It was just over two years ago that a dinosaur was spotted in the flooded River Avon near Bristol. However, they didn’t have to worry as the Diplodocus was quite at home at Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park’s Dinosaur Valley.
Back on January 15 2023, rising water partly submerged the prehistoric beast which is located on their riverside walk. Weighing as much as 113 tons and up to 52 metres long, Diplodocus were very large, long-necked, quadrupedal animals, with long, whip-like tails.
And because their bodies were so big, scientists argued that their legs couldn’t have supported their weight on land so were depicted as water dwellers.
Dinosaur Valley is home to the largest collection of animatronic dinosaurs in the South West. Set alongside the River Avon with a beautiful backdrop, paleontologists can see a 15 metre T-Rex, Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Triceratops, Allosaurus and plenty of Raptors around the park.
At the time, a flood warning was in place for the lower Avon from Twerton to Bristol, while a further three flood alerts were in force from the Lower Bristol Avon area, the North Somerset area and the River Chew catchment. The Great Western Railway service between Bristol Parkway and Swindon was also affected due to flooding, while locals in Keynsham described the flooding there as ‘the worst in 20 years’.
One town that was particularly hit was Keysnham, with locals describing floods there as ‘the worst in 20 years’. Temperatures are set to drop next week though, with arisk of wintry shows, particularly on the coast.
This article was first published in January 2023 and was updated for January 2025.