Apse Heath

Apse Heath is a hamlet on the Isle of Wight, UK. Apse Heath is centered on the intersection of Newport Road and Alverstone Road. At the 2011 Census the Post Office said the population of the hamlet was included in the civil parish of Newchurch, Isle of Wight. It is northeast of Whiteley Bank and south of Winford. Apse Heath is bordered by the leafy villages of Alverstone and Queen's Bower, and is surrounded by areas of woodland and agricultural land. It also sits roughly 2 miles east of the village of Newchurch, and 1 mile west of Lake.

Apse Heath
Main road at Apse Heath
Apse Heath is located in Isle of Wight
Apse Heath
Apse Heath
Location within the Isle of Wight
OS grid referenceSZ564833
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSANDOWN
Postcode districtPO36
Dialling code01983
PoliceHampshire and Isle of Wight
FireHampshire and Isle of Wight
AmbulanceIsle of Wight
UK Parliament

The word "apse" in the local dialect means an aspen tree, or Populus tremula.[1] Thus, Apse Heath refers to a Heath (small moor) populated by Aspens.

Apse Heath Methodist Church had a congregation of 11 to 15 that met every Sunday to worship.[2] The church was founded in 1875 by the Bryanites or Bible Christians. The cornerstone of the present chapel was laid by Lord Alverstone, on 10 September 1902. Electric lights were installed in the church and hall in 1956. The church closed for worship in 2013 and after extensive refurbishment is now a successful holiday let known as The Old Chapel, Apse Heath. [3]

Apse Heath has a shop, called "Raj's Premier Stores", some other businesses and a post office.

The hamlet has gained some popularity over pranksters and their efforts to alter the sign with marker pens or electrical tape, changing the 'P' in 'APSE' to an 'R', thus editing the sign to read 'ARSE HEATH'. Although Island Roads tends to hastily clean the sign down and remove the damage, the sign is rarely ever clean for long, much to the amusement of both schoolchildren from the hamlet and the neighbouring village of Lake and tourists alike.

On 12 January 2006, two horses were injured in a fire in some stables in Apse Heath.[4] On 5 August 2007, a small plane crashed, briefly after taking off from Isle of Wight Airport in Sandown in Lake, next to Apse Heath, killing all 4 passengers.[5]

Apse Heath was the site of brickmaking operations in the past.[6] It was also the site of a sweet factory, which employed a number of local people until it closed down.

Transport is provided by Southern Vectis route 8, which runs through the hamlet between Newport, Sandown, Bembridge and Ryde.[7]

References
  1. Publications by English Dialect Society, London, no.22,26,45 pt.1, 1886.
  2. Apse Heath Methodist Church Archived 2007-08-03 at the Wayback Machine, Isle of Wight Methodists website.
  3. Apse Heath Methodist Church History Archived July 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  4. January 2006 report Archived July 31, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Archived October 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. Plane crash death probe continues, BBC News, 6 August 2007.
  6. LIST OF BRICKMAKING SITES Archived 2007-10-13 at the Wayback Machine, Isle of Wight Brickmaking History, Isle of Wight Industrial Archaeology Society Archived 2007-11-16 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. "Southern Vectis, Route 8". Southern Vectis. Archived from the original on 6 June 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
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