The Etches Collection - Prehistoric Adventures from Under the Sea

Uncover the past, today at The Etches Collection

The Etches Collection is a unique and modern museum that is unlike any other that you’ll visit for some time. Head down to the Jurassic Coast and learn of the fascinating life that once roamed the south coast of England. Just be extra watchful for any pesky pliosaursus if you decide to go for a paddle later!

An adventure 150 million years in the making on the Jurassic Coast

From a first glance, the village known as Kimmeridge seems a quiet and peaceful one. But look a bit closer and you’ll find that this tiny village is the epicentre of one of the most exciting time periods the earth has ever been through – when dinosaurs ruled the earth!

The coasts of Kimmeridge have been the site of many mind-blowing discoveries from the prehistoric past and even today there’s so many exciting findings that are just waiting to be unearthed. Now you can make these discoveries yourself when you visit The Etches Collection Museum of Jurassic Marine Life.

At the centre of the Jurassic Coast, you can learn the stories of prehistoric creatures that dwelled in Britain's ancient seas around 152-157 million years ago, when it was once a shallow tropical sea.

The weird and the wonderful

All of the discoveries in the Etches Collection are from the seas of the Kimmeridgian period of the Late Jurassic epoch.

This period was home to some of the most strange and interesting life to have ever lived in the seas. Perhaps you’ve heard of the bizarre shelled cephalopod called the ammonite, which was abundant in the seas at the time or the ichthyosaur a speedy predator that resembles a dolphin more than it does any living reptile.

Well, you can find all of these and more in the Etches Collection. Steve Etches MBE, the founder, has put great care and research into the preservation and study of these fossils and you can now see them yourself with the additional help of state-of-the-art CGI presentations and regular talks from Steve himself.

You will even see the bones of some Sauropods, which are some of the largest creatures to have ever walked the earth! It’s certain to say that there is no lack of fascinating exhibits at the Etches Collection, but it gets even better…

Witness the ultimate predator of the dinosaur world

One of the most notable exhibits in the collection are the jaws of one of the most terrifying creatures to have ever swam the seas. In a time when dinosaurs like Stegosaurus and Allosaurus roamed the surface world and Pteranodons took to the skies, the seas were ruled by the ultimate apex predator, the Pliosaurus.

Famously known as “Predator X” it is said to be over 50ft in length and would prey upon any unfortunate marine creature it could sink its teeth into. The jaws of a large specimen can be found on display at the Etches Collection, so you can admire its awesome ferocity up close.