About
Gilbert White & The Oates Collection at The Wakes in Selborne presents a remarkable combination of 18th-century natural history, polar exploration, and literary heritage in one of England's most beautiful historic houses. This unique museum celebrates the life and groundbreaking work of Gilbert White (1720-1793), the pioneering naturalist whose book 'The Natural History of Selborne' revolutionised how we observe and understand the natural world, alongside the heroic story of Lawrence Oates, the polar explorer who sacrificed his life on Captain Scott's ill-fated Antarctic expedition of 1912.
The Wakes is an elegant 18th-century house set in 26 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland at the heart of the Hampshire village of Selborne, surrounded by the very landscape that Gilbert White studied so meticulously. White lived in this house for much of his life, conducting his pioneering observations of birds, plants, insects, and weather from these rooms and gardens. The house has been sensitively restored to evoke the Georgian period, with period furnishings and White's original possessions creating an atmospheric setting that brings the 18th century to life. Visitors can see the very study where White wrote his famous letters describing his natural history observations, which when published became one of the most influential nature books ever written.
The museum's collections are exceptionally diverse and fascinating. The Gilbert White galleries display original manuscripts, including his precious field journals filled with daily observations, early editions of his published works, scientific instruments he used, and specimens from his collections. The natural history displays continue White's tradition of careful observation, with information about Selborne's wildlife, ecology, and the conservation challenges facing the countryside today. The Oates Collection, added to the museum in the 1950s, provides a dramatic contrast, showcasing artefacts from Captain Lawrence Oates's life, including equipment and clothing from the tragic Antarctic expedition, Oates's personal possessions, letters, photographs, and materials from his earlier military service in the Boer War. The juxtaposition of White's patient observation of nature with Oates's heroic struggle against nature's extremes creates a thought-provoking museum experience.
With beautiful gardens to explore, a tea parlour serving refreshments, and a well-stocked shop, Gilbert White's House provides a full day out combining history, natural history, literature, and exploration in one of Hampshire's most picturesque villages. The museum's setting amid the landscape White described makes it a perfect destination for anyone interested in nature, history, or the English countryside.
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Annual Visitors (2019)
35,000
Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Busiest: Saturday, Sunday
💡 Weekday mornings (10:30-12:00) for quietest experience, or summer afternoons to enjoy the gardens
💡 Visitor Tips
- Allow a full afternoon to explore both the house and the extensive gardens properly. The gardens alone warrant 45-60 minutes, especially in spring and summer when the flowers are at their best.
- Guided tours of the house are offered at scheduled times - check at reception on arrival as they provide excellent insights into Gilbert White's life and work that you might miss exploring independently.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes if you plan to explore the gardens and woodland walks. The terrain includes slopes and uneven paths, but the varied habitats make for rewarding wildlife watching.
- The Tea Parlour serves excellent homemade cakes, lunches, and cream teas - perfect for refreshment after exploring. The courtyard seating is delightful in good weather.
- Bring binoculars if you're interested in birds - house martins nest on the building in summer, and the gardens attract many species Gilbert White would have observed. A bird identification guide is useful.
- Combine your visit with a walk to Selborne Common and the Hanger, the steep wooded hillside Gilbert White loved. The walk offers spectacular views and connects you to the landscape White described.
- The museum shop stocks excellent books about Gilbert White, natural history, polar exploration, and local walks. It's one of the best museum shops for nature writing and local history titles.
- Photography is permitted throughout the house and gardens for personal use - the study and period rooms are particularly atmospheric for photography, and the gardens offer beautiful seasonal scenes.
- School groups can book educational sessions aligned with national curriculum science and history topics. Handling collections and garden-based activities make learning memorable and engaging.
Highlights
Gilbert White's Study
The atmospheric room where Gilbert White wrote 'The Natural History of Selborne', one of the most influential nature books in the English language. This beautifully preserved 18th-century study contains White's original desk, his library including many of the books he consulted, scientific instruments he used for observations, and personal possessions that bring this remarkable man to life.
The room overlooks the gardens where White conducted many of his observations, creating a tangible connection between his writings and the natural world he studied.
Visitors can see facsimiles of his meticulously kept journals, filled with daily notes about weather, plant phenology, bird behaviour, and seasonal changes.
The study evokes the Age of Enlightenment when curious gentleman-scholars were making fundamental discoveries about the natural world through patient observation and careful record-keeping.
Gilbert White's Original Manuscripts
Extraordinarily valuable original manuscripts and journals written in Gilbert White's own hand, including his 'Garden Kalendar' and 'Naturalist's Journal'. These precious documents reveal White's meticulous daily observations of the natural world over many decades, recording the first appearance of flowers, arrival of migratory birds, weather conditions, and wildlife behaviour.
The journals demonstrate the scientific method emerging in the 18th century - systematic observation, careful record-keeping, and evidence-based conclusions.
White's elegant handwriting, detailed sketches, and marginal notes provide intimate insights into his working methods. Display panels explain how these journals formed the raw material for his famous published letters, and how his approach influenced the development of ecology as a scientific discipline.
These manuscripts are national treasures of natural history literature.
Captain Oates's Antarctic Equipment
Original equipment and clothing from Captain Lawrence Oates's tragic final expedition to the South Pole with Captain Robert Scott in 1910-1912. The collection includes Oates's reindeer skin sleeping bag, protective clothing worn in temperatures of -40°C, scientific instruments used on the expedition, and personal items he carried to the Antarctic.
The most poignant objects are those associated with Oates's famous sacrifice - knowing his failing health was endangering his companions' survival, he walked out into a blizzard on his 32nd birthday, saying 'I am just going outside and may be some time,' never to return.
His selfless courage became a defining story of British heroism. The display includes Oates's diary entries, photographs from the expedition, and contextual information about the race to the South Pole, the extreme challenges faced by polar explorers, and the subsequent search expeditions that discovered the tent with Scott's final journal eight months later.
The Natural History of Selborne - First Editions
A remarkable collection of early editions of Gilbert White's masterpiece 'The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne', first published in 1789 and never out of print since. The museum displays first editions and beautifully illustrated Victorian editions featuring engravings of the local landscape and wildlife White described.
The book's enduring popularity stems from White's accessible writing style, acute observations, and his recognition that careful study of a single parish could reveal universal truths about nature.
Display panels explain the book's revolutionary approach - White was among the first to recognise that animal behaviour and ecology were as important as classification and collection. The book inspired generations of naturalists including Charles Darwin, and established the tradition of parish natural history recording that continues today.
Visitors can read extracts from White's most famous letters describing swallows, house martins, and the wildlife of Selborne Hanger.
Collections
The museum's collections uniquely combine two distinct but complementary stories - Gilbert White's pioneering 18th-century natural history and Lawrence Oates's early 20th-century polar exploration.
The Gilbert White collections include original manuscripts, journals, correspondence, early editions of his published works, 18th-century scientific instruments, natural history specimens, books from his library, and personal possessions. These materials document the life and work of one of Britain's most important naturalists.
The Oates Collection, assembled by the explorer's family and the Oates Memorial Trust, includes equipment from the Antarctic expedition, clothing, scientific instruments, photographs, journals, letters, medals from his military service, and personal artefacts. The natural history collections continue White's tradition with modern specimens, ecological surveys, and educational materials about Selborne's wildlife.
Together these collections span 200 years of British scientific endeavour and heroism.
Gilbert White: A Life of Observation
A biographical and thematic exploration of Gilbert White's life, work, and lasting influence on natural history. The exhibition covers his education at Oxford, his work as a curate, his pioneering observations of Selborne's wildlife, his correspondence with leading naturalists including Thomas Pennant and Daines Barrington, and the publication of his famous book.
Interactive elements allow visitors to explore White's journals, understand his scientific methods, and appreciate his literary talents.
The exhibition explains White's key discoveries including his identification of three distinct leaf warbler species (chiffchaff, willow warbler, and wood warbler), his observations of migration, and his careful ecological studies.
Display panels trace White's influence on later naturalists and the continuing relevance of his approach to understanding nature.
📍 Main House and Gilbert White Gallery
Captain Oates: Courage and Sacrifice
A moving tribute to Lawrence Oates exploring his life, character, military service, polar exploration, and famous last sacrifice. The exhibition follows Oates from his childhood in Essex, through his military career in the Boer War where he was seriously wounded, to his selection for Scott's Antarctic expedition, the arduous journey to the Pole, the terrible return journey, and his selfless death.
Personal letters and diary entries reveal Oates's personality, his love of horses (he managed the expedition's ponies), his stoicism, and his growing concern that his declining health was endangering his companions.
The exhibition honours Oates's memory while providing honest context about the expedition's failures in planning and the tragedy that befell all five men who reached the Pole.
Contemporary accounts, including Scott's diary entry recording Oates's departure, bring this story powerfully to life.
📍 Oates Gallery and Museum Annexe
Selborne: A Living Landscape
An ecological exploration of Selborne's landscape, geology, habitats, and wildlife, linking Gilbert White's 18th-century observations to modern conservation science. The exhibition explains the formation of Selborne Hanger (the steep wooded hillside White loved), the ecology of chalk grassland and ancient beech woodland, and the species that depend on these habitats.
Seasonal displays show how wildlife changes through the year, mirroring White's approach of recording phenological events.
Conservation challenges facing the landscape are honestly addressed, including habitat loss, climate change impacts, and declining species. Visitor activities encourage engagement with nature, from identifying birds by their songs to recording first flowering dates, continuing White's tradition of citizen science and careful observation.
📍 Field Centre Gallery
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.