House, Gardens & Cafe Open Tuesday - Sunday 10.30 - 17.00

Antarctica 2019

To coincide with our programme of Antarctic events January-April 2019 we will be displaying some of the museum’s antarctic treasures not usually on display.

Friday 18th January 2019 – Sunday 28th April 2019.

Free with Admission

Antarctica 2019 Events Programme:

24th January: Spuds, sledges and sovereignty: Preserving historic sites in the British Antarctic Territories with Sophie Rowe

16th February- 24th February: Penguin Trail 

18th & 20th February: Build an Antarctic World 

19th & 21st February: Penguin Crafts

21st February: The Tale of the Ratman of South Georgia with Dickie Hall

TBC: Talk with Antarctic wildlife photographer Sue Flood.

21st March: Pull of the Poles with Kim Crosbie

25th April: Polar Medicine with Iain Grant

 

 

    Gilbert Whites House

    Gilbert White was aged 7 or 8 when the White family moved from the Vicarage on Selborne’s Plestor, to this house, called ‘The Wakes’ (named after the Wake family who had lived here previously). At that time the property would have been no more than a ‘two up, two down’  but over the subsequent years lots of extensions and additions have been made, creating the long sizeable house you see today.

    The rooms have been restored following descriptions in White’s own correspondence and include a chair he used at Oriel College, Oxford (loaned from the College), items of contemporary furniture, family portraits and bed hangings embroidered for him by his aunts.

    On display is the original manuscript of his book, The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, which was purchased with generous help from English Heritage and others.

    Learn more