The village of Totland lies on the Western peninsula where the Western Yar almost cuts through along with Alum Bay and Freshwater. It lies on the coast at Colwell Bay, which is the closest part of the island to the British mainland.
Name
The name means 'The cultivated land or estate with a look-out place', from Old Englishtōt and land. The look-out would have used a beacon for warnings of danger, and in 1324, a beacon on Headon Hill was mentioned. The name Warden Point also refers to keeping watch.
During Christmas 2012, a large landslip overran a section of the sea wall between Totland Bay and adjacent Colwell Bay, also blocking the walkway which ran along the top of the wall. The local council sealed off the affected section from the public. After a successful local campaign the council accepted a compromise solution and a new path over the landslip was opened to the public on 12 September 2015.[6]
