Knighton, Isle of Wight

Knighton is a small hamlet near to Sandown on the Isle of Wight.

It is usually pronounced as "Kay-nighton" by local people, to avoid confusion with the larger, homophonic village of Niton, near Ventnor.

It is home to the ruined manor house of Knighton Gorges. All that is left of the house is the two stone gateposts, but it is rumoured to reappear each New Year's Eve in ghostly form. Locals have also reported seeing animal-like gargoyles on top of each gatepost; these figures were removed many years ago and all that is left is plain stone.However further along the road to the south near the old waterworks there are identical pillars from the former Knighton Gorges upon which the owner has placed replica gargoyles. As there have been many stories of the ghostly reappearance of these statues, many recent alleged sightings are most likely due to the confusion created thereby.The Elizabethan Manor House was demolished in 1821 by George Bisset in order to prevent his daughter inheriting it after she had married a clergyman against Bisset's will.

The area is said to be haunted by various ghosts- most famously that of the 5th Baronet, Sir Tristram Dillington M.P., who is said to have committed suicide after taking to gambling heavily after the death of his wife. The valet is said to have concealed the nature of his death by placing his corpse upon his horse, Thunderbolt, and driving it into the lake, ensuring that the property was not forfeited. Local folklore has it that the ghost of Sir Tristram rides a ghostly horse each year on the anniversary of his death - although the exact date of this remains unclear, but is believed to have been in 1721.