Coordinates: 50°38′00″N 1°15′17″W / 50.63327°N 1.25466°W / 50.63327; -1.25466

Godshill
Thatched cottages in Godshill
Godshill  Godshill shown within the Isle of Wight
Population	1,465
OS grid reference	SZ527817
Civil parish	Godshill
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
Police	Hampshire
Fire	Isle of Wight
Ambulance	Isle of Wight
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Isle of Wight
List of places: UK • England • Isle of Wight

Godshill Church, circa 1910.

Godshill Model Village

Godshill is a village and civil parish^[1] on the Isle of Wight with a population of 1,465 according to the 2001 census.^[2] It is located between Newport and Ventnor in the southeast of the Island.^[3]

History[link]

The name 'Godshill' is said to originate from the foundations of the local church, which dates back to the 14th century, being moved from the bottom of the hill to its present location on the top of the hill on three occasions whilst it was being built. This was taken to be a sign from God that the church should be built on the hill, hence the name Godshill.^[4] The history of the village is tied up with Appuldurcombe House and The Worsley family featuring as the main house of the area in the nearby village of Wroxall.^[5]

Ford Farm near Godshill was the site of the first ever Isle of Wight Festival in 1968. It attracted 10,000 people to see acts such as Jefferson Airplane and the mystical Arthur Brown.^[6]

Today[link]

Godshill has pubs called the "Griffin"- featuring a large griffin-shaped maze and children's playground,^[7] and "The Taverners".

Public transport is provided by Southern Vectis buses on route 2 and route 3, which run between Newport, Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor.^[8][9]

Godshill model village[link]

Since 1952 Godshill has been the home of a model village of itself and Shanklin's old village at a scale of 1:10. It is so detailed and on such a large scale that it contains a scale model of the model village. Within that second model there is a third, even smaller model of the village.^[10]

All Saints' Church[link]

The parish church is All Saints' Church. It is a medieval building noted for its medieval wall painting of a Lily crucifix, and has a stained glass window by William Morris.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Godshill

• Old pictures of Godshill
• Godshill Old Postcards
• Godshill information