ISLE OF WIGHT LOCAL STUDIES COLLECTION

A collection of some 4,000 books and bound journals is housed in the Local Studies Collection at Somerton near Cowes. The collection contains subjects as diverse as prisons and printers, railways and religion and includes biographies and trade directories. These books are for reference only but smaller loan collections are held at the local libraries throughout the Island. Most, but not all of the books are listed in the on-line catalogue. The majority of the books are held at Library HQ at Somerton but the street and trade directories are held at the County Record Office. Please enquire about access arrangements.

“The Isle of Wight Times”, “The Isle of Wight Observer” and “The Isle of Wight County Press” are available on microfilm at the Isle of Wight County Record Office. Other newspapers, such as “The Weekly Post”, have been bound and are also kept the Record Office. Printouts are available for a charge.

Local registers from the 1920s up to the most recent are available at the County Record Office. The most recent ones are available subject to the Librarian’s discretion, owing to a change in electoral law.

Maps of a variety of scales and dates are held at the County Record Office. They also have a large collection of illustrations, including prints, photographs and paintings.

Other places to enquire include the Isle of Wight Museums Service and the Isle of Wight Archæological Service, both of which are departments of the Isle of Wight Council. In addition there are locally run heritage centres in many Island towns and Carisbrooke Castle Museum has a large collection of local artefacts and illustrations and the online Isle of Wight History Centre is hosted by the Isle of Wight Industrial Archaeology Society.

Archaeology

Carisbrooke Castle Museum

County Record Office

Isle of Wight Industrial Archaeological Society

Access to Archives

Copyright Declaration