The Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) and Polar Museum, Cambridge, UK

NimrodTerra NovapemmicanUniversity of CambridgeendeavourTerra Nova expeditionNimrod expeditionShackletonErnest ShackletonCaptain Robert Falcon ScottCaptain ScottArctic explorationexplorationArcticAntarcticPolar Museum Cambridge UKScott Polar Research Institute SPRICambridge UKPolar MuseumSPRIScott Polar Research Institute
Written By Chris Shirley MA FRGS

Image credit: Haus of Hiatus

The Polar Museum is a really interesting stop in the cold-environment-adventure-enthusiast’s research pathway before undertaking any kind of expedition of this kind!

 

The Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) is co-located with the Polar Museum, and according to the website, was established in 1920 as a memorial to Captain Robert Falcon Scott and houses the Polar Library of archived photographs and historical collections on polar exploration.

 

Interestingly, the Polar Museum is understood to have the following items of Polar exploration on permanent display:

 

- Snow googles used by Ernest Shackleton on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition 1914-16 (Endurance) – given to him by Harald Nilsen.


- An unopened tin of pemmican taken from the hut of the British Antarctic Expedition 1907-09 (Nimrod). 


- A folding camera, manufactured by A.E. Staley & Co. and used by Robert Falcon Scott at the South Pole, 1912, on the British Antarctic Expedition 1910-13 (Terra Nova).

 

The Polar Museum’s website says it is currently open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10:00-16:00, however I visited on a day it was closed sadly and only got to see a small part of it. With that in mind, it’s clearly best to check to ensure the opening times are still current, as I’d hate you to make a wasted journey if they change it.

 

You might also like:

Featured
Kate Jamieson, intrepid maritime historian that recently toured Shackleton’s sites in Antarctica
Kate Jamieson, intrepid maritime historian that recently toured Shackleton’s sites in Antarctica

In this episode, we talk with Kate Jamieson, an intrepid maritime historian who recently returned from an extraordinary trip to Antarctica, retracing Sir Ernest Shackleton’s legendary journey!

In addition to exploring Antarctica, Kate has summited Kilimanjaro, lectured at the US Naval Academy and recorded with the BBC, all while championing the importance of history through her work with The Society for Nautical Research, the 1805 Club, and The Navy Records Society.

Glyn Sadler, ocean rower, spearfisherman and founder of ‘Adventures Per Mare’, now preparing to row the entire Norwegian coast line
Glyn Sadler, ocean rower, spearfisherman and founder of ‘Adventures Per Mare’, now preparing to row the entire Norwegian coast line

In this episode, we speak with Glyn, a former Royal Marine turned ‘adventure rower’ and spearfishing enthusiast, who founded Adventures Per Mare, a one-of-a-kind adventure rowing company based in Norway.

He shares his experience rowing across the Atlantic, where he received shoutouts from none other than James Corden and His Royal Highness, the Prince of Bhutan, how his team secured over £100,000 in sponsorship, coming back from a life-altering injury, his preparation for the first-ever full coastal row of Norway next year, and how combining two sports has unlocked a whole new level of adventure for him.

Julian Davies, 'The Iceland Divide', a 550km bikepacking expedition across Iceland
Julian Davies, 'The Iceland Divide', a 550km bikepacking expedition across Iceland

In episode 22, we talk to Julian Davies, a father and business owner in his fifties, who recently cycled over 550 kilometres across Iceland’s mid-ocean ridge  fault  line   in a self-directed bikepacking project he called the ‘Iceland Divide’.

 

We talk about how his time as an officer in the British Parachute Regiment helped him craft the fundamentals of personal resilience, the concept of ‘Future water’ adapted from kayaking, the unique challenges of mixing katabatic winds with glacial rivers, and how Scottish author Nan Shepherd encouraged him to embrace sensory experiences and take a slower, more contemplative approach to personal adventures.

Chris Shirley MA FRGS

About the Author:

Chris is the founder of Hiatus.Design, a mission-driven branding and website design company that works with clients all over the world.

Over the course of his life, he has travelled to more than 60 countries across six continents, earned two Guinness World Records, completed the legendary Marathon des Sables, summited Mont Blanc and unclimbed peaks in Asia, become a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS), rowed across the Atlantic Ocean and obtained a Masterʼs degree in Business Management (MA).

https://www.hiatus.design
Previous

The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) in South Kensington, London
Next

the RSS Sir David Attenborough in Greenwich, London