Ventnor Heritage Centre

"To Collect, Record and preserve the rich heritage and history of Ventnor and surrounding villages, and share it with local and wider communities"

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Visit Ventnor Heritage Centre

For opening times please see Ventnor Heritage Centre home page.

Address: Ventnor Heritage Centre is at 11 Spring Hill, Ventnor PO38 1PE.  We are in the centre of Ventnor, opposite the Central Car Park. The Museum is accessible for wheelchair users and others needing level access.

Museum Admission:  Admission is free (donations are welcome); children under 16 must be accompanied.

Group visits: We can arrange for group visits outside our normal opening hours and are willing to arrange local heritage tours or off-site visits and displays. Please contact us if you are interested.

email: info@ventnorheritage.org.uk
Tel 01983 855407 (but please be aware that the phone can only be answered when the Heritage Centre is open)

Exhibitions, stories, images . . .

Town Band

The Town Band is thought to have been formed in 1863 by George and William Pearson and Albion Wheeler; at various periods there were other local bands.  After the Second World War there were efforts to re-form the band but these were unsuccessful. The bandleader in pre-war days was Jacob Hess and his son, Leonard Hess, was a first rate cornet player. Jacob's brother, Arthur, played the string bass and was a real character with a flowing beard.  Other players included Fred Richards, Jack Howell (cornet), Arthur Bennett, Frank Bailey, Burt Adams  (clarinet), Bart Brown, Ern Howell (trombone), Dodger Ward (piccolo), Dutch Lale (side drum) and Harold Barons (?) (Bass drum/ tubular bells). There were regular concerts on Sundays in Ventnor Park and the Pier Pavilion and the band headed the carnival procession for many years. Other town bands included the Band of Volunteer Rifle Corps and in 1918, the Band of C. Company IOW Volunteers Regiment.

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