Rose St Cottage is a fine Grade II listed Kentish clap-boarded building with original features. It is one of the last 3 remaining in Sheerness constructed by and for Sheerness Dockyard workers in the early 18th Century. One-time home to the Kick’s shipwright family, it has strong associations with the history of the Dockyard and is furnished with objects relating to this and other Sheppey histories. Our volunteer team runs it as a Heritage Museum and Arts Centre encouraging active and inclusive community participation in learning about and enjoyment of local history and culture.

Contributions the Cottage makes to Swale’s Heritage and Culture

The Cottage:

• Has an important collection of over 300 photographs by Lillian Mason, who worked from studios on the Island from the early part of 20th Century
• Holds exhibitions on Sheppey’s heritage focusing on untold Sheerness histories
• Is an educational resource for local history learning
• Curates Art exhibitions and fairs in an interesting and unusual setting for local Swale artists and craftspeople to display and sell their wares
• Provides opportunities for artists to respond to the museum pieces and to tell Sheppey’s stories in a new light
• Acts as a hub drawing together people from different parts of the community
• Is an event and performance space for Big Fish Arts Theatre Trust, a community organisation whose mission is to bring Sheppey’s history alive through arts and culture

 

Benefits of our Historic Swale Membership

• The Wheels of Time Scheme instigated through Historic Swale has led to a big increase in child visitor numbers helping in turn to link us to schools in Swale
• Access to free specially tailored members-only training geared to our needs is helping to increase our professionalism and knowledge
• Taking part in jointly organised History and Heritage events has brought our attraction to more people’s attention within Swale
• Continuing opportunities to learn from and contribute to best practice is enhancing our offer to the public

 

Volunteering Opportunities at The Cottage

Join us as a volunteer in a small well-knit hard-working team. We offer the chance to learn new skills for work or to put your much-needed skills into action. You can choose from a wide range of possibilities and full training is given:

Welcoming and giving tours to visitors, selling merchandise, bringing a business focus, catering, gardening, cataloguing our artefacts, researching the history of our building and collections, cleaning and cottage maintenance, organising history and art exhibitions, taking part in historical re-enactments, arts events, community plays.

Sheppey Promenade Management

Sheppey Promenade Charity manages the Cottage and acts as an umbrella organisation to deliver an Arts festival for Sheppey.

Entry: Free, but we welcome all donations to Sheppey Promenade not-for-profit charity which runs the Cottage.