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DippyVisitors(c)Bill Smith Nor
100,000 people see Dippy at Norwich Cathedral 

More than 100,000 people have enjoyed visiting the Natural History Museum’s Dippy the dinosaur since he took up residence in Norwich Cathedral’s Nave in July.

Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure opened at the Cathedral on July 13 and in the first six weeks 106,681 people went to see the iconic 26m Diplodocus cast on display. The busiest day to date has been Saturday August 7 with 4,354 visitors.
 
Visitor numbers passed the 100,000 milestone at the same time as the Cathedral received a Travellers’ Choice Award 2021, recognition from Tripadvisor that the quality of reviews from visitors places the Cathedral in the top 10% of attractions worldwide.
 
Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure is being brought to Norwich Cathedral and visitors across the UK by the Natural History Museum in partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation.
 
Ahead of the much-loved Jurassic giant arriving in Norwich, 1,725,762 people had already visited Dippy on his nationwide travels since he set off from the Natural History Museum in 2018.
 
Philippa Charles, Director of the Garfield Weston Foundation, said: “We are thrilled to hear that over 100,000 people have now been able to visit Dippy at the beautiful Norwich Cathedral. We hope that their visit will inspire them to explore nature on their doorstep and foster a new found respect for the natural world.”
 
In addition, a further 1,884 young people have visited Dippy on Tour with their school or with organisations including Guiding and Scouting groups. The Cathedral has also offered autism-friendly sessions and special times for looked after children to explore the exhibition and also for organisations including the intergenerational charity Friend in Deed and Vision Norfolk, which supports people living with sight loss and visual impairment.
 
More than 51,000 of the visitors have also taken time to explore Dippy’s home in the Norwich in greater detail and visited the Cathedral’s east end as well the Dippy on Tour exhibition in the Nave.
 
More than 2,250 people have enjoyed the wider Dippy events programme.
 
Seven of the 13 events in the Talkative Tuesdays programme have also taken place so far, putting the spotlight on topics ranging from the wild landscapes of Norfolk to science in medieval monasteries. Tickets are still available for the remaining six talks which include everything from priest and poet Malcolm Guite looking at the links between the poetic invention of dragons and the scientific discovery of dinosaurs to the Bishop of Norwich discussing whether the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 is a ‘cop out or a way to cope’. For more details on all the talks and to book visit dippy.cathedral.org.uk/dippy-events
 
The Dean of Norwich, the Very Rev Jane Hedges, said: “It has been absolutely wonderful to see so many people of all ages enjoying visiting Dippy and also to see the many other dinosaur-related events taking place across the city. After such a challenging 18 months for everyone, it is brilliant that Dippy’s visit has helped to inspire such an exciting summer of prehistoric fun!
 
“Alongside the fun, our hope has always been that Dippy’s visit would also encourage important conversations about the environment, faith and science, and the future of our planet. The response to our Reflection Zone has been particularly heartening, with more than 6,000 people adding leaves to the zone’s trees and making their own personal pledges to help the environment, meanwhile our Talkative Tuesdays programme has led to many insightful talks and discussions taking place under the tail of Dippy.”
 
Pictured above is Dippy plus visitors in Norwich Cathedral. Picture © Bill Smith/Norwich Cathedral.
 


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