Museums and Special Collections
Museums
Our museums offer a range of exciting, interactive and educational exhibitions, admission is free and makes for a great day out for all the family.
- The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL)
- The Cole Museum of Zoology
- The Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology
The Museum of English Rural Life
The Museum of English Rural Life is dedicated to the spirit of the English countryside and its people. The largest of our museums and a national centre for research and information, it explores life and work in the countryside over the last two hundred years. A collection of more than 22,000 objects, together with a vast archive of over a million photographs, films, books and records, reflects on the changing face of farming and rural society.
The Cole Museum of Zoology
The skull of a Tasmanian wolf and a fossil of an ichthyosaurus marine reptile are just two of the 4000 specimens that will enthral you at the University's oldest museum. The museum illustrates the relationship between form and function in the animal kingdom and houses one of Britain's most important zoological collections. Spectacular highlights include complete skeletons of a male Indian elephant, a killer whale, a five metre reticulated python and a pair of giant spider crabs.
The Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology
How did Odysseus escape the Cyclops cave? How did Greek warriors prepare for battle? Visit the University's Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology and you will find the answers to these and many more questions about Greek andEgyptian civilisations. The museum houses Britain's fourth largest collection of Greek ceramics. Fabulous displays of pottery, extraordinary metal and stone artefacts and antiquities provide a unique insight into ancient history.
Special Collections
Our collections of rare books, archives and manuscripts, are substantial and varied. Two of our collections have been recognised as being pre-eminent collections of national and international significance - the Beckett Collection and the combined records of British publishing and printing - and have been awarded MLA Designated Status by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
