The small village of Gatcombe is situated in a valley, just 3.5 miles southwest of the Island's capital, Newport. Most of Gatcombe is situated west of the parish church of St Olave's, but east of the road running between Carisbrooke and Chillerton, can be seen Gatcombe Mill, now no longer working or occupied and on private land. A bridal path takes you close by it. Since the census of 1881 when the population was 228, the village has seen a 63% increase in 110 years to a population of 371 given at the last census in 1991. Adjacent to the church stands Gatcombe House (not open to the public), which originally was the 'lord of the manors' residence. In the 19th century it was the home of Charles Seely M.P. for the Isle of Wight and towards the end of the 20th century, it was home to Sir Robert Hobart who was the third Baronet to hold this title. It was his ancestor, Lord Hobart, then Secretary of State for the Colonies who gave Tasmania's capital its name of Hobart.

St Olave's Church
Like most ancient English villages, the church has been central in the life of the community. St Olave's Church is one of the oldest found on the Isle of Wight. Originally a chapel to the Estur Family, the church was completed and dedicated c.1292.

The church has an aisle-less nave and chancel, and the tower was later added in the 15th century. Over the centuries stone buttresses were added to support the outer walls. The tower houses three bells which have not been 'pulled' for many years, but a chime system is now used.The churchyard surrounding the building is pleasant and tranquil.

There are two notable monuments inside the church. One is dedicated to the memory of Charles Grant Seely, who died leading his men against the Turks in Gaza in 1917. The marble sculpture was created by Sir Thomas Brock.

Underneath the north arch in the chancel is a life size oaken carving of a young crusader believed to be that of Edward Estur of the Estur Family(mentioned earlier) who died in the later part of the 14th century. This carving is one of only approximately 100 found in Britain.

The porch timbers come from HMS Thunderer which served in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. You can still see black marks on the timbers which are flame marks from the battle itself.

Saint Olave - Patron Saint
As King of Norway in the 11th century, Olave (or Olaf) was to all intents and purposes no 'saint' ! He is often depicted carrying a battleaxe and was more akin to a warrior king than a saintly king. However, inspite of his violent shortcomings, he was a devout Christian, but nevertheless a ferocious Viking. His links to the Isle of Wight stem from his assistance given to the English king, Ethelred to rid the south coast, including the island of the Danes. Quite how he became canonised remains unknown.

The Legend of Lucy Lightfoot
Lucy Lightfoot, a farmer's daughter from Bowcombe, became a member of St Olave's congregation in 1834. She, for some reason became infatuated with the effigy of Edward Estur, the crusader knight in the church, and would often be seen in the church gazing at the oak carving, apparently daydreaming of being with him on his adventures.

On the morning of the 13th June 1831, Lucy was seen entering the church at about 10.30am by way of a detour to visit a friend in Chillerton. Whilst she was in the church, a ferocious thunder storm broke out which was coupled simultaneously with an eclipse of the Sun. This unique event is well documented and the storm lasted for about two hours. Later that day, a farmer from Chale, passing the church noticed an agitated horse tethered outside. Thinking the owner was inside the church, he went on in, only to find nobody there. Lucy Lightfoot had vanished and was never seen again !

The tale takes an even more bizarre turn. In 1865, a Methodist minister from the Scilly Isles was researching the history of the Crusades. He came across a document written by the Chancellor to the King of Cyprus between 1359 & 1369 regarding an English knight by the name of Edward Estur who was helping the king to remove the Mamelukes from the Holy Land. In this document it states that Edward was accompanied by a 'brave and beautiful woman' called Lucy Lightfoot from the district of Carisbrooke Castle

Can you solve the mystery ? How could Lucy be seen in both the 14th and 19th centuries ?