Rats have had bad press since the days of the Black Plague but at Hyde Park Barracks Museum we think of them as little furry archivists.

A huge variety of artefacts – reminders of the past occupants of the Barracks – have survived because rats have hoarded them to make nests. During the 1980s these rats’ nests were discovered beneath the floorboards and within them we have found a treasure trove of goodies – from gnawed aprons and bonnets, to pins, needles, and a half set of cut human nails.

Today you can see these objects on display as well as some of the rats’ nests we are yet to untangle, dismantle and examine.