NITON
The village of Niton with its sloping streets is in the centre of the best down scenery on the Island and sheltered by St Catherine's Hill, it is split into two halves by a break in the inner cliff large enough to house the main road through the village. Upper Niton is in a hollow by a crossroads and here is the church a shop and the pub, it still retains a lot of its village charm due to the fact that not much development has gone on here over the years.

The church built by William FitzOsborn was given to an abbey in Normandy until Victorian times when it was restore and rebuilt and Manor Farm is adjoining the churchyard with its lovely stone farmhouse.

Lower Niton was a small fishing hamlet until the 19th century and it flourished mainly because of the health resort of Ventnor and a lot of mansions and holiday cottages were erected here. At the Undercliff is the island most favourite pub, the Buddle Inn which has a stream running through its grounds and a lovely view out to sea and opposite are some steps that lead down to Castle Cove and it stories of smuggling and haunting. You can walk down to St Catherines point and the lighthouse via a lane a bit further along to the west.

Thatched cottage in Niton
 Photo courtesy of IOWCAM

On the wall of the Norman church is a portrait by Flaxman which depicts a strange scene, it is a woman holding pelicans i her hand, the mother bird is shown feeding its young. If you look up to the downs the mediaeval lighthouse can be seen.

St Catherine's is the most southerly point on the Island so the village of Niton albeit small has a lot to offer including the occasional thatched cottage and its many lovely walks through some stunning scenery

 
Robert William Thomas FORSTER & Alice Mary CREETH m5arried at Niton church, Isle-of-Wight 10th Oct 1910.
    Alice Creeth was a teacher at Niton School, until her marriage, and lived in the lovely Thatched roof cottage, opposite the church gate. Robert lived at Puckasterr- Farm, Ventnor~
Incidentally, the cottage above is the Creeth Cottage, where Alice grew up		   George William Creeth, c.1915 (aged abt 63) in uniform of Home
Guard (Believed to be World War 1) on steps of Creeth's Cottage.
On the back is written "Greetings to all from Dad. Thought you
would be glad to see me. This is the best way I can do my little bit
Will came home on Friday for his Draft leave and went again
yesterday. I will let you know where he is as soon as we hear. Kit
and Ken came on  Tuesday in time to see him but Frank will not
see him now. Ma is pretty well but might be better. The hot weather
tries her and other things as well. Ken is grown such a big boy and
is up to all sorts of mischief. Love to ll. Mother will write next week.
Dad"

Photos and  text courtesy of their granddaughter Heather Forster-Old, NZ

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Photos courtesy of  Heather Forster-Old, NZ

 

Life in Niton at the beginning of the 20th century
 

The marriage of Alice Mary Creeth to Robert William Thomas Forster on 10
October 1910 in Niton IOW.  Group photo taken in the garden of the Creeth
 home in Church Road with the brick workshop to the left.

  

Mary Forster and “boys” at Puckaster Cottage,  Niton, Isle of Wight
 L to R: George Thompson (son-in-law), Mary and her sons, Martin Lee (Frank) and Robson
Cameron (Robbie/Bop) c. 1910
 

Gardeners at Puckaster House ( “the big house”) c. 1908: (left) Robson
Forster, (centre) Bob Forster, (right) Frank Forster

  

Puckaster Cottage 1930.  The woman in the doorway is believed to be Mary Forster, posing during a
visit to her old home, as she did not live there at that time.Note on the back of photo reads: “Wishing you
all a very happy Xmas and the very best for 1931. Tot” (Tot was a daughter of Mary Forster and
sent the photo to her brother Bob in New Zealand).
 
At Puckaster  c. 1910 Mary Forster (extreme right) with family members:
(standing) L-R: Martin Lee (Frank), Mame and Robson
Seated: (Centre) Nan, and (L) Barbara Thompson (nee Forster) with her
 four daughters Marjorie, Dora, Ella and Phyllis		  

Niton School , Isle of White c. 1918 where Alice Mary Creeth was a teacher before her marriage to
Robert William Thomas Forster in October 1910.

 

Photos and  text courtesy of their granddaughter Heather Forster-Old, NZ