Dippy the Diplodocus begins UK tour - when and where to see it

After spending more than a century delighting visitors in London, Dippy the Diplodocus has embarked on a UK tour.

The 26 metre long plaster cast of the dinosaur skeleton has stood in the entrance hall of the Natural History Museum in London since 1979, but now it's on the move for the next three years.

It's estimated that 5 million people will see Dippy at the eight locations across the UK, which have all been chosen to cover the grand sweep of geological time.

Dippy in its new temporary home in Dorchester (Photo: Natural History Museum)

The tour begins on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, and ends in Norwich, exploring how we might secure a sustainable future. It will also visit Birmingham, Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle, Cardiff and Rochdale.

Dippy only just squeezed into Dorset County Museum in Dorchester, with 4in (10cm) to spare, where it went on display at the weekend.

Dippy the Diplodocus tour dates in full:

10 February - 7 May 2018: Dorset County Museum, Dorchester26 May - 9 September 2018: Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham28 September 2018 - 6 January 2019: Ulster Museum, Belfast22 January - 5 May 2019: Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow18 May - 6 October 2019: Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle upon Tyne19 October 2019 - 26 January 2020: National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff10 February - 28 June 2020: Number One Riverside, Rochdale11 July - 31 October 2020: Norwich Cathedral, Norwich

Dippy in its former home at the Natural History Museum

Dippy has delighted visitors since he arrived in London in 1905.

Watch a timelapse of Dippy being installed in Dorchester: