St. Alban's Church - Ventnor will be celebrating its Centenary Anniversary on Sunday, 25th June 2023 at 4:00 p.m. with Evensong.

The special Evensong will be led by Organist Mr. Andrew Pellow F.G.M.S., F.A.S.C. following the Book of Common Prayer rite and supported by the Isle of Wight St. Barnabas Traditional Anglican Mission.

All are welcome, including pets, with a retiring collection to help the upkeep of the church with refreshments served after the service to allow visitors to explore this beautiful church and fine acoustics.

Founded in September 1889 under the Curate-in-Charge of the Parish of Godshill Rev. Richard Ussher, the church was formed as a place to allow for those in the furthest part of the parish in Upper Ventnor to worship due to being some four and a half miles from Godshill.

Dedicated to the memory of the 4th century Roman soldier St. Alban (Albanus d. 209 AD) known as England’s first Martyr, the church was originally built from corrugated iron in May 1899 on a plot of land which was donated on St. Alban’s Road, off Zig Zag Road in Ventnor. It officially opened in September 1899 with the first service taking place on St. Alban’s Steps directly outside the main church gates.

By the outbreak of World War One the old corrugated “tin” church had begun showing signs of its age and a fund was set up to build the current permanent stone church. With many in the parish donating to the fund, plans were drawn up and finalised to build a church for the people of Lowtherville (Upper Ventnor).

By 1922 the foundation stone of the romanesque style basilica was laid and on the Feast of St. Alban, 22nd June in 1923 the completed St. Alban’s stone Church was consecrated by the Bishop of Winchester, Rev. Frank Theodore Woods.

Throughout the decades St. Alban’s church has continued to keep its traditional Anglo-Catholic traditions within the Anglican community to counterbalance the extreme Evangelicalism that was prevalent in Ventnor town during the 19th century. Weekly services are sung in traditional language and served with incense burning from the original 19th century thuribles and the large cast brass bell dating back to 1890 is still rung every week during mass.

Weekly Sunday Services held at 09:30 a.m.