Blackgang

This article is about the village on the Isle of Wight. For other things with similar names, see Black gang (disambiguation).

Human settlement in England

Blackgang

A small number of houses close to the cliffs at Blackgang.

Blackgang

Location within the Isle of Wight

Unitary authority|

* Isle of Wight

Ceremonial county|

* Isle of Wight

Region|

* South East

Country| England
Sovereign state| United Kingdom
Post town| VENTNOR
Postcode district| PO38
Dialling code| 01983
UK Parliament|

* Isle of Wight West

List of places

England
Isle of Wight

50°35′N 1°19′W﻿ / ﻿50.59°N 1.31°W﻿ / 50.59; -1.31

Blackgang is a village on the south-western coast of the Isle of Wight, England. It is best known as the location of the Blackgang Chine amusement park which sits to the south of St Catherine's Down.

Blackgang forms the west end of the Ventnor Undercliff region, which extends for 12 kilometres from Blackgang to Luccombe, also encompassing the town of Ventnor and the villages of Bonchurch, St Lawrence, and Niton. It also marks the edge of the Back of the Wight.

## History

[edit]

Historically, Blackgang was a hamlet that expanded into a small village in the mid-19th century, partly out of a Victorian fashion for speculative building of marine villas,[1][2] and partly in association with the establishment of the amusement park at the chine, the large coastal ravine (historically known for being a haunt of smugglers[3]) after which the park was named. The nearby Sandrock Spring, a chalybeate spring discovered in 1811, was another visitor attraction.

The majority of Blackgang's Victorian coastal development, along with the chine itself, was obliterated by landslides and coastal erosion over the 20th century, part of a general pattern of erosion affecting the Undercliff area.[4] A major landslide severed the old road between Blackgang and Niton in 1928, and subsequent ones destroyed most of the remaining road segment and adjoining houses, as well as the Sandrock Spring in 1978.[2] Currently Blackgang comprises the amusement park (whose buildings incorporate some of the village's former residential houses such as the Blackgang Hotel and Five Rocks), a tearoom, and a few other houses.

Clifftop walks in and around the area give panoramic views of the English Channel and the south-western Isle of Wight coast (the Back of the Wight). Blackgang is also notable for dinosaur fossils (see Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight) and the nudist Blackgang Beach.

Blackgang was the birthplace of the actress and comedian Sheila Hancock.[5]

Southern Vectis operates bus route 6 to Newport and Ventnor through the village.[6]

## Road to nowhere

[edit]

Blackgang is inexorably slipping into the sea

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On the military road near Blackgang Chine Fantasy Park is an old pub called "the Coach House" and latterly called Merlin's Bistro - now a private house. The road ends not far past Merlin's, as in 1994 a major landslip caused the old road to Blackgang Chine entrance to fall through. The small road with a couple of bungalows (still lived in) is a rather sorry sight, as one of Blackgang Chine's areas still lies there derelict. "Adventureland", as it was known, was a play park area for children. The crooked house (at Blackgang Chine, which has now been moved) once stood here also. The remains of Adventureland include a seesaw structure, the brick remains of a wall that surrounded the crooked house originally stood, "Mission Control" (a Nasa-style space control room with levers and buttons) and an old Wicksteed roundabout. This area was accessible up until very recently[when?]. Over the opposite side of the road is the derelict "White House" guesthouse.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ McInnes, R., Marine Estate Research Report, Art as a tool in support of the understanding of coastal change, The Crown Estate – Caird Fellowship, 2008 [1]
2. ^ a b Slope Stability Engineering, Institution of Civil Engineers, Thomas Telford, 1991, ISBN 0-7277-1660-3 Google Books (retrieved 5 July 2008
3. ^ J.C Medland "Shipwrecks of the Wight". Coach House Publications ltd, 2004
4. ^ EUROSION Case Study: LUCCOMBE - BLACKGANG ISLE OF WIGHT (UNITED KINGDOM) , Robin G. McINESS, Isle of Wight Centre for Coastal Environment
5. ^ Coren-Mitchell, Victoria (7 September 2017). Women Talking About Cars (radio). 1. BBC.
6. ^ "Southern Vectis - bus route 6". www.islandbuses.info. 2008. Archived from the original on 22 March 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2008.

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Ceremonial county of Isle of Wight

Unitary authorities|

Isle of Wight Council

Major settlements
(cities in italics)|

* Brading
* Cowes
* East Cowes
* Newport
* Ryde
* Sandown
* Shanklin
* Ventnor
* Yarmouth
See also: List of civil parishes in Isle of Wight

Rivers|

* Buddle Brook
* Caul Bourne
* Medina
* Newtown
* Solent
* Wootton Creek
* Eastern Yar
* Western Yar

Topics|

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Settlements on the Isle of Wight

Towns|

* Brading
* Cowes
* East Cowes
* Newport
* Ryde
* Sandown
* Shanklin
* Ventnor
* Yarmouth

Other civil parishes|

* Arreton
* Bembridge
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* Calbourne, Newtown and Porchfield
* Chale
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* Fishbourne
* Freshwater
* Godshill
* Gurnard
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* Niton and Whitwell
* Northwood
* Rookley
* Shalfleet
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* Totland
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Other villages
and hamlets|

* Adgestone
* Afton
* Afton Park
* Alum Bay
* Alverstone
* Alverstone Garden Village
* Apesdown
* Apse Heath
* Ashey
* Barton
* Bathingbourne
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* Blackgang
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* Chale Green
* Chessell
* Chillerton
* Cranmore
* Cross Lane
* Culver Down
* Downend
* Easton
* Egypt Point
* Elmfield
* Fairlee
* Five Houses
* Foreland Fields
* Forest Side
* Freshwater Bay
* Great Thorness
* Gunville
* Hale Common
* Hamstead
* Havenstreet
* Haylands
* Hillway
* Horringford
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* Hunny Hill
* King's Quay
* Kingston
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* Mottistone
* Nettlecombe
* Newbridge
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* Ningwood
* Ninham
* Niton
* Niton Undercliff
* Norton
* Norton Green
* Nunwell
* Oakfield
* Osborne
* Parkhurst
* Pondwell
* Porchfield
* Princelett
* Puckaster
* Puckpool
* Quarr Hill
* Queen's Bower
* Rew Street
* Rookley Green
* Roud
* Rowridge
* St Lawrence
* Sandford
* Seagrove Bay
* Shalcombe
* Shide
* Staplers
* Steephill
* Steyne Cross
* Thorley
* Thorley Street
* Thorncross
* Totland Bay
* Upper Ventnor
* Wellow
* Westridge
* Whiteley Bank
* Whitwell
* Winford
* Wootton
* Wootton Common
* Yafford
* Yarbridge
* Yaverland

See also|

* List of places on the Isle of Wight
* List of civil parishes on the Isle of Wight

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