Living on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, my kids are keen fossil hunters and love nothing more than chipping away at rocks and stones in the hope that they will find some prehistoric treasure.
One of the best locations to go fossil hunting is Kimmeridge Bay, where fossils occur commonly throughout the Kimmeridge Clay, in particular the shells of ammonites and bivalves which are easy to spot as you walk along the beach.
We were invited to visit The Etches Collection this weekend, the finest single collection of late Jurassic age fossils ever assembled in Britain.
The brand new multi-million-pound museum showcases a collection of Jurassic Coast fossils, the life’s work of local collector and expert, Steve Etches.
The state-of-the-art space includes a new town hall for the villagers, a class room for school / colleges and an exhibition gallery with CGI projections on the ceiling that transform it into an aquarium of the past in the blink of an eye that tells the story of life and death under the seas of Kimmeridge over 150 million years ago.
The kids were presented with an activity sheet on arrival for them to identify the creatures they saw on the large screens above our heads. It wasn’t the easiest of tasks as some looked quite alike, but it generated lots of discussion.
Looking at fossils can be confusing, especially for young children, but seeing them brought to life on the screens really helped their understanding and they were fascinated by how they could see the fossils in stones and rocks in the displays. The information about each exhibit was clear and had a handwritten look which made the museum seem more personal, as if you had been invited around to see a friend’s collection.
We were lucky enough to enjoy a tour by Steve Etches himself and his enthusiasm and knowledge inspired everyone around him. He also took the time to ensure he answered everyone’s many questions too.
The fossil specimens are presented and interpreted to bring to life their individual stories, however, I would say that you cannot really spend any more than an hour inside looking at them. To make a full day of it, I recommend going for for lunch in the quaint Clavell Cafe opposite the museum, followed by a trip to Kimmeridge Bay to do some fossil-hunting yourself.
The natural limestone ledges extending out into the bay also make it a wonderful location for rockpooling.
Kimmeridge Bay is also a superb location for a variety of watersports. The shallow, warm waters are excellent for snorkelling and diving in the summer, with easy access to excellent dive sites such as the Underwater Nature Trail and I really want to try glass bottomed kayaking as the lack of sand means the water is crystal clear.
If you are feeling energetic it is well worth walking up to the Clavell Tower, a Grade II listed Tuscan style tower built in 1830, which offers commanding views over the bay – you can even stay in it. There are also some Dragons Teeth tank traps on the beach to prevent invasion by German tanks from landing craft during the Second World War which are perfect for the kids to play games with!
Entry to the Etches Museum costs £20 for a family ticket with free parking available on the site. If you do head down to Kimmeridge Bay in the car, access is via a toll road and car parking charges apply depending on the size of your vehicle. (£5 for my car.)
I think you are right a trip to see the collection is best combined with some real life fossil collecting. Sounds fun. Mich x
We’ve been fossil hunting on the Isle of Wight and it is so exciting when you find something no matter how small it is. It looks like a beautiful stretch of coastline to visit.
This looks amazing! My kids love dinosaurs but my eldest is so interested in fossils and anything like this, it’s a shame we live so far away! The bay looks beautiful, gorgeous photos as always. xx
It looks great here. So much to see and do. Lovely pictures Kara. My kids would love it here 🙂
It looks great there it looks very interesting and something that I’d love to take My son to when he is a little older as I can imagine him liking something like this.
This looks like somewhere my 11 year old would absolutely love as he’s fascinated by things like this x
I have always found fossils fascinating and the etches collection looks fantastic. It is great that you had a good time.
This looks fab! And something my 6 year old would absolutely love!
Fab captures of your day kara 🙂 x
Such a cool place to take the kids but actually I would enjoy it too – I find fossils fascinating! x
My godson would love this, he has always been interested in fossils x
That looks like so much fun. I’m quite jealous of my eldest daughter because next month she’s going to Oxford national history museum with school.
i used to love fossils when i was a kid there are so fascinating. It seem that you had a great time. x
This is a great family day out idea. Would love to do this with the kids. Fossil hunting sounds fun.
Oh I would love to take the kids here, we have been learning all about fossils and dinosaurs recently. Really need to head down South for a holiday soon x
Thank you for sharing this insight into what Dorset has to offer it sounds fantastic. We will have to pop by one day. #CountryKids
My children would find this fascinating and I know they’d love to go hunting for fossils. Our coastline supposedly has lots but we’ve never found any!
#countrykids
A fascinating place to visit and full of interesting facts. I think your children did really well taking it all in and how special to meet the man himself. There is nothing quite like learning by doing and a great idea to get down onto the beach for a little fossil hunting of your own.
Thank you for sharing with me on #CountryKids
What great way to inspire and get children motivated. I do like how the exhibits inside are spread out with really clear information, and then to be lead around by Steve Etches must’ve been very exciting for the children.
I think getting hands on is the best way to cement what you’ve learnt, and to then explore on the beach must’ve been so much fun.
Sounds like a really great day!
xx
#CountryKids
I live in Dorset too, on the coast, but I didn’t make it to Kimmeridge yet. One of my plans for this summer was to hike the entire coast between Swanage and Weymouth but I didn’t manage to do it yet. If I will through I will make sure to stop at the Etches museum, it sounds very interesting.
I love that they can play and learn. I’ve never been but wish I went as a kid, also I bet my husband would like it even now haha. Such a great family place 🙂
Oh this looks fab! My 5 year old loves dinosaurs, we might have to pop down and check these out 🙂 #CountryKids
This sounds like an amazing place. What a treat to get a talk from the man himself, I can imagine how exciting this must have been
This collection is superb. Went to see it on the second day after opening. It is lovely clever mix of old fossils and new technology. Family of four (adults) went and loved it is definitely a must see for anyone who is interested in were our planet has come from and what we can learn from that.
Regards Neil