Monks Bay

Monks Bay derives its name from the belief that it is where French monks from Lyra Abbey landed after travelling from Normandy. The bay was also the site of the 1545 Battle of Bonchurch, one of the three locations where 2,000 French troops landed on the Isle of Wight coast as part of the Italian War of 1542–46. The French were repulsed, preventing their attempts to seize the island. Historically, the area was notable as a venue for smuggling rings, where contraband would be landed and then transported inland. ran around in a strong gale at the point between Monk's Bay and Steel Bay. She was on a voyage from London to Melbourne with thirty passengers and cargo on board, the vessel was lost…