Author: nick_xylas

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Wessex Attractions: St Catherine’s Oratory

St Catherine’s Oratory on the Isle of Wight was built in 1328 by Walter de Godeton, lord of the manor, as a penance ordered by the pope after he was found to be in possession of wine destined for a French monastery plundered from a Gascon ship wrecked on the nearby shore. A lighthouse helped ships navigate the treacherous rocks, while monks prayed for the safety of sailors, and for the souls of those drowned at sea.

Today, an octagonal tower is all that survives of the oratory, while the current lighthouse, one of the first in the world to be powered by electricity, dates from the 19th century. The tower is managed by English Heritage, while the rest of the site is owned by the National Trust. The postcode is PO38 2JB, and the what3words is into.bluff.tops. Southern Vectis bus route 6 passes nearby.

More recently, the lighthouse was used as a location in the video for the Wet Leg song Angelica (see below).

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The Character of Wessex: The Hampshire Downs

Bounded by Wessex’s historic capital, Winchester, to the south, and the newer commuter towns of Basingstoke and Andover to the north and west respectively, the Hampshire Downs is an area made up almost exclusively of chalkland, though there is a small area of mottled clay soil–an outcrop of the Reading formation–around East Stratton, 8 miles northeast of Winchester.

The chalky character of the area makes it suitable for sheep farming, and Hampshire Down is a regionally distinctive breed of sheep, noted for providing excellent mutton. The breed was created in 1829 by a local farmer, John Twynam, who cross-bred his flock of Southdown sheep with the Old Hampshire variety. Other farmers continued to refine the breed by further cross-breeding with the Wiltshire Horn and Berkshire Nott varieties.

The chalk streams flowing into the rivers Test and Itchen are the home of dry-fly fishing, first developed by Frederic M Halford, a Birmingham-born, London-based fisherman; and George Selwyn Marryat of Chewton Glen in the New Forest. The weeds in the chalk streams tended to float close to the surface, necessitating a method of keeping the fly afloat. Halford and Marryat first met in Hammond’s Fly Shop in Winchester on 28th April 1879, “the meeting that changed the course of fly fishing history” according to Marryat’s biographer Andrew H Herd.

Most famous of the Hampshire Downs is Watership Down, which provided the name and setting for Richard Adams’s 1972 novel and the 1978 animated film adaptation which traumatised a generation of children. Jane Austen’s house at Chawton also sits on the edge of the Downs, while Selborne Common was studied in depth by the pioneering naturalist Gilbert White.

Road and rail routes linking London to Wessex criss-cross the Hampshire Downs, and Winchester itself was founded at the convergence of prehistoric trackways known as dongas. With its chalk bedrock, connections to the rest of Wessex, and focus on the historic capital, one could argue that the Hampshire Downs represent the quintessential Wessex character area.

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Wessex Attractions: Bratton Camp

Anyone who has travelled through Westbury in Wiltshire cannot fail to have noticed the magnificent white horse carved into the side of Bratton Camp hillfort, visible from the approach to the railway station three miles away. It is believed to have been carved in the late 17th century to commemorate the Battle of Ethandun, which possibly took place at the site. White Horses will be the subject of a later Essential Wessex post. so this post will concentrate on Bratton Camp itself.

The hillfort dates back to the Iron Age, though three Neolithic barrows have been found on the site. It was excavated in 1775 by Jeffrey Whittaker, who found Roman and Saxon coins on the site. Nearby Bratton Down is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and home to the rare Adonis Blue Butterfly and Forester Moth.

Bratton Camp is reachable by public footpath, and the modern Port Way passes through the site. The satnav postcode is BA13 3EP and the what3words code is buggy.protrude.reboot

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Essential Wessex: Edgar Ætheling

Edgar Ætheling (c1052-1125) was the last male member of the royal house of Wessex. Elected by the Witan following the death of Harold Godwinson in 1066, he reigned for less than three months before being forced to submit to William the Bastard. According to a late 13th century chronicle, he had one daughter, Margaret Lovel, who married into the Lovel (or Lovell) family of Castle Cary, thus maintaining a connection with Wessex.

Born in Hungary, Edward was still a teenager when elected king. Boy kings were not unusual in the early medieval period, but as the Normans closed in on London, doubts grew about the wisdom of backing him, and many of his powerful supporters deserted him. He was brought before William at Berkhamsted and submitted to his rule.

Little is known of Edgar’s later life. Accounts in later chronicles are fragmentary and often contradictory. Orderic Vitalis has him commanding the English Fleet during the First Crusade in March 1098, but Florence of Worcester places him in Scotland at the end of 1097, and it is unlikely that he would have been able to make the journey to Syria in that time. He was reported as still being alive in 1125, but the exact date and location of his death are unknown.

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Wessex Attractions: Sandhurst Military Academy

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS), often shortened to just Sandhurst, is only partially located in Wessex, straddling the border of Berkshire and Surrey. Its ceremonial entrance is not located in Sandhurst itself, but in Camberley, Surrey. It is not really an “attraction” in the sense that most of the entries in this series are, but it is a notable institution nonetheless, and open to the public under certain conditions (see below).

Sandhurst’s origins date back to the early 19th century when the need for a centralized institution to train British Army officers became apparent. Prior to its establishment, officer training was decentralized, leading to inconsistent standards and methods. In response, the Royal Military Academy was founded on the site of the former Royal Military College in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and later moved to its current location in Sandhurst, Berkshire, in 1812. It merged with the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich in 1947.

From the outset, Sandhurst has been dedicated to producing leaders who possess not only the technical skills required for warfare but also the character, discipline, and ethical foundation to make difficult decisions in the heat of battle. Its motto, “Serve to Lead,” encapsulates the academy’s mission to instill leadership qualities in its cadets.

The curriculum covers military history, tactics, ethics and international affairs. Physical training is paramount, with cadets undergoing rigorous training to ensure that they are in peak physical condition, Character development is also important, with potential officers being taught the leadership skills they will need in the field.

The list of Sandhurst graduates who have gone on to achieve great success in military and civilian life is extensive. Notable Sandhurst alumni include Winston Churchill, Oswald Mosley. King Hussein of Jordan, and Princes William and Harry. Those who went on to success in non-military or leadership roles include Ian Fleming, David Niven, Dad’s Army co-creator David Croft, and James Blunt.

These alumni represent a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences, highlighting the global reach and impact of Sandhurst’s training.

While Sandhurst has a rich history, it has also evolved to meet the changing demands of the modern military. Today, the academy trains not only British officers but also international cadets from over 30 countries. This international dimension reflects the academy’s commitment to fostering cooperation and understanding among nations.

Tours of Sandhurst are available to the public, bookable at the Sandhurst Trust’s website, Tours cost £25 per person at the time of writing, and must be booked at least four weeks in advance.