I find these time capsules fascinating, so here is my attempt to bring together in one place information about all of Newport’s Time Capsules.

Church Litten

The plaque is located on the ground, close to the low wall that separates the Rose Garden from Lord Louis Library. Some people refer to this as the millennial time capsule.

Make 12 August 2050 a date for your diary. It’s a Friday. I’ll be a pensioner. If I drank alcohol that would be a sobering thought.

I wonder what this time capsule contains. That week’s copy of the Isle of Wight County Press? Some coins and stamps? Time capsules tells us what people in the past thought people in the future would be interested in. It’s a hit and miss endeavour.

Lord Louis Library

Under this piece of carpet – highly-functional and easy to ignore – sits one of Newport’s best-kept secrets.

This article was in the Isle of Wight County Press on 17 April 1981. The library was opened on Thursday 23 April 1981 by Countess Mountbatten.

A booklet was produced for the opening ceremony listing features of historical interest. It tells us that “buried in the foundations is a time capsule containing contemporary Isle of Wight objects: and the spot is marked in the front entrance by a marble slab set in the floor.” The front entrance is covered by the carpet, so there is nothing to see, but we know where it is.

Sadly, the stone bust is no more. It crumbled away over time. The staff at Lord Louis Library found this old photo in their collection. The photo was taken when the figure still had most of its features.

It have you some time to spare, take a walk around the outside of the library to see how many of these features you can spot.

Spoiler Alert … here are the features, if you don’t have the opportunity to find them yourself.

Newport Minster

In the summer of 2023, during work to renovate the Minster, a time capsule from 1957 was discovered. This Isle of Wight County Press article from 17 July 2023 contains all the details.

The time capsule was rehidden in October 2023. I particulary enjoyed Beaver Scout Dexter’s prediction of how we might travel the next time the capsule is dug up. Back to The Future anyone?

A record of this time capsule was added to the register of the International Time Capsule Society.

Are there any other time capsules in Newport? In some places, a school will bury a time capsule in their grounds.

Please contact me if you have any information.