Gatcombe

Gatcombe is a village in the civil parish of Chillerton and Gatcombe, on the Isle of Wight, England. It is located about two and a half miles south of Newport, in the centre of the island. The parish, which includes Chillerton, had a population of 422 at the 2011 census.

Name

The name means 'the valley where the goats are kept', from Old English gāt and cumb. It is sometimes said to mean 'the gateway to the valley', but this is incorrect, as geat would be yat in an old name like this.
1086: Gatecombe
~1220: Gathecumbe
1223: Gatecumb
1261-1277: Gatecombe
1316: Gatecoumbe

History and amenities

The parish church of St Olave's was dedicated in 1292, serving as a chapel to Gatcombe House and is a grade I listed building. Gatcombe parish was established in 1560. The civil parish was renamed from "Gatcombe" to "Chillerton and Gatcombe" in April 2013. The church contains stained glass of 1865–66 by William Morris, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Ford Madox Brown and Edward Burne-Jones; a monument by Sir Thomas Brock to Captain Charles Grant Seely, unveiled in 1922; and a carved wooden effigy of medieval or early modern date around which various legends have developed.
In 1907, a contract was signed that ensured that properties older than 1907 in Gatcombe and nearby Chillerton would receive free water, while newer homes receive it at a reduced rate. In 2009 Southern Water proposed that all households should pay the same rate, claiming that the reasoning behind the initial pact is now invalid, as the costs for the original project have since been paid off. After being raised in Parliament by local MP Andrew Turner in June 2012, a meeting took place between Southern Water and local residents, but the water company maintained its position.
John Wheble, an author and antiquarian, was from Gatcombe.
Public transport is provided by Southern Vectis, which runs a line between Newport and Ventnor.