The statue of the Iguanodon, commissioned in 2021, stands proudly in front of Maidstone railway station, greeting both visitors and locals alike. This majestic sculpture serves as a poignant reminder of the Iguanodon skeleton discovered in a Maidstone quarry in 1834. The big, bulky herbivores lived during the Cretaceous period. They could grow up to 36-feet-tall and had large “thumb spikes,” thought to be used for defense.
Today, the skeleton is housed in the Natural History Museum in London. A replica can also be found in the local Maidstone Museum. The Iguanodon holds a special place in the hearts of Maidstone’s residents, even gracing the town’s coat of arms, which is also displayed in the local museum.
