Rew Down

Rew Down
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Looking towards Ventnor from Rew Down
LocationIsle of Wight
Grid referenceSZ550775
InterestBiological
Area23.5 hectare
Notification1977
Location mapNatural England

Rew Down is a 23.5-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest[1][2] and Local Nature Reserve[3][4] located on the south-east edge of the Isle of Wight in the hills to the west of Ventnor.

The area is a chalk grassland sloping to the south and offering panoramic and far-reaching views of the English Channel. It has the Stenbury Trail running along its western boundary and the Ventnor golf club to the north.

It is managed by the Isle of Wight Council and is noted for its Highland cattle, which have grazed the land since 2003.

The area contains the remains of the tower base of, Historic England Grade II listed, Royal Navy World War II direction finding (D/F) station (one of the'Y-stations'), Ventnor, which is believed to be the most complete of its type still extant.[5][6][7][8]

References

  1. ^ "Rew Down citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England.
  2. ^ "Map of Rew Down". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England.
  3. ^ "Rew Down". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England.
  4. ^ "Map of Rew Down". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England.
  5. ^ "Remains of a Direction Finding (D/F) tower, Ventnor Y-station (List entry Number: 1427450)". List Entry Summary. Historic England.
  6. ^ "Pillbox (variant) ID: S0012131 Rew Down, Ventnor IOW". Defence of Britain Database entry. Archaeology Data Service.
  7. ^ "The Ventnor site that eavesdropped on the enemy". Archive of Monthly News Items April–June 2013: May 2013. Isle of Wight History centre.
  8. ^ "World War Two structure granted Grade II Listing". Archive of Monthly News Items October–November 2015: November 2015. Isle of Wight History centre.

50°35′46″N 1°13′34″W / 50.596°N 1.226°W / 50.596; -1.226