Ryde Social Heritage Group research the social history of the citizens of Ryde, Isle of Wight. Documenting their lives, businesses and burial transcriptions.
RYDE SOCIAL HERITAGE GROUP
Based at Ryde Cemetery Heritage & Learning Centre. Preserving, documenting and promoting the social history of Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
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HERITAGE OPEN DAYS AT ST THOMAS CHURCH, RYDE

St Thomas Church
St Thomas Church

Ryde Social Heritage Group will be hosting Heritage Open days at St Thomas Heritage Centre, St Thomas Street, Ryde on Friday 12, Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 September.

St Thomas Heritage Centre is in the former St Thomas Church. The church was built on the site of the first Church in Ryde. Ryde came under the Parish of Newchurch and a chapel of ease was built in Ryde and consecrated in 1719. It was replaced by the present building in 1827. The Church was privately owned by the Lords of the Manor of Ryde. It was closed in 1959, fell into disrepair and was threatened with demolition. In the 1970s the ‘Friends of St Thomas’ group was formed and during the 1980s restoration works were carried out to save the building. Today the building, which contains some fine memorials of many notable residents of Ryde, is owned by the IW Council, but sadly it is rarely open to the public.

For Heritage Open Days 2014 RSHG will have an exhibition relating to our ‘Changing Face of Ryde’ research – a WW1 Centenary project looking at how the Great War changed the town. There will also be an exhibition on the town in the 1960s (50 years after WW1) and all our research folders will be available for visitors to browse. Activity sheets for children will be available. There will also be a chance to ‘Meet the Residents’ some of the characters from Ryde’s past.

Opening Times

Friday 12 September: 1100-1600
Saturday 13 September: 1100-1600
Sunday 14 September: 1100-1600

Admission: Free!

Access

The ground floor and toilets are wheelchair accessible although there is a small step up to the central part of the ground floor. Volunteers will assist if required. This is an old church and on the ground floor all of the pews have been removed with the exception of the box pews on the southern side. There are plenty of chairs available for people to sit. Parts of the floor are uneven so care is needed when walking around. Access to the upper floor balcony is by steep steps and only permitted with a guide.

Additional information

Ryde Social Heritage Group has been researching, documenting and sharing information about the history of Ryde since 2002. We have a huge archive of information which will be available for visitors to browse during the Open Days. There will be lots for visitors to see and do.

Directions

The Church is in the centre of the town. At the junction of the High Street and Union Street there is a NatWest Bank in the square and across the road is the entrance to the garden of rest and St Thomas Church