Dippy's visit to Norwich is postponed

Dippy the dinosaur’s visit to Norwich Cathedral this July has been postponed due to the current Coronavirus pandemic. The Natural History Museum’s iconic diplodocus cast had been due to go on display in Norwich Cathedral’s Nave from July 11 until October 31 2020 but the opening of the Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure exhibition has now been delayed until a later date.

Dippy’s stay in Norwich is due to be the final stop on an eight-venue tour brought to you by the Natural History Museum in partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation, and supported by Dell EMC and Williams and Hill.

Dippy is currently in lockdown in Rochdale’s Number One Riverside – the penultimate venue on Dippy’s tour - and has previously visited Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Ulster Museum, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle upon Tyne and National Museum Cardiff.

The Dean of Norwich, the Very Revd Jane Hedges, said: “As the situation with regards to Coronavirus and the potential “new normal” for all of us continues to develop, we are continually assessing the best way forward with regards to Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure.

The original opening date in Norwich was due to be July 11 this year but unfortunately, due to the ongoing situation with Coronavirus, Dippy’s arrival is now being postponed to a later date which is still to be confirmed.

The Cathedral is still very much looking forward to hosting the final stop on Dippy’s national tour and is working closely with both the Natural History Museum and Rochdale’s Number One Riverside – where Dippy is currently located – to decide the best and safest way for Dippy to continue his tour. At this challenging time for everyone, health and safety is paramount, and this is the most important factor in our discussions.

There is lots of excitement about Dippy’s visit to Norwich and as soon as it is practically possible we hope to share updates about the plans for Dippy on Tour at Norwich Cathedral.”

Alex Burch, Head of Public Programmes at the Natural History Museum, said: “To date Dippy has encouraged many thousands of visitors to engage with natural history and we very much want Dippy to complete his full tour of the United Kingdom and inspire even more people of all ages.

Public health must remain everyone’s top priority, and the Natural History Museum team is working closely with the final two venues of Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure to ensure that the end of the tour can happen in a safe way.

Currently Dippy is in lockdown at his penultimate venue at Number One Riverside, in Rochdale, where the exhibition was due run until 28 June before moving to Norwich Cathedral where the tour was scheduled to open from July 11, the final stop of the 3-year nationwide tour. Both venues are currently closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and as a result, the timescale of the tour will need to change and potentially be extended. However, we remain committed to Dippy completing his full eight-venue tour in a safe way.”

The famous 26-metre long (85ft) dinosaur cast took centre stage in the Natural History Museum’s Hinzte Hall for many years before embarking on the current UK tour.

For more details about Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure, visit nhm.ac.uk/dippyontour

Picture: Trustees of the Natural History Museum