4628 Shippards Chine - The Long Stone and Mottistone Manor

Contributor: Roy Davenport

Duration: 4 Hours 22 Mins
Features Ancient Monument,Birds,Butterflies,Cafe,Church,Flowers,Food Shop,Gift Shop,Great Views,Hills or

Fells,Moor,National Trust,Public Transport,Sea,Stately Home,Tea Shop,Toilets,Wildlife,Woodland

Description:

The Long Stone on Mottistone Common is the remains of a Neolithic long barrow with surviving entrance stones. It may have been a moot or assembly point in early Anglo-Saxon times, leading to the place-name of Mottistone, which means 'the stone of the speakers'. Mottistone Common was an area of open heath used as grazing land in medieval and early post-medieval times. There is some evidence of sand digging. Mottistone Estate was acquired by The National Trust in 1963. Plantations on Mottistone Common were damaged by storms of 1987 and 1990. Subsequently, most trees were cleared. Heathland is now being re-established by the National Trust and a private landowner.

Mottistone Manor is mainly 16th and 17th Centuries; the gardens were created in 1970s and modified c.2005.

Mottistone Church of St Peter and St Paul is circa 12th Century. Much of the visible architecture dates from the 15th Century. It consists of a nave with narrow aisles and a chancel with a north chapel and a small tower at the west end. The details of the nave arcades, with their pointed double splayed arches, curious capitals, octagonal shafts and spurred bases, are of the middle of the 13th Century, c1250–60. The bases of the columns and responds of the south arcade are similar to those at Brighstone, but the capitals follow those of the north arcade and this aisle was probably added late in the 13th or early in the 14th Century. In the 15th Century the tower was added at the west end. It is built of small slate-like stones here found in abundance on the shore and has a projecting string-course 7ft from the top supporting an embattled parapet, the whole being finished with an octagonal spire). About the end of the century the chancel was rebuilt of such dimensions as to dwarf the earlier nave and a chantry was added by the Cheke family on the north side, with its triple arcade very similar to that at Brighstone. Square-headed windows were at the same time inserted in the north and south walls of the nave. The outer plinth at the east end is ornamented with grotesque carvings and over the south door of the chancel, which has a water groove in the rebate, a head carved as a corbel has been inserted. Over the jamb of the east window of the south aisle is a narrow opening, probably for a sanctus bell. There is an octagonal oak pulpit of the 17th Century. In 1863 a good deal of injudicious restoration was undertaken. The early 12th-Century doorway in the west wall and the original chancel arch gave place to the present creations and the church was generally touched up, rendering a correct reading of its architectural history a difficult matter. In the new lynchgate is inserted the remains of a credence in which is placed part of a 13th-Century stoup. The tower contains one bell.

Access info:

THe walk starts at the Shippards and Hanover Point car park on the A3055 about 2.5 miles east of Freshwater Bay. There is also parking in Freshwater Bay and both sides of Waymark 5, where you can also start the walk.

Buses are frequent along the A3055 from various parts of the island. The walk can be shortened to 12km.

Additional info:

Toilets are at the start and Freshwater Bay.
Gifts and teas etc are at Freshwater Bay during the season.
Mottistone Manor Gardens open to the public during the season and also serve tea and refreshments.