Grove Museum - Thie Tashtee 'Yn Chell' : Manx National Heritage

About

The Grove is the home of the Gibb family. In 1838, Duncan Gibb, a successful shipping merchant from Liverpool, visited the Isle of Man and bought Poplar Grove, a small cottage set in secluded grounds nearby the bustling town of Ramsey, as a summer retreat for his family. Duncan changed the small cottage into a country house surrounded by beautiful gardens and extensive farmland. He retired from shipping in 1862 and lived as a gentleman farmer at the Grove until his death five years later.

In 1887 granddaughters Alice and Janet, moved from Port Erin to the Grove to live with Duncan’s widow and their two aunts. Taught by a governess and waited on by servants, the sisters lived for nearly a century at the Grove in a house virtually unchanged since its Victorian heyday. In 1976 the Grove its contents, gardens, and land was bought by Manx National Heritage.

The house and its Victorian and Edwardian collectibles, secluded walled garden, Loaghtan sheep, and horse-drawn threshing mill offer a rare chance to step into life as it was for three-generations of the same family and their servants. The Gibbs were keen beekeepers and the straw ‘skeps’ used to house the bees are still on display.

Opening Times

2026 Season: Friday 27th March – Sunday 1st November 2026

Open Saturday – Wednesday: 12pm – 4pm; last entry 3.30pm

Admission

Adults £11 – all visitors have the option to make a voluntary donation of £1.50 at point of entry

Students £5.50 (over 18 with a valid Student Card)

Children FREE (children aged 16 or under must be accompanied by an adult)

Multi-site savings available please click HERE for more information

Your admission:

All admission tickets for The Grove Museum have the option to make a voluntary donation of £1.50 to Manx National Heritage (Isle of Man registered charity no. 603). This donation directly supports the ongoing conservation and management of the Isle of Man’s most significant historic buildings, landscapes, archives and museum collections. Should you wish to opt out of this voluntary contribution, please inform a member of staff at the ticket desk at the time of purchase.
Children aged 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
Some special events may incur an additional admission charge.
Student discount is available on production of a valid student card.
Group discounts are available to pre-booked group visitors of 15 or more paying visitors booked 7 days in advance. Find out more.
Holiday and Annual Passes – admission is only permitted on production of a valid card. Cards are valid for the named person and are not transferable. ID may also be requested. Free access is for 14 days from the first day of use on a Holiday Pass and 1 Year from first date of use on an Annual Pass for Isle of Man residents.
Free admission is available to children under 18 years of age, persons accompanying a disabled visitor, GO Explore Heritage and GO Platinum Reserve Passes for use with trams, trains and bus transport and Members of the Friends of Manx National Heritage and organisations holding an agreement with Manx National Heritage. Entry available to the named member only on presentation of a valid membership card. Restrictions may apply. For details on our reciprocal arrangements, please consult your membership handbook.

Things to See and Do

Don’t miss:

Walk up the gravel drive, through the wide front door, along the wooden hallway and into the formal rooms crammed full of Victorian collectibles, portraits and furnishings including the Broadwood grand piano the family would gather round, and the writing desk where Liverpool shipping merchant Duncan Gibb would catch up on correspondence
Despite running water not reaching the house until the 1920s and electricity until after the Second World War, the family had an ingenious Victorian shower, now in the carriage shed
Lean over the sink in the scullery and listen for the sound of servants’ bells still hanging in the kitchen
The threshing barn and its horse-drawn threshing mill reveals another aspect of the Grove as a working farm
The farm was home to many animals, and there is still the duck pond and a flock of Loaghtan sheep in the fields next to the house
Gardening was always dear to the life of the Grove and the Gibb family. Sisters Alice and Janet worked alongside the gardener to produce their own fruit and vegetables, mow the croquet lawn and fill the borders with flowers
The gardens change season-on-season with walks along the paths and space to sit in the secluded walled garden providing distant views of the surrounding countryside and the hill North Barrule
Take something of The Grove back home and buy Grove bee honey at our onsite shop. 100% of profits from your purchase supports our charity’s work, conserving, protecting and promoting the culture and heritage of the Isle of Man

Location

Address: Andreas Road, Ramsey, IM8 3UA

Phone: +44 (0) 1624 812686

What Three Words: doves.conjures.elevator

Transport: Buses 18K. Manx Electric Railway Ramsey Stop

Advance Notice: Road Improvements at the Grove Museum

Contractors working on behalf of the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) will be resurfacing the road outside the Grove Museum on Saturday 27th June and Saturday 4th July 2026. All footpaths leading to the museum will remain open throughout the works.

Thank you for your patience while these improvements are carried out