Historic Ryde Society
The Society was formed in October, 2009 to raise funds towards a permanent visitor centre for the town. We come from many walks of life and share an interest in the history of our home. Although we do not offer a research facility, we list local research groups on the Links page and are happy for anyone to get in touch with queries. We will then redirect you to someone who may be able to help.
Ryde as we know it is just over 200 years old, but the presence of Queen Victoria and her entourage on the island makes the history of the town very special. Ryde blossomed as a seaside town in the early 19th century particularly after the completion of the pier in 1814. Due to the proximity of the Royal Navy headquarters, many officers, preferring the genteel nature of Ryde to the hustle and bustle of Portsmouth, came to live here.
Having bought Osborne in 1845, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert brought their young family to the Isle of Wight on a regular basis. Several Royal photographers set up business in the Royal Victoria Arcade and cartes de visite became very popular among the wealthier classes of society. Many of these locally produced photographs still exist, and allow us to see the faces of the people who walked along Union Street as long as 150 years ago.
Several fund-raising events are planned for the next few months. Please keep a look-out for events around the town and pick up a leaflet and Membership application form at Framers or Splash, on Union Street, or the shops in the Royal Victoria Arcade. Members will be sent newsletters with regular progress updates, and will be given free entry to the centre once we're up and running! We would also ask everyone to search through attics and sheds to see if there is anything relating to Ryde's history lurking in a dark corner!
Visit our Links page for a list of Isle of Wight history sites.
The history of the pier is well documented, and there have been many alterations throughout its existence. Local papers and early guide books indicate how important the pier was as a promenade from its earliest times.
The fashionable magazines of the day published prints of yachting society enjoying the views from the pier, although at times it was a little breezy!
Over the last thirty years of the 19th century, the improvements on the pier were substantial.
To learn more please visit the Ryde Pier history page.
The Royal Victoria Arcade was built in 1835/6 as a speculative venture by William Houghton Banks, an apothecary in Ryde. Fanny Oglander, in a letter sent to her brother, at the time serving in India, tells us there were other people involved, but does not say who. The ceremonies connected with the laying of the foundation stone and the opening the following year, were both grand events, with Lodges invited from around the country and beyond. Military bands played around the town and there was great hope for the success of the venture. To learn more please go to the Victoria Arcade on the Buildings section of the Ryde History page.
The arcade was advertised in the Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle of April, 18, 1836, two months before opening.Link to the transcription
