"To Collect, Record and preserve the rich heritage and history of Ventnor and surrounding villages, and share it with local and wider communities"
Discover the story of Ventnor, by taking a tour of our fascinating town, stopping off at nine historic hotspots along the way. You’ll find an information board at each of the numbered locations on the map with fun challenges for children.
Click on the Time Travel Ventnor image here to go to our Time Travel Ventnor website, or download the leaflet and map from the link below:
Time Travel Ventnor: download leaflet and map (PDF)
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.