Bonchurch

"BONCHURCH, a parish in the liberty of East Medina, Isle of Wight, in the county of Southampton, 9 miles to the S. of Newport. It is situated on the south coast of the island, on the remarkable formation called the Undercliff. Above the village rises the lofty St. Boniface Down, and a little to the N.E. is the headland of Dunnose. Bonchurch is one of the most charming spots in the island. The name of the place is probably a corruption of Boniface Church. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Winchester, of the value, with the perpetual curacy of Shanklin annexed to it, of £134, in the patronage of the Rev. W. White, and C. P. Hill, Esq. The church, which is partly in the Norman style, is dedicated to St. Boniface. In the vicinity are Steephill, and Appuldercombo Park, the seat of Lord Yarborough. "

[From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) - transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]