Ventnor Heritage Centre

"To Collect, Record and preserve the rich heritage and history of Ventnor and surrounding villages, and share it with local and wider communities"

Museum re-opening 2022: important information for your visit |

Museum re-opening 2022: important information for your visit

February 2022: This information is currently being updated in view of new Government advice

We look forward to welcoming visitors to our newly refurbished and redecorated Museum – a warm welcome by our friendly Volunteers awaits you! We hope you will enjoy your visit and would like to assure you that our number one priority is the safety and wellbeing of both our visitors and volunteers.

We are open three days a week – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10.00-4.00 each day.

Please note that from 19th July, due to the uncertainty of the Covid situation, we will be continuing with the safety measures we have put in place (see below). We ask for your co-operation and understanding with this decision which we will be reviewing regularly.

We have Covid-secure measures in place:

  • Our Volunteers have been trained in hygiene and social distancing and we have made sure they have all necessary PPE.
  • Hand sanitizers are available
  • A one way system is in place
  • We are carrying out more frequent cleaning
  • We have carried out the required Risk Assessment

And we ask our Visitors:

  • To be kind and patient with our Volunteers
  • Not to visit if feeling unwell
  • To support NHS Track and Trace, as we are now legally required to record your contact details and the date of your visit.
  • To wear a face covering inside the building and sanitize your hands on entrance.
  • To follow one way system and keep socially distance where possible
  • Please note we now accept contactless payments as well as cash.
  • Please also note we do not have toilet facilities for public use.

Please contact us if you have any questions about our re-opening.


Exhibitions, stories, images . . .

Olivia: Portrait of a Life

Olivia Parkes (1881-1962) was born in Walsall in the Midlands, but for many years lived a solitary life in a wooden hut in Myrtle Bay in Ventnor, where local people referred to her as ‘Britannia’, and her life has been a constant source of fascination to local people and visitors. This new exhibition for 2024, inspired in part by the ‘Olivia’ art installation by Teresa Grimaldi and Sarah Vardy shown at Ventnor Fringe Festival in 2023, features a model of Olivia’s home (Britannia’s Hut) and is accompanied by an extensive board display. A new book, 'Britannia, The Extraordinary Life of Olivia Parkes' is available to buy in the Ventnor Heritage Centre, or by post from our Online Shop.  

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