Local historian Sue Lowday is leading her Bonchurch Village Walks again during the October 2026 Isle of Wight Walking Festival, with four illustrated walks across the week and some brand new stories to tell.
Sue has spent years digging through title deeds, census returns, letters, tithe maps and national archives to get past the half-remembered tales in old guidebooks and find out what really happened in Bonchurch. What she’s found is richer and stranger than she ever expected, and each walk is illustrated with pictures and documents she has uncovered along the way.
Women, Talent and Tyranny
New this year is Women, Talent and Tyranny, a walk about the remarkable ladies who visited or lived in Bonchurch in Victorian times. Among them is Catherine Dickens, whose own achievements are often overlooked. Walkers will hear her story, including how she performed before Queen Victoria, and how much she accomplished while raising ten children.
They’ll also meet a painter whose pictures drew crowds at exhibitions, a poet who came close to winning the laureateship, and a young lady who crossed the Solent with red roses for a poet she loved. Some were celebrated in their lifetimes, some were overlooked, and some were simply taken too soon, but each of them has a powerful story to tell.
Dickens walk
The Dickens walk has new material too, as Sue’s research into his 1849 holiday in Bonchurch continues. Dickens wrote key chapters of David Copperfield here, and walkers will meet the local characters who inspired him, including the real villager behind Miss Havisham.
Some of the illustrations are shared by special permission of the Dickens family and can only be seen on this walk.
Legends of Bonchurch
Legends of Bonchurch looks at the poets, painters, authors and even royalty who were drawn to the village in Victorian times, with rare photographs and some haunting music by a local composer with a surprising connection to two famous TV doctors.
The Souls of Bonchurch
The Souls of Bonchurch explores both of the village’s churchyards and the extraordinary people buried there (and a few who were later removed), from poets to a king to people whose stories had been almost completely forgotten.
Walk details
Legends of Bonchurch: Stories of Fame, Art and Mystery. Monday 5th October, 10am. About 1.5 hours, £15.
Women, Talent and Tyranny: A Victorian Walking Tour. Tuesday 6th October, 10am. About 2.5 hours, £20.
The Souls of Bonchurch. Wednesday 7th October, 10am. 1.5 to 2 hours, £15.
Walking in Dickens’ Footsteps: A Bonchurch Literary Ramble. Thursday 8th October at 10am, and Sunday 11th October at 2pm. About 2.5 hours, £20.
Book your place
Each walk is limited to eight people, so booking ahead is a good idea.
To reserve a place, email [email protected], and more details on the website.
Money from the walks goes towards Sue’s ongoing research, helping bring more of the village’s stories to light.
Find out about other Isle of Wight Walking Festival events by visiting their website.
News shared by Sue in her own words. Ed
