The High Street runs downhill to the harbour from St Thomas's church to Quay Street which is a pretty little section with a cobbled street and some quaint shops, and a few years ago the local people had a shock as right in the middle of summertime there was two to three inches of snow all down this piece of street! The cause, the filming of a children's TV series, Wurzel Gummidge which starred the late Jon Pertwee as a rascally old scarecrow and Una Stubbs as his girlfriend Aunt Sally. The scene looked just like something out of a Dickens Christmas Card. The shops here are mainly souvenir shops that sell items relating to the sea but also among them are some excellent restaurants and a great pub on the end of the Quayside.

The church of St Thomas the Apostle

The town is split into two with a toll bridge across the Boldre River, linking both halves together though tolls are no longer collected the old toll keeps hut can still be seen. The other side of the river is where the Isle of Wight Ferry takes thousands of holiday makers as well as local people back and forth to Yarmouth.

A memorial to Sir Harry Burrard Neale who was an admiral who took the name of his wife and was in command of the San Fiorenzo which had sailed into Weymouth in attendance to the king. He was also at the Nore when Mutiny broke out and his men stayed loyal and did not join the mutiny but the mutineers ships opened fire on them, they managed to slip away and the admiral was publicly acclaimed and thanks in London.

What is or was the Nore?  The Nore is a sandbank in the Thames Estuary near the entrance to the River Medway, and is the site of former naval bases at Sheerness and Chatham and for hundreds of years it was an important naval anchorage and assembly point.

The Cottage and Olde Worlde Tea Room, Passfield Farm
(The above photos kindly contributed by Sheila Cooper, Kent)
 

Passfield farm from a painting
Kindly contributed by Ben Skeates, Australia

The church to St Thomas the Apostle has a great west window with its tower rising from behind topped with a wood cupola, which was built in 1670. The Courtenay Chapel dates back to the 14th century and a glass case holds some old roof bosses and pewter alms dishes.

In the churchyard is the final resting place of Caroline Bowles who was the second wife of Robert Southey, she lived most of her life near Buckland Rings which was named after a round British camp and it is rumoured that the only time she ever left the place was on the day of her wedding. Her mother was the sister of General Burrard and she passed away when Caroline was thirty. She spent her days writing poetry and sent some to Southey who encouraged her and soon they had a literary partnership going and they began to write to each other for twenty years,

Lymington River Kindly contributed by Ben Skeates, Australia

After the death of Southey's wife he wrote and asked Caroline Bowles to be his bride and she agreed, but only three months of them marrying Southey's intellectual powers broke down and from hereafter Caroline's life was miserable for Southey's children refused to accept her as a step-mother and her conditioned went downhill until she gave up the fight for life

St Thomas the Apostle church history

IMAGES OF LYMINGTON

Views of the town looking towards the church
The Stanswell House Hotel in the High Street		House of the St Barge family built in 1765
A panorama of the harbour at Lymington which  is famous for its yachts
The slipway and view of Quay Street in the old town, Lymington
More views of the Harbour and old part of the town
Quay Street (Quay Street photo kindly contributed by William Grierson, Brucklay, Aberdeenshire)             The ferry to Yarmouth Isle of Wight leaving Lymington   Water fountain   Old Gas lamp on the quayside   This town was first lighted with gas the 20th September 1832

THE LYMINGTON GHOST

One of the most popular hostelries that was favoured by the towns shipbuilders was the Angel Hotel. It was originally called The George but it was changed around 1768 when a George was on the throne, It was famous as a coaching inn and people used to take great delight in gathering here to watch the Mail being loaded on to the Royal Mail  coach and it setting off at 4.45pm bound for London via Southampton.

There are two ghosts reported here one is believed to be a coachman who is often seen at dawn looking out of the kitchen window into the yard as though keeping watch over the load of the mail. He is described as a shadowy figure,

The other comes from the Inns connections with the sea for the figure is described as being tall, grey haired and wearing what seems to be a naval coat with brass buttons done up to his neck, and  is seen at night.

While staying as guests in the 1960s in a room that adjoined the old Assembly Hall, a Mr and Mrs McKinley both heard the sound of someone playing a piano in the middle of the night, the Assembly Hall was said to hold many fantastic balls during the 19tyh century, the playing seemed to come from here. The next morning they complained to the manager about guests being allowed to make such a noise at unearthly hours of the night, The manager informed the McKinleys that this was impossible as there was no piano in the hall as the old one had been removed  and destroyed the day before due to it being in a damaged condition.

Not accepting this the irate guests insisted that he opened the door and let them see. The Manager consented to this and unlocked the doors to reveal that there was no piano to be seen!