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Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge

The Scott Polar Research Institute was set up in Cambridge in 1920 as a memorial to Captain Robert Falcon Scott who died with his team of four men on their way back from the South Pole in 1912. The Institute is a research and teaching centre, linked to Cambridge University's department of geography. Housed in its present building in Lensfield Road since 1934, there is a specialist library, the Shakleton Library, and a museum dedicated to polar exploration.

Visiting the museum, reading the last letters home, it is easy to understand the emotion that swept Britain in 1912 when news of Scott's death reached England. This emotion sits oddly alongside the atmosphere of the Institute as a research centre. In a sense Scott's journey preserved mystery. The South Pole was the last great mystery in Earth exploration. Scott's rival in the race for the South Pole was the great Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. Amundsen was hugely experienced and competent, and in his competence diminished the mystery of Antartica. Following numerous trips out over the Ross Ice Shelf to prepare for his attempt on the Pole, Amundsen wrote: "The mysterious barrier of the Englishmen has once and for all disappeared, and must give place to a completely natural phenomenon - a glacier." (Amundsen's Diary, April 24th 1911) Scott was not as competent a polar explorer as Amundsen, and thus the dangers, obstacles and mysteries were greater in his story. In many ways, because of meticulous planning, and years of relevant experience, Amundsen's trip to the Pole wasn't all that different to a ski trip across Norway. For Scott with far less expertise and competence, the journey, at least on first view, might seem much more epic. With what happened to the British expedition hovering in the background the most everyday items on display in the museum are imbued with emotion - cooking stoves, hat badges, photographs of birthday meals, sleeping bags. On my visit I thought the Scott Polar Research Institute was a reminder that people like mystery and obstacles, as much as they like clarity, and solutions to problems!

Opening Times: Tuesday to Friday 11am - 1pm and 2pm - 4pm. Saturday 12pm - 4pm. Closed on Sunday and Monday and Bank Holidays.

Directions: The Scott Polar Research Institute is in Lensfield Road, Cambridge. Visiting Cambridge it is best to use Park and Ride facilities which are available on all major routes into the city. Parking in Cambridge is limited and very expensive. We took the Park and Ride service to Emmanuel Street, and then walked down Regent Street and turned into Lensfield Road. Click here for an interactive map centred on the Scott Polar Research Institute.

Access: There is a ramp up to the main entrance, with level access to the museum. Contact the Institute before your visit to discuss your needs. There are no toilet facilities.

Contact:

telephone: 01223 336540

web site: http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/