Wroxall
Wroxall was once a small agricultural settlement changed by the coming of the railway. Lord Yarborough of Appuldurcombe would not allow the tracks to be built over his land so a tunnel 1190m long had to be dug through St Boniface Down. Many of the old cottages in the main street of Wroxall were built to house the workmen involved. The railway is now closed and there is little evidence left of its existence.
Wroxall, although not a pretty village, nestles in the downs with lovely walks leading to Ventnor Shanklin, Whitwell and Godshill. It also boasts a handsome church built from stone excavated from the tunnel. St John's Church has a conical tower and a blue clock.
Wroxalls main attraction is Appuldurcombe House. The ruin and surrounding park has an interesting history mainly centered around the Worsley family who originated from Lancashire. James Worsley was a page to King Henry VII and a companion to the future King Henry VIII. On the latter's accession to the throne Worsley was knighted and made Captain of the Isle Of Wight. He then went on to marry Ann Leigh the heiress of Appuldurcombe, starting a dynasty that would be closely involved in Island life and politics for the next three centuries. The Worsleys pulled down the old house and built a classical mansion in its place. By the end of the 18th century its contents of old master paintings and classical antiquities attracted visitors from far and wide. In 1855 the estate was sold the house then became a hotel followed by a school then a temporary home for the Benedictine Monks while Quarr Abbey was being built. From 1909 the house stood empty, its decay hastened by a land mine. The house, although now a ruin, is surrounded by beautiful parkland and maintained by English Heritage.
