The Etches Collection
It’s the perfect place to learn about life and death in the Kimmeridgian Seas 157 million years ago with the finest single collection of Late Jurassic age fossils, mostly found by just one man, Dr Steve Etches MBE. Originally a plumber by trade, he started collecting fossils from the Kimmeridge Clay. It all began at the age of five with a flint fossil sea urchin which he found in his back garden. He’s now received numerous awards in recognition for his dedication to the world of palaeontology.
The most famous fossil on display is one featured in the BBC documentary Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster. It’s a stunning find of a pliosaur skull – the best preserved and most complete to date.
Fossils from sharks, crocodiles, barnacles and flying reptiles as well as crustaceans, corals and dinosaurs are among those on view.
If you’re lucky, you may catch Steve on site where you can see him clean and conserve his latest finds in the museum lab and workshop.
Related
