Antarctic heritage and conservation

In the early years of the last century, Antarctica was the last great goal for explorers, who raced each other to be the first to reach the South Pole. Their legacy remains to this day in the form of the pre-fabricated huts used as bases for their journeys, and the possessions they left behind in them.

Antarctica's harsh environment has preserved these huts so far, but they are now in urgent need of care. In a world-first for conservation, conservators are working year-round in Antarctica conserving the expedition base built by Captain Robert Falcon Scott for his 1911 expedition to the South Pole.

Visit the conservator's blog

This work is part of the Antarctic Heritage Trust's Ross Sea Heritage Project , which focuses on the restoration of four Antarctic explorers' huts, a project which is supported by the Natural History Museum. The restoration work should ensure that this heritage from the heroic era of exploration is preserved for future generations

Antarctic conservation blog

What's it like spending the winter in 24 hours of darkness? Read about the conservators' daily life in Antarctica and discover more about the huts and the conservation they are doing.
About the Antarctic Heritage Trust

Find out more about the Antarctic Heritage Trust and its project to protect the heritage of the explorers' huts on Antarctica's Ross Island.
History of the huts

Scott, Shackleton and Borchgrevink each left huts and provisions which have survived the years to bear poignant witness to the trials the early explorers underwent.
Conservation in Antarctica

Learn more about the work on Scott's hut at Cape Evans, which he used as his base in the race for the pole, and which is listed as one of the 100 Most Endangered Sites in the World.
Dilemmas

Find out more about the issues involved in ensuring that this heritage is preserved for the future as the materials themselves reach a point of irreversible decay.
Images of Antarctica

Explore the world around Scott and Shackleton's bases in the Antarctic, from icy landscapes to the antics of penguins and seals, in this slideshow.
Maps of Antarctica and Ross Island

Check the locations visited by Scott, Shackleton and the other early Antarctic explorers, including Mount Erebus, Scott Base and Cape Evans.