Scott's Hut at Cape Evans- Built 1911

Scott's Hut at Cape Evans was built in 1911-1914 for the Terra Nova Expedition when Scott and four companions made the fateful attempt on the South Pole being closely beaten by a team led by the Norwegian Amundsen and (unlike the Norwegians) all perishing on the return journey.

There was the possibility of occupying the previous hut, the "Discovery Hut" that had been in place since Scott's team built it in 1902 at Hut Point. The Hut Point base a little further south than the Cape Evans situation of Scott's Hut which had the problem that the ship moored nearby had become trapped in sea-ice and so was discounted by Scott for the later expedition. Given the circumstances of the expedition, the hut was left somewhat more quickly and with less attention to tidying up and taking away objects than may have otherwise been the case. The result is that despite the passage of years and obvious deterioration of the contents, the hut gives the impression that the occupants have just gone away for a while and may well be back at any moment.

The hut today and its artifacts are undergoing conservation by the Antarctic Heritage Trust. Though frozen for much of the year, the hut and it's contents thaw in the summer months and the fabric of the hut is being attacked by fungal decay. The hut was identified as being one of the world's 100 most significant monuments and buildings under threat. This led to a fund to pay for the preservation of the hut.