What does Designation mean to us?

The Etches Collection was thrilled to be awarded Designated status by the Arts Council of England early in 2021. The award was beyond our wildest dreams when thoughts of building a local museum to host these locally collected fossils were first thought about. Click on the YouTube video link below to listen to Steve Etches, who has collected and painstakingly restored and preserved these 150 years old fossils from the beach below the museum, speak about what it means to him. To be a designated museum is a huge honour and is an accolade not only for Steve but also for all the other people and volunteers that have helped us to create this centre of education and learning.

The Etches Collection Museum is located in Kimmeridge, Dorset on the World Heritage Coast and contains a nationally accredited and designated collection of over 2500 fossils from the Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay Formation. The collection provides a major resource for education and research as well as being a major tourist attraction.