Antarctica, a frozen wilderness at the end of the world, was the last continent to be explored.

At the turn of the 20th century, only a handful of explorers had reached the icy frontier, and the next two decades saw men push themselves to their limits in the name of science, discovery and the ambition to reach the South Pole.

Two of the most famous explorers were Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton, and a unique insight into their travels and trials is on offer in a new exhibition at the Historic Dockyard Chatham.

Exploring Antarctica: The Final Expeditions of Scott and Shackleton, tells the duo’s stories using a series of poignant and revealing historic photographs and artefacts.

The stunning images of Scott’s Terra Nova expedition, which took place from 1910 to 1913, were captured by pioneering photographer Herbert Ponting.

Although Scott was the first British man to reach the South Pole in 1912, the quest ended in tragedy as he and his party died from starvation and extreme cold on the return leg. Among the more unusual exhibits on show at the Dockyard include a perfectly preserved biscuit found on Scott’s frozen body.

Frank Hurley’s dramatic icescapes were taken during Shackleton’s expedition on the ship Endurance from 1914 to 1916.

Anglo-Irish explorer Shackleton planned to cross Antarctica via the South Pole, but his ship Endurance became trapped in the ice and sank. The crew were rescued in August 1916, without any loss of life.

Visitors to the exhibition will be able to discover what these valiant men took with them, the routes they took and the clothing they had to wear in an interactive family activities area with an authentic dress-up area.

Exploring Antarctica: The Final Expeditions of Scott and Shackleton opens at No.1 Smithery: The Gallery on Friday, May 24 and will run until Friday, August 30.

• The Dockyard isopen daily from 10am to 6pm. Admission is priced £17.50 for adults and £11 for children (aged five to 15) £11, valid for 12 months.

• There will be two guest lectures on the exhibition by historian Dr David Wilson on Thursday, June 27 and explorer Felicity Aston on Monday, July 29.They start at 7pm.

• For information visit www.thedockyard.co.uk