A PICTURESQUE stream once used as a regular beachfront shower by writer Charles Dickens is having to be diverted after it flooded some seafront properties.
The waterfall which fell from the end of the Bonchurch stream was used by Dickens regularly in the summer of 1849.
He enthused about his stay at Winterbourne in the village, where the source of the stream was.
Scroll down for video
Dickens arranged with a local carpenter to convert the waterfall into a "perpetual shower bath" and his daily wash must surely have inspired the writer to settle into his work later in the day.
He wrote part of David Copperfield that summer, and Bonchurch legend has it that characters in that novel and Great Expectations were inspired by his time spent in the village.
What's happened to Charles Dickens' stream?
Decades later and the stream is going through some hard times of its own, and has caused problems for some homeowners, who suffered flooding, the County Press has been told.
The popular footpath that leads from St Boniface Old Church to the seafront has been closed to the public while the stream is being diverted.
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said: "The council is involved with work to restore the Bonchurch stream following flooding last autumn which caused some disruption to the flow.
"This has meant a temporary closure to the footpath.
"The stream course involves various private landowners as well as public land, and we have been working with people involved to ensure this popular area is safely accessible again soon.
"The work continues, and we expect the path to reopen in time for the summer season."
For more information about Dickens' stays in Bonchurch, head to www.havilandcottage.com/dickens
House Rules
We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate.
Read the rules here