Luccombe, Isle of Wight
Luccombe is a hamlet a short distance south of Shanklin, on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, England.
There is some indication of Bronze Age settlements on the top of the nearby hill of Luccombe Down.
Name
The name is thought to mean 'the valley belonging to a man called Lufa' from Old English Lufa and cumb. However, the first part of the name could be lufu. The name also occurs in Somerset.1086: Lovecumbe
1141-1143: Louecumba
1258: Luvecumbe
1291: Lovecombe
1611: Luckome
1769: Luccumb
Luccombe gives its name to Luccombe Chine.
Nature
The Luccombe area features spectacular cliffs and scenery. It is a popular site for hang gliding and paragliding if there is an easterly wind of around 12 mph and it is low water, and on good days flights to Sandown and back can be achieved.Luccombe forms the east end of the Ventnor Undercliff region, which extends for 12 kilometres from Blackgang to Luccombe, also encompassing the town of Ventnor and the villages of Bonchurch, St Lawrence, and Niton. There is some concern that the Ventnor Undercliff area is experiencing substantial coastal erosion.