Grove Museum

Had the lovely opportunity of meeting Penny and Karan at the Grove Museum. They told us all about the history at the former home of the Gibbs family, and showed a genuine passion for their knowledge at this remarkable site. I would strongly recommend anyone, whether it be a local or tourist to go and check this property out. The grounds are something else, and the property itself is very unique. Thanks again Penny and Karan for taking the time to show us around.

We’ve been to many museums but only in this one did we experience a personal touch. We were guided through each room with detailed explanations of almost everything we saw. We asked a lot of questions too, and the staff was very patient and knowledgeable. We’ve learned a lot about Victorian life in general and the lives of the family which lived there. We want to say thank you to Penny whose dedication and professionalism gave us such a memorable experience.

In ramsey hidden on the outskirts of town, a beautifully kept victorian home exactly how it should be! The house is splendid and has its own beehive you can view which the kids love! Price of admission is good and free if you are a national trust member. There is a free car park and gift shop but this place is not pram or wheelchair friendly (those darn victorians not thinking of the future!) Upstairs won't take too long so you can happily carry baby. There is no longer a tearoom which is a shame as it means to you don't spend very long at the house.

Excellent example of an elegant victorian mansion house as was. Peruse this lovely house and garden and outbuildings at your leisure. This was originally bought as a holiday escape by a liverpudlian merchant, later became the home of the Gibb sisters.

Pristine Victorian house which still holds some secrets yet to be uncovered. Who was Miss Gibb's secret love, Billy?

The Grove Museum is a wonderful example of a Victorian mansion. It tells the story of the rich merchant from Liverpool who built the house as a holiday retreat and it was later lived in by the Gibb family, most notably sisters Alice and Janet who resided there until the 1970s. As well as the rooms being ornately decorated as they were at the time, the guide also gave a great description of how the Gibbs would have lived and some of the things that happened in the family's history. There are some great examples of machines they would have used, a Victorian shower and fashion of the time. And there are a host of Victorian games to see and - in some cases - play. Me and my daughter loved playing the 'Victorian pinball machine' and spent around 20 minutes on that alone. The gardens are also impressive and there is a chance to play croquet. Allow an hour-and-a-half at least for this attraction. If you are staying on the island for a few days, it is worth getting the heritage holiday pass which is £30 per adult for ten sites (children go free). You then have 14 days to visit the different attractions, which include Peel Castle, Cragneash, the Laxey Wheel, Rushen Abbey, The House of Manannan and Castle Rushen.

Interesting in a melancholy way. I was lucky to have visited at the end of the day and we were the only visitors, arriving an hour before closing. As a result we were given a very personal and insightful tour. The house is frozen in time and really quite fascinating. There's a message here for all of us to remember, as the sisters grew up in reflected glory, enabling them to live in a house that had more maids and servants than the residents, but as time went by, they ended up in near poverty and living in one room of this enormous house - the kitchen. Dig a bit deeper and one of them had a serious love interest and potential for a happy married life, but opted to honour family commitments and stay with the house until the end of her days. This she kept hidden from all, including her sister, so was the house in the end a curse, a millstone around her neck? This is why you should visit and consider values from a bygone time.

I am very pleased on visiting one of the best museum. Too much old useable household things are kept as memories of Gibbs family. Most of the things are about 160 years old. It's a treasury of memories.

The Grove Museum was developed in the mid 19th century by the Liverpool shipping merchant Duncan Gibb as a summer retreat for himself and his family. Later, the Victorian residence became the family's permanent home. Step out into the gardens and you'll be able to see the Loaghtan sheep, ducks on the pond and bees making honey. It's about an hour of your time. There is a dining room, drawing room and kitchen to see downstairs and servant's bedroom, master bedroom and a couple of exhibits upstairs. You can watch the bees arriving and leaving the hive via a tube through the window. There are toys and clothing exhibits along with family portraits. It's a nice example of family living. The home was left to Manx Heritage and Janet Gibb lived there until her death in the seventies. There is a bench in the courtyard where you can sit and listen to Janet speaking about times gone by. I with other homes had more of this. Speaking history by a previous owner is rare. The gardens are small but lovely. The gift shop has some good souvenirs and the ladies were lovely. Karen escorted us to the house and patiently answered questions as Pablo always has many.