Invicta Rampage at the Monkton Nature Reserve, Kent

[Crackington]

Invicta Rampage at the Monkton Nature Reserve, Kent


Hi all,

I've been meaning to post some pictures for while now of a visit to the Monkton Nature Reserve, near Margate in Kent (UK) where I unexpectedly came across a magnificent collection of Invicta dinosaurs. My brother, a keen twitcher (bird-watcher) who lives in the area, showed me around and took some great snaps.

The reserve is set in an old disused chalk quarry and is well worth a visit in its own right (see http://monkton-reserve.org/):



The reserve has a mini-museum containing hundreds of fossils and other specimens from the Kent area. These are mostly Cretaceous ammonites and other fossils, but there are also some more recent Ice-Age animals such as Mammoth teeth and Coelodonta horn:



The museum was in a bit of disarray on my visit due to a recent break-in, but there were plans to re-vamp the presentation, so its probably a lot better by now (I visited in July 2011). Giant Ammonite fossil:



Proudly displayed in this museum was a near complete collection of Invicta dinosaurs:







As an added bonus, the Reserve also had some other models which appeared to be made especially for it, including a pterosaur (Pternodon) and an Ichthyosaur, with more Invictas nestled among them and the fossils:



A Camptosaurus (I think):



Finally, there was a beautiful diorama with Cetiosaurus, Megalosaurs and some Iguanodons:





If you are ever in this part of England, it's well worth a visit.

[Gwangi]

Great photos, thanks for sharing. Are you allowed to dig in the quarry at all? Also, does anyone know who painted that Ceratosaurus paiting in picture seven?

[Ikessauro]

Proudly displayed in this museum was a near complete collection of Invicta dinosaurs:

Is that the Invicta Mutaburrasaurus between the T.rex and the Plesiosaurus??? Why is it green?

[Crackington]

Thanks guys,

Gwangi - Not sure who painted the Ceratosaurus, I'll probably visit there again with my girls, so I'll see if I can find out.  I don't think you can dig in the actual quarry as it is primarily a nature reserve and is pretty overgrown. The actual chalk faces of the quarry were being nested in by sand-martins and other birds, so I suspect that they wouldn't want them being disturbed. That said, the site is only a couple of miles inland from the North Sea/English Channel and there are plenty of good fossil site beaches nearby where you can have a look for them. Most of the fossils displayed came from these areas. Its also less than twenty mile to the famous White Cliffs of Dover, which is also quite a good area for fossils.

Ikessauro - from memory I think is is a Muttaburraurus and suspect that it is a customised paint -job - one of the volunteers there is obviously keen on making/messing around with models and has some talent too! Again I'll check this out when I go back.

[Gwangi]

Yeah, I suppose there is not much sense in disturbing live animals in order to look for dead ones. Beautiful place though.

[Takama]

Did you try and offer to buy some of them.   

If i seen something like that, I would ask about it.

[Crackington]

I must admit it did cross my mind, but they looked so good there on display I thought it best to leave them for others to enjoy! Not sure if they would sell in any case, the guy I spoke to was well aware that they are collectible.

[Libraraptor]

Very cool pictures, thank you so much for sharing! I really like that monochrome Ichtyosaur under glass and the other models that have been made especially for the museum, too!

[Gryphoceratops]

Wow neat!  Really brings home the term "museum quality". 

[Jetoar]

I think the same. I see figures of invicta in alot of museums when I was a child.