Olivia Exhibition at Ventnor Heritage Centre

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’.Her

Her has been a constant source of fascination to local people and visitors, and this exhibition, titled Olivia: Portrait of a Life  was inspired in part by the ‘Olivia’ art installation by Teresa Grimaldi and Sarah Vardy shown at Ventnor Fringe Festival in 2023. It features model of Olivia’s home (Britannia’s Hut) and is accompanied by an extensive board display entitled: Olivia: portrait of a life. A new book about Olivia, Britannia, The Extraordinary Life of Olivia Parkes is also available in the Heritage Centre, and through our online shop,