St Helens, Isle of Wight
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
The village (population about 2000) is based around 5 village greens.
Lying on the high ground to the north of Bembridge, St Helens has good views over the busy harbour. It is a small village with five fine village green on which cricket is played during the summer and football in the winter.
A short walk from the village to the sea leads to the St Helens Duver at the mouth of the harbour, a sand-dune complex which was the first golf course on the Isle of Wight, and where there is now a popular sheltered beach, cafe, and beach huts.
The origins of St. Helens seems to revolve around the Cluniac Priory and the monastic church, built circa 1080. In 1340 a French raid landed at St Helens but was repulsed. In 1346 Edward III set sail from St Helens to invade Normandy.
After the alien priories were suppressed by Henry V in 1414 the old church became the parish church. The original church eventually became unsafe, and a new church was built further inland. In 1720 a great wave destroyed the old church. The tower still stands to this day, the seaward side is painted as a seamark.
