Aug
22
10:00 AM10:00

Big Jurassic Birthday Bash!

Big Jurassic Birthday Bash!

Date: Saturday 22nd August

Location: The Etches Collection Museum

Join us for a special Destination Kimmeridge event as we celebrate 10 incredible years of The Etches Collection Fossil Museum. This milestone is about much more than fossils, it's a celebration of Kimmeridge Village, Kimmeridge Bay, and the amazing community that makes this corner of Dorset so unique. From world-famous fossils and coastal conservation to local food, family activities, and hands-on experiences, this special event brings together everything that makes Kimmeridge unforgettable.

Pre-booking: Get your tickets now: The Big Jurassic Birthday Bash! – The Etches Collection Shop

Tickets will be available on the day, pre-bookings get 20% off scones with clavells resturant and a dedictated easy entry cue!

What to Expect at The Etches Collection Museum

  • Face painting

  • Design-a-Saur Art Competition

  • A marketplace filled with palaeontology-related traders and artists

  • Single-use access to The Etches Collection Museum included with your event ticket

  • Meet our exhibitors and learn more about the Jurassic Coast and careers in palaeontology

  • Guided village history tours

    • 11am, 2pm, 4pm

  • Raffle and tombola

Meet the Traders

Explore our marketplace and meet a range of talented artists, authors, and makers.

  • Lee Brown – Paleoart

  • Phoebe Ginger – Paleoart

  • Charlotte & Hannah – Sea glass art and crochet creatures

  • Matthew Myerscough – Chat to the author of "In Search of Sea Dragons" and grab a signed book

  • Simon Hall – Chat to the author of "Beastly times on the Jurassic Line" and grab a signed book

  • Elly Harvey – Handmade palaeontology-inspired jewellery

  • Devon Fox – Palaeontology and sea-themed homeware

  • Karen Fawcett – Paleoart

  • Manda Holden - On My Travels Art

Meet the Exhibitors

Our exhibitors will be taking over the village throughout the day.

  • Lyme Regis Museum

  • Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre

  • Smiling Seas

  • Dorset Wildlife Trust

  • University of Portsmouth

Meet the Speakers

  • 11am - 12pm: Sally and Neville Hollingworth BEM - “Unearthing The Mammoth Graveyard”

  • 2pm - 2.45pm: Nick Nugent - “The Jurassic Coast in 30 minutes”

  • 3.45pm - 4 30pm: Phil James - “Charles Darwin Geologist and The Etches Collection ‘Missing Link’”

What to Expect at Kimmeridge Bay

Discover the natural wonders of Kimmeridge Bay with activities for all ages.

  • Visit the Wild Seas Centre and learn about the incredible marine life found in Kimmeridge waters

  • Join a beach clean organised by Smiling Seas

  • Explore an art exhibition

  • Meet Bay Rangers and Fossil Experts to learn about both ancient and modern marine life.

Food & Refreshments

A range of food and drink options will be available throughout the event.

  • Clavell's Restaurant

  • Boat on the Bay

  • Purbeck Ice Cream

  • Event BBQ

  • Festival-themed snacks and drinks

Event Support

A huge thank you to the organisations and businesses supporting our Birthday Celebration. Your generosity helps make this community event possible.

  • Coca-Cola

  • Clavell's Restaurant

  • Dorset Wildlife Trust

  • Silk crystal studio

Interested in Becoming a Sponsor?

We're always keen to hear from organisations and businesses interested in supporting this event.

Please contact Emily Ford at emily.ford@theetchescollection.org for more information.

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Sep
13
10:00 AM10:00

Family Science Festival - Nothe Fort

We’re excited to be attending The family science festival on October 10th with an interactive, hands-on stall celebrating prehistoric life.

You will be able to:

  • Examine and discuss real fossils under a microscope, getting a close-up look at ancient remains.

  • Take part in a marine reptile identification game, where you can guess which creature different vertebrae and teeth came from.

Our stall is suitable for all ages and designed to spark curiosity, encourage questions, and help bring the Jurassic sea to life. We look forward to seeing you there.

More details to come

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Oct
10
10:00 AM10:00

Sidmouth Science fest

We’re excited to be attending The Sidmouth Science festival on October 10th with an interactive, hands-on stall celebrating prehistoric life.

You will be able to:

  • Examine and discuss real fossils under a microscope, getting a close-up look at ancient remains.

  • Take part in an interactive quiz game on our iPads, where you can see AR images of prehistoric creatures. Get most of the questions correct to unlock the T-Rex !

Our stall is suitable for all ages and designed to spark curiosity, encourage questions, and help bring the Jurassic sea to life. We look forward to seeing you there.

Free to attend

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Oct
24
10:00 AM10:00

GEOFEST

Dorset Geologist’s Association Group (DGAG) is hosting a GEOFEST on the 24th October 2026.

Theme: A festival celebrating Geoscience: Fossils, Rocks and Earth Science. A DGAG annual event that is a small part of October’s two global events:
– International Geodiversity Day with this year’s theme One Earth, Many Stories
-Each October, the Geological Society coordinates Earth Science Week in the UK, in cooperation with the American Geosciences Institute and the wider international geoscience community. This year’s Earth Science Week celebrates ‘Energy Resources for Our Future’.

Anyone is welcome to come and see what is on show. If there are any Geoscience questions or puzzling rocks/fossils that people want advice on, these would be welcome also. Our inaugural event last year was a success, so should be even better this year.

Why not come by and visit us, we will have a range of activities on offer and will be chatting all things pliosaur!


Time: The GEOFEST will start at 10.00 am; finish 3.00 pm
Entry Cost: Free.
Booking: There is no need to book.
Event Contact: DGAG events at email:events@dorsetgeologistsassociation.org

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Oct
24
6:00 PM18:00

Buried Secrets: Unearthing the Isle of Wight’s Prehistoric Past - with Megan Jacobs

The Isle of Wight is Britain’s dinosaur capital, a landscape where cliffs and beaches reveal a lost world beneath our feet. While dinosaurs once dominated this ancient landscape, they are only a small part of a much bigger story. 

The island’s coastlines preserve around 130 million years of Earth’s history, recording changing climates, vanished seas, and extraordinary ecosystems, yielding a remarkable fossil record including dinosaurs and fossils found nowhere else on Earth!

Join palaeontologist Megan Jacobs on the 24th of October at 6pm for a talk about why this small island is one of the most important geological and palaeontological locations in the world. This will then be followed by a Q&A and Book Signing. 

Tickets include full entry to:

  • "Buried Secrets: Unearthing the Isle of Wight’s Prehistoric Past" talk and book signing with Megan Jacobs

  • Audience Q&A

  • Access to The Etches Collection Museum shop for merchandise opportunities

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Jun
13
to Jun 14

Lyme Regis Fossil Festival

It’s fossil festival time, the UK’s biggest fossil event is back, naturally we will be making an appearance this year. We will be bringing our awesome pliosaur sculpture with us again and hopefully a lot more! We expect to see you all there!

Learn more
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May
8
5:30 PM17:30

Sir David Attenborough at 100 - A Purbeck Celebration

We’re delighted to share details of a special event on:
Fri 8 May at The Etches Collection, Kimmeridge

To mark Sir David Attenborough’s centenary, Swanage & Purbeck Rotary are hosting this year’s President’s Night in the heart of Purbeck - the very landscape that featured in Sir David’s later work

Why are we sharing this info?
We’re delighted to let you know that Planet Purbeck has been chosen as one of the charities this event will support 💚

In return we're sprinkling a little Planet Purbeck magic over the event & spreading the word for them 😊

Guests will enjoy:

🦕 Exclusive after-hours access to the museum, including the iconic Pliosaur & brand new Allosaurus exhibit
🥘 An informal paella supper (inc a veggie option)
🍷 A cash bar
📺 Keynote speakers: Locals who've worked with Sir David
🎂 A slice of centenary birthday cake 😋

We’re delighted to welcome:

Dr Steve Etches MBE – Sir David’s co-star in Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster
Sue Western – Producer & Scriptwriter for Sir David Attenborough
Newly added: Sam Stewart – Drone wildlife photographer whose Studland & Old Harry Rocks footage featured in Sir David’s last ever location shoot 🎥

Tickets are just £28
... and capacity is limited to 130 guests, so early booking is a must!

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Apr
16
6:15 PM18:15

Pliosaurus - The Discovery of a Monster

Introduction: Miss Emilia Fox will be introducing this wonderful evening and providing an overview of the events itinerary.

Pliosaurus – The Discovery of Monster – our award nominated self-produced short documentary is coming to Swanage. For a unique evening of Storytelling, Education and Pliosaurs. 

“This film is an incredible insight into the world of fossils and what goes into extracting a find like this, hopefully you wonder about other specimens you see in a museum and how they got there, Overall this is a solid documentary that sheds light on a totally unique and captivating story, showcasing the immense talent and problem solving from a group of dedicated individuals” - Apex Film Awards 

Runtime: Approximately 30 minutes 

Talk + Q&A with Dr Steve Etches MBE: Following the screening, hear directly from Dr Steve Etches MBE, whose discoveries helped make the documentary possible. Enjoy an engaging talk, followed by an audience Q&A. 

Duration: Approximately 1hr 

Strike a pose with the Sea Rex… if you dare! A spectacular replica of the Pliosaur skull featured in the documentary will be on display. A member of our team will be on hand to talk visitors through its incredible features and provide a one-of-a-kind photo opportunity. 

Book & DVD Signing: Pick up the official book or DVD of the documentary and have them signed on the night. 

Merchandise: Books, DVDs and Etches Collection merchandise will be available for purchase at the event. 

This film premiered at the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival in 2024 to a sold-out audience will be shown at the Mowlem theatre April 16th

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Apr
8
5:00 PM17:00

The Secret Lives of Dinosaurs - Book Signing and Talk

Join us for a truly one-of-a-kind prehistoric evening as acclaimed palaeontologist Dr Dean Lomax and world-renowned palaeoartist Bob Nicholls present their new book “The Secret Lives of Dinosaurs”. Enjoy an insightful talk, audience Q&A, and book signing, and discover the real behaviours of ancient creatures through fossils and stunning artwork. Dr Steve Etches MBE will also be in the museum throughout the evening, offering a rare chance to meet three experts surrounded by the very fossils featured in the book.

Your Ticket Includes

  • The Secret Lives of Dinosaurs talk with Dr Dean Lomax & Bob Nicholls

  • Audience Q&A

  • Book signing

  • Opportunity to speak with Dr Steve Etches

  • Access to The Etches Collection museum and shop

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Feb
28
10:00 AM10:00

Family Science Day

See us at The Purbeck School Science Fair 2026!

We’re excited to be attending The Purbeck School Family Science Fair on February 28th with an interactive, hands-on stall celebrating prehistoric life.

This event runs from 10am until 4pm and free to attend, providing a great educational afternoon for the whole family!

You will be able to:

  • Examine and discuss real fossils under a microscope, getting a close-up look at ancient remains.

  • Take part in a marine reptile identification game, where you can guess which creature different vertebrae and teeth came from.

  • See a life-sized skull sculpture of our “Sea Rex”  featured in "Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster" documentary, perfect for discussion, questions, and an unforgettable photo opportunity with one of the most impressive marine predators ever discovered! 

Our stall is suitable for all ages and designed to spark curiosity, encourage questions, and help bring the Jurassic sea to life. We look forward to seeing you there.

Free to Attend

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Jan
10
6:30 PM18:30

Smiling Seas: Quiz night and Fundraiser

Join us for a fantastic evening of fun — £10 per person, which includes

  • Quiz entry

  • Dinner!

  • There will be snacks galore,

  • Soft drinks are included too.

All funds raised will help Smiling Seas continue to grow — supporting their beach cleans, public community clean-up events, PPE costs, insurance, and our much-loved forthcoming Eco Hub, which will help them sort and process the plastics collected. 

Smiling Seas not only works to reduce the impact of plastics on the natural environment, but also aims to bring people and communities together. We hope this event does just that.

To book your ticket: email kimmeridgesmilingseas@gmail.com

Book Tickets


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