Knighton, Isle of Wight
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Knighton is a largely deserted hamlet near Newchurch on the Isle of Wight, about 2 miles NW of Sandown. The name should beTemplate:ClarifyTemplate:Fix pronounced as Kay-nighton to avoid confusion with the larger village of Niton, near Ventnor.
Knighton is situated under Knighton Down and has historically always been a part of the civil parish of nearby Newchurch. Knighton consists of little more than a collection of farmhouses, most now turned to residential use. The only amenity in the settlement is a post-box. To the south is Knighton Sandpit Ltd which is an aggregate extraction company. The pit is also used for off-road driving events.<ref>IOW 4x4 Club imagesTemplate:Dead link</ref> This is however, a little way from the main residential area.
Name
The name means 'the farmstead or estate of the young thanes or retainers', from Old English cniht (genitive plural cnihta) and tūn. There are other places called Knighton with similar origins.
1086 (Domesday Book): Chenistone
1193-1217: Cnihtaton
1255: Knyttetone
1316: Knyghteton
1327: Knightone<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Knighton Gorges Manor
Knighton Gorges Manor in Knighton was one of the grandest manor houses on the Isle of Wight. But when the owner's daughter married against his will, he had it demolished, rather than allowing her to inherit it.Template:Fact
Hugh De Morville, one of the knights responsible for the murder of Thomas Becket, fled to Knighton Gorges.
History
There was a medieval settlement in Knighton, but nearly all of the population moved to the nearby village of Newchurch to escape the Black Death. Flint arrow heads can still be found in fields surrounding the area. It was estimated that at one time, the hamlet contained up to 60 houses.
Jimmy Tarbuck lived at Griggs Farm in the 1980s whilst performing in the nearby town of Sandown.
Knighton is the home of the Wight Crystal drinking water company, whose water comes from Knighton.
John Wavell and Anna Cowlam farmed Knighton farm after their marriage in 1735 in Newchurch. They were the great-great-grandparents of Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell (1883-1950), former Field marshal and Viceroy of India.
Ghost stories
The area and house are said to be haunted by various ghosts and are a popular stop for ghost tourists. One story often told is that of Sir Tristram Dillington, M.P. for Newport, who is thought to have committed suicide after taking to gambling heavily after the death of his wife. His valet is said to have concealed the nature of his death by placing his corpse upon his horse, Thunderbolt, and driving it into the lake, ensuring that the property was not forfeited.<ref name="ghostclub">Ghost Club</ref> The story is that the ghost of Sir Tristram rides a ghostly horse each year on the anniversary of his death, which occurred on 7 July 1721.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The most famous haunting is said to take place on New Year's Eve when, it is claimed, the old house "re-appears", many people often gather at the spot on 31 December to try to witness the apparition.
References
Template:Isle of Wight box Template:Settlements on the Isle of Wight