Dorset Museum & Art Gallery in Dorchester is hosting a special event on Saturday, April 18 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Jurassic Coast’s inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
It promises a day of activities exploring 185 million years of geological and human history along England’s only natural World Heritage site.
East Cliff, West Bay, Dorset (Image: Fernando Manoso, Dorset Museum & Art Gallery )
Claire Dixon, executive director at Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, said: “We are delighted to welcome visitors this Saturday to celebrate the Jurassic Coast and the stories that connect us to this extraordinary place.”
Visitors will be able to enjoy guided tours, family craft activities, fossil identification sessions, behind-the-scenes access, and a lively showcase from local heritage and wildlife organisations.
A programme of illustrated talks will take place throughout the day, including:
– Mark Damon Chutter on Thomas Hardy and Dorset’s ancient landscape
– Sam Scriven on 25 years of the Jurassic Coast’s World Heritage status
– Steve Wallis on the human history of the coastline
– Jeremy Gardiner presenting his “Strata” artworks
– Anjana Khatwa’s keynote, Guardians of Deep Time
A 10 per cent discount on museum admission will be available for this event.
Spanning 95 miles from Exmouth in east Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset, the Jurassic Coast tells 185 million years of Earth’s history. The area’s important fossil sites and classic coastal geomorphologic features have contributed to the study of earth sciences for over 300 years.
It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 for the for the Outstanding Universal Value of its rocks, fossils, and landforms.
Dorset Museum & Art Gallery is the only museum in Dorset that tells the story of the county in its entirety, showing the relationship between the land and its inhabitants, and how this relationship inspired ingenuity, exploration and creativity. Covering 250 million years of history, their collections are of international significance and demonstrate the breadth of Dorset’s story and its relevance to all.
Pliosaurus kevani discovered on the Jurassic Coast (Image: Fernando Manoso, Dorset Museum & Art Gallery )
One of the fossil it houses is Pliosaurus kevani discovered on the Jurassic Coast by amateur collector Kevan Sheehan, who, over several years, beginning in 2003, carefully retrieved fragments of the skull from a landslide near Weymouth. Dating back around 150 million years the skull represents one of the most important finds from the Jurassic Coast.
The museum boasts four permanent galleries and typically offers three major temporary exhibitions a year in its designated Special Exhibitions gallery.
For a full programme of events at the museum visit dorsetmuseum.org