Shorwell
Shorwell is a pretty village with three manor houses, thatched cottages, a church and a good village pub. It nestles beneath the downs which makes it another good area from which to walk. At the steep shute leading out of Shorwell where a rustic bridge crosses over the road, you will find a car park from where you have access to many lovely downland walks.
Travelling back into the village from the shute you will pass the gates of Northcourt Manor with its impressive architecture. It lies within beautiful gardens which are occasionally open to the public. The second manor lies beside the road to Brighstone, Westcourt Manor is an L-shaped house with a farmyard adjacent to it. Close by is a path leading through a copse to Wolverstone Manor which is an E-shaped building built by the Island's deputy Governor for £800 in honour of Queen Elizabeth I. This is also a working farm and not open to the public but the footpath passes close by. Watch out for the Wolverton Manor ghost as you pass!
St Peter's church is in the centre of the village. It has three aisles. The oldest is the chapel that was built for Northcourt and dates back to the 12th Century. The Westcourt chapel was added 100 years later and around the 15th Century another was built probably for Wolverton. There is a memorial statue in the church of Sir John Leigh of Northcourt and his great grandson.
There is a post office in Shorwell but no other shops. The pub with its rippling stream through the garden is well worth a visit.
