Let's start with The Old Lighthouse at St Catherine's Down: It was in a winter night A.D 1314 that a ship full of white wine approached England. Just in front of the IoW it experienced a storm and was wrecked. The sailors could escape and the cargo was widely undamaged. So they sold the wine to the folks on the island, one main party buying was landowner Walter de Godeton. Not only did he have to pay 227and a half marks penalty but as the wine actually belonged to the religious community of Livers, Picardy who lodged a complaint against him at the Roman Court, he had to build a lighthouse and oratory above the scene of the disaster. This task was fulfilled by 1328 and here we are in 2020. The outline of the joined wall between lighthouse and oratory can still be seen.

One Comment

  1. scout2017
    scout2017 ·

    Great story.

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