FEATURE
St Helens Old Church
Guest writer Mark Fox continues with his
new series looking at different places of
historical interest on the Island
This issue he visits St Helens Duver
S
t Helens Duver is one of the gems of the
Island. Spreading out to the west and the east
there are beautiful walks along the sandy
beaches, crystal clear sea, with views across
the Solent and round into Bembridge Harbour. There
is somewhere to eat and buy ice creams, and behind
it there is a beautiful National Trust protected area.
Whatever the weather or time of year the Duver is a
great place to spend some time.
The area is redolent with history. The dunes on the
beach played host to the Island’s first golf course, which
in its day was one of the leading courses in the country.
The boatyards, sitting within the protection of the
harbour, have a proud history notably in recent times
building Motor Torpedo Boats during World War Two.
It’s not just golf and boat building that distinguishes
the history of the Duver. Whether you arrive by sea,
road or on foot standing sentinel is the tower of St.
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Helens Old Church. Probably
few now realise the age
or the history of this seemingly beleaguered remnant
of a bygone age but the tower is testimony to the
fascination history of the area and has witnessed
many momentous moments.
Better known examples include French invasion
force landing in 1340, which was repulsed by a local
force led by Sir Theobald Russell, and in 1346 King
Edward III led an expeditionary force to Normandy
from this place.
The tower stands as a living and working reminder
of the two great influences on the Duver - the sea
and the church - because the sea facing side of the
tower is a crucial landmark for sailors navigating the
surrounding sea and shifting sandbanks.
The first church was built around 1200. It was part of
a larger Cluniac monastic settlement. This community
identified the natural advantages of fertile land, an
abundance of fresh water, and the proximity of the
sea which afforded good communications to the
mainland and beyond, all of which continue to attract
people to this area today.
The purity of the local water is a good example of
a continuing thread of living history. Attracting the
religious foundation, which built the church, it then
drew the Royal Navy to the area. The local water
would stay fresher for longer and was a favourite of
sailors. The sheltered nature of the Duver’s bay also
provided good anchorage for generations of Royal
Navy ships. In addition stones from the old church
were often taken to be used to clean the decks of
old sailing ships, giving rise to the practice known as
‘holy-stoning’ the decks.
A poignant plaque on the tower marks the fact
that Lord Nelson boarded HMS Trafalgar just off the
Duver on his way to that fateful battle at Trafalgar.
Eventually rising sea levels, eroding beaches, and
successive storms forced worshippers to build a new
church on higher land and abandon their original
place of worship. But as long as the tower stands there
is a reminder of those early worshippers, and the
continuance of a protective warning marker helping
passing sailors to avoid local peril and danger.
PHOTOS:
1. The tower remnant of St Helens Old Church
2. St Helens Duver
3. The Duver from the east
4. & 5. The tower as seen from different angles
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