Museum of Jurassic Marine Life

The Etches Collection is renowned worldwide and has global scientific significance.

It represents the single largest collection of macrofossils from the Kimmeridge Clay Formation outside the national collection held at the Natural History Museum London. The vertebrate and fish fossil specimens he has collected are of great paleontological importance and, significantly, many are new to science and therefore worthy of scientific description. The collection includes a huge diversity of specimens from a delicately preserved dragonfly’s wing to a pliosaur lower jaw spanning two metres.

The collection, containing over 1900 specimens, has been curated to a high standard and is kept under strict humidity control. Several educational visits have been set up to allow some limited viewing. The aim is to allow full access to a wider audience.