Britain’s largest ichthyosaur fossil discovered in Rutland

Monday, 10 January 2022 11:37

World icthyosaur expert, Dr Dean Lomax with the Rutland 'Sea Dragon'

The fossilised remains of Britain’s largest ichthyosaur, colloquially known as a ‘Sea Dragon’, has been discovered at the Rutland Water Nature Reserve. Following last week’s revelation of an ancient Roman mosaic that was found in a farmer’s field in Rutland, this latest discovery is yet another 'internationally significant' find and has placed Rutland into the global spotlight once again.

Just a week after a Roman mosaic from nearly two thousand years ago was shared with the world, Rutland is back on TV with another historic discovery...this time dating back millions of years ago! The biggest and most complete remains of what was Britain’s largest marine reptile have been discovered at Rutland Water. The icythyosaur or sea dragon is thought to date from 180 million years ago, and has been unearthed in one of the newer lagoons at Egleton. The remains have been fully excavated and will feature on BBC2’s Digging For Britain tomorrow night, the second time in a week Rutland has featured on the programme. Joe Davis, Conservation Team Leader at Rutland Water Nature Reserve found the ‘Rutland Sea Dragon’ whilst doing some work on the lagoons:

“I was working in one of the lagoons at Rutland Water…and I saw [what I thought was] a ridge of stones’” says Joe. “I looked a bit closer, though, and realised that we were going to have to investigate this further. I contacted the council and asked ‘who do I speak to if I’ve found a dinosaur?”

A palaeontologist from the University of Leicester then came out to check on Joe’s discovery and confirmed that it was, in fact, not a dinosaur but a large ichthyosaur – a marine reptile from the Jurassic or Triassic period. It was subsequently fully excavated during August and September last year by a team of palaeontologists led by world ichthyosaur expert Dr Dean Lomax.

Ichthyosaurs first appeared around 250 million years ago and went extinct 90 million years ago. They were an extraordinary group of marine reptiles that varied in size from 1 metre to more than 25 metres in length, and resembled dolphins in general body shape. The hope is that heritage funding will become available to allow this ichthyosaur to be kept in Rutland and shared with the public.

This latest local archaeological discovery quickly follows the unearthing of a 3^rd century Roman mosaic, discovered in a farmers field in Rutland in 2020. The mosaic, part of a floor of a roman villa, depicts scenes from Homer’s The Iliad and is considered one of the most remarkable mosaics ever found in Britain.

The 'Rutland Sea Dragon’ will be aired on BBC2’s Digging For Britain on Tuesday 11^th January at 8pm. For more information on the ichthyosaur and its discovery visit Rutland Sea Dragon (anglianwater.co.uk)

More from Local News

Oakham Support and Connections

A new centre for adults with disabilities has opened in Oakham.
Uppingham in Bloom Winter Warmer

There's a chance to raise funds for Uppingham in Bloom's upcoming planting this year in their annual Winter Warmer event.
New mural for Stamford

A new mural of Stamford is on the way in a project funded by South Kesteven District Council.
Local Government Reorganisation

Audio

Rutland County Council and the seven districts of Leicestershire have announced their thinking on the new authorities for local government reorganisation.
RAF Wittering trials vegetable oil

RAF Wittering has been taking part in trials to run its operations on vegetable oil, from trucks to mobile cooking, in a bid to cut the carbon footprint of the force.
Rutland County Council do not support Leicestershire plans

Rutland County Council along with Leicestershire's seven borough and district councils has issued a joint statement saying they do not support Leicestershire County Council's plans to continue with one large unitary authority for the county and that residents deserve better in the upcoming local government reorganisation.
Flying Scotsman at NVR

The country's most well-known steam train has arrived at Nene Valley Railway at Wansford for a series of rail tours and experiences.
A Chorus Line at the Corn Exchange

Audio

A Stamford Theatre Group began its twelfth full musical in five years on Thursday.
The Amber Squad Mini Tour

Audio

A Rutland rock band who achieved national recognition in the early 80s are staging a mini tour starting tonight in Stamford.
Take care when buying second-hand horse boxes

Rutland's rural crime team is warning buyers to be extra careful when buying second-hand horse boxes, with statistics that 1 in 10 listed on selling sites has been flagged as stolen or tampered with.
Matilda Jr and A Chorus Line at the Corn Exchange

Audio

One of the West End's top musicals for children comes to Stamford from today, as Matilda Junior becomes the 11th full production in 5 years for Stamford Showstoppers.
Rutland County Council approves housing developments

The Government's increased housing target for Rutland was one of the reasons planners felt they had no choice but to approve outline planning for a 63 house development on land south of Meadow Lane in Ryhall last night.