Monks Bay is believed to be where French monks from Lyra Abbey landed from Normandy.
It was also the site of the 1545 Battle of Bonchurch being one of the three locations where 2000 French troops landed on the Isle of Wight coast.
The result of the battle stopped the French attempts to seize the island as its own, making war for continued operations against England in the Italian War of 1542–46.

The area was notable as a venue for smuggling rings, where contraband would be landed here and then transported inland.
The bay was also used to legally disembark cargo from ships and fishing for local lobsters and crabs, once a major source of income, continues the area.
Monks Bay is believed to be where French monks from Lyra Abbey landed from Normandy. It was also the site of the 1545 Battle of Bonchurch being one of the three locations where 2000 French troops landed on the Isle of Wight coast. The result of the battle stopped the French attempts to seize the island as its own, making war for continued operations against England in the Italian War of 1542–46.
The area was notable as a venue for smuggling rings, where contraband would be landed here and then transported inland. The bay was also used to legally disembark cargo from ships and fishing for local lobsters and crabs, once a major source of income, continues the area.
Monks Bay