In a one-off edition of Isle of Wight Place Names, Island Echo examines some of the curious monikers of locations in and around the county town of Newport.
If you were born, brought up or live in Newport, have you ever wondered about some of the more curious names of the streets and suburbs? If so, read on…
Newport was founded by the 1st Earl of Devon and the Lord of the Isle of Wight. It was burnt down by the French in 1377 when they attempted to take Carisbrooke Castle. 2 of Newport’s present and former place names derive from this event.
The town became a borough in 1608 and took over from Carisbrooke as the main settlement in the centre of the Island.
Newport has never had town walls. However, its original boundaries were defined by North, South, West and East Streets, 3 of which remain to this day. North Street is now known as Crocker Street.
Many of Newport’s street names were changed by the Corporation’s Paving Committee in 1861. We have included some of the ‘odder’ former street monikers…
One of the strangest names to be found in the environs of Newport is Mount Misery (near North Fairlee). This was a typical name for unproductive land. Happily, Mount Misery was sold by Queen Victoria to Henry Pinnock in 1867, who renamed it Belmont (beautiful view).
Mount Misery formed part of Stapler’s Heath, which had notoriously poor soil. Smallgain’s Farm was located nearby.
Here are a few of the queerest street and place names in Newport and its environs in alphabetical order…
Barton – named after the builder responsible for the first row of houses in this locality in 1851.
Betty Haunt Lane – is reputedly haunted by a smuggler’s daughter who betrayed her associates when she fell for a Customs Officer.
Burnt House Lane – is supposedly the site of the former residence of the murderer Michael (Micah) Morey, who set fire to his home to destroy evidence of his crime.
The Beast Market – is a former name for St James’ Square. A livestock market existed on this site from 1732 to 1928, when it relocated to South Street. St James’ Square then became the main stopping point for buses in Newport until the construction of the bus station in 1962.
Coppin’s Bridge – is named after the Copping family.
The Cornmarket – was the former name for St Thomas’ Square, until it was changed by the Paving Committee in 1861.
Crocker Street – was said to have derived its name from a by-law compelling crockers (pot makers) to locate on the edge of the town close to water as a precaution against fire.
Deadman’s Lane – is the former name for Trafalgar Road and was thought to have originated from a party of French invaders killed at this locality in 1377.
Froglands – is self-explanatory and located south of Carisbrooke.
Hungry Hill (to the south of Newport) – is where Isle of Wight champions Whitecroft & Barton Sports FC have their home ground.
Hunny Hill – means ‘the hill where wild honey is to be found’, from the Old English hunig and hyll and has been known by this name since 1228.
Laundry Lane – derives from the Newport, Carisbrooke & District Steam Laundry Co that was once located there.
Little London – is the west bank of Newport Quay, no doubt named after the former commercial activity there which fancifully recalled the hustle and bustle of the port of London.
Mount Pleasant – may have been an ironic meaning, deriving from locals dumping cinders and other rubbish there.
Nodehill – is the former name for Upper St James’ Street, said to be a corruption of ‘Noddies Hill’, marking the place where the unfortunate Frenchmen slaughtered in Deadman’s Lane in 1377 had their heads placed on spikes.
Petticoat Lane – (near Sainsburys) is where reputedly where soldiers from the local Parkhurst barracks met ‘women of the night’ in bygone times. Alternatively, it may simply mark the spot where women’s undergarments were sold.
Rag Row – was once a terrace of houses on Laundry Lane.
Shispoole Street -was the original name for Sea Street.
Shide – means ‘plank or foot-bridge’. The first bridge across the River Medina may well have been no more than this.
Tin Pit Lane – is the Victorian name for Worsley Road.
Are there any further suburb or street names in or around Newport that merit attention? Let us know in the comments…
Bearing in mind Betty haunt lane ,has nothing to do with ghosts, but is related to feeding place for dogs between the areas of carisbrooke and watching well I doubt much of this is accurate
More iow history please ps what is the origin of the name Cork heads of which is one
I thought it was Caulkheads?!