Nature's Wonders

Portland Basin Museum has an interesting collection of natural history specimens, including hundreds of pressed plants, mosses, birds’ eggs, shells, fossils and seeds. Explore this online exhibition to discover more about them.

The specimens in our collections were all collected by local people over the past 250 years. This was the time of the Industrial Revolution, with more and more of the countryside being swallowed up to build factories, houses and roads. People took a keen interest in documenting the natural world around them and collecting plants, rocks and shells was one way to bring nature into their homes. Local societies, such as the Stalybridge Naturalists Society, were formed, with members enjoying excursions to the seaside and rambles across the moors. At the same time, the growth of the British Empire meant there were always new places to explore and exciting new species to be discovered.

Click on the images to find out more about each collection.