History of the White Horse Inn

The White Horse was built in approximately 1454, and as such is probably the oldest building on the Island currently use as a public house.

The building has been used as a hostelry since 1780 and many claim dates earlier than this. The White Horse was formally called Chiddle's Tenement when it was leased by Sir Richard Worley to Richard Cooke who was a brewer. The lease covered the present building and surrounding land which is currently the beer garden and car park, this was described as "three stiches of land" which was a measure particular to the Isle of Wight.

In these early days the Island and Whitwell in particular was a centre for smuggling of goods and spirits for the Continent and as far away as North Africa. The White Horse being a centre of the community, probably acted as a meeting house and rallying point for the smugglers.

With the coming of the railways to the Island and in particular the Whitwell in 1897 the White Horse boomed mostly thanks to the Irish Navvies. There are tales that the bar was filled to over-flowing, with men not being able to get into the building, at 6 o’clock in the morning as they had a pint before going to work.
The added trade had the effect of bringing a second public house to Whitwell called “The Yarborough” which closed in 1974.

History of Whitwell

Whitwell is a pretty village seeped in history with some stone and thatch cottages, the population today is around 550. It takes its name from the White Well, a place of pilgrimage during mediaeval times. The well can still be seen down a track opposite the church. From the end of the nineteenth century until 1952 the IOW central railway ran through Whitwell, which had its own station situated at Nettlecombe Lane.

Throughout the village at regular intervals handsome iron pillars can be seen, these are old water standards provided in 1887 by William Spindler a prominent figure in St Lawrence. His tomb lies in the Whitwell graveyard. The church at Whitwell was built in two parts, the first and oldest part was built by the de Esturs and dedicated to their family patron saint. Later the owners of Stenbury Manor built a small chapel on the south side of the church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The two buildings were separate until the 16th Century when the dividing wall was knocked down. Today it is a beautiful little church with its old churchyard walls.