Bonchurch

Bonchurch is a small village in the civil parish of Ventnor, to the east of the town of Ventnor, now largely connected to the latter by suburban development, on the southern part of the Isle of Wight, England. One of the oldest settlements on the Isle of Wight, it is situated on The Undercliff adjacent to the Bonchurch Landslips (or "The Landslip") Site of Special Scientific Interest. The main village is backed by a cliff to the north, with the Upper Bonchurch section on the clifftop halfway up St Boniface Down on the main A3055 road.

The name probably means 'the church of Bona', from Old English Bona (personal name) and cirice. Bona may be a short form of the Latin name Bonifatius (i.e Boniface), that the church is dedicated to. St Boniface was born in Devon ~675 and became renowned for taking the Christian gospel to the heathen tribes of modern-day Germany, but may have also been regarded with great respect (venerated) here during the Anglo-Saxon period. The church of St Boniface is early Norman, but may have been built on the site of the old Saxon one. St Boniface Down is also named after St Boniface.

Bonchurch is situated on a stable section of former landslip, its main street (Bonchurch Village Road) running east–west in a valley sheltered to the north by cliffs, and to the south by The Mount, a ridge of slipped rock. Bonchurch Village Road has an adjacent landscaped pond, fed by a spring, on the site of former withy beds. The Shanklin-Ventnor route originally passed through Bonchurch, descending the cliff by the steep Bonchurch Shute; now it is bypassed by the clifftop A3055 Leeson Road.

The presence of a water spring known locally as 'The Source' behind the southern wall of the old church, is believed to be the reason why humans first settled in the area where present-day Bonchurch is located. A prehistoric race lived in the area around the Undercliff, land which was wild forest. Evidence has also been found showing that the people that lived during the Stone Age had lived near to the water spring. Five burial mounds have been discovered at St. Boniface Down. Evidence has also been discovered showing that the Romans established a settlement in the area.

The Saxon patron saint, St. Boniface, is believed to have visited the Isle of Wight, and possibly the area where Bonchurch is now located, in the 8th century. Legend states that monks from Lyra in Normandy landed at Monks Bay, and erected a building in dedication to St. Boniface. This building could be the wooden building which is believed to have existed in the 9th century where the Old Church now stands.

The first documented proof of the existence of Bonchurch is found in the Domesday Book. In the Domesday Book, the settlement was called Bonecerce. 'Cerce' is Anglo-Saxon for 'church', whilst 'Bone' is presumed to have been derived from St. Boniface.

Bonchurch has two churches. The oldest one is called the Old Church. The Domesday Book recorded its existence. See Old St. Boniface Church, Bonchurch and the Parish church, St. Boniface Church, Bonchurch.

In July 1545, the Battle of Bonchurch was fought. 500 French soldiers had landed at the coast near Bonchurch, one of three landings that took place on the coastline of the Isle of Wight by French soldiers. 300 Isle of Wight militiamen engaged the French forces, and the militiamen won the engagement. Some accounts state that local women participated in the battle by shooting arrows at the French soldiers. The victory is considered to have decisively stopped the French invasion of the Isle of Wight.