 the converted and expanded railway station opened as a restaurant.
Size and population
editYarmouth is one of the smallest towns in the United Kingdom. The 2011 census reported the parish of Yarmouth having 865 usual residents.[1]In 2001, the population was just 791[12](compared with about 600 at the beginning of the 19th century).
Today
editYarmouth hosted the popular biannualOld Gaffersfestival which included several days of entertainment and shows,[13]but in September 2018 it was announced that the event would no longer be held.[14]
Yarmouth marina is the landing point for the Royal Navy's Solent Amphibious Challenge, held in June each year.[15]
References
edit- ^abUK Census(2011)."Local Area Report – Yarmouth Parish (1170212058)".Nomis.Office for National Statistics.Retrieved23 February2018.
- ^"Yarmouth Town Council".
- ^English Parishes & Welsh Communities N&C 2004Archived9 January 2007 at theWayback Machine
- ^abcdA Timeline History of YarmouthArchived21 September 2015 at theWayback Machinecompiled by Ian Dallison on behalf of The Yarmouth Society
- ^English Heritage
- ^Historic England."The Town Hall (1292635)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved1 February2022.
- ^BBC DNA page about Robert Holmes
- ^"Southern Vectis route list".Southern Vectis.Archived fromthe originalon 30 November 2009.Retrieved22 December2009.
- ^"Road row rumbles on".Isle of Wight County Press.Retrieved20 December2009.
- ^"We could be in line for a wonderful hoo-ha".Isle of Wight County Press.23 January 2009.Retrieved11 August2009.
- ^"Southern Vectis Needles Tour".Southern Vectis.Archived fromthe originalon 28 April 2008.Retrieved22 December2009.
- ^ "2001 Census".Retrieved10 September2011.
- ^"Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival".Yarmouth-harbour.co.uk. 22 July 2002.Retrieved17 September2013.
- ^"Old Gaffers Festival cancelled due to rising costs".BBC News.18 September 2018.Retrieved19 September2018.
- ^"Solent Amphibious Challenge 2012".Royal Navy. Archived fromthe originalon 24 December 2012.Retrieved1 February2022.
External links
edit