Driggsby the Fin Whale skeleton to be temporarily removed

The popular museum officially closed in December last year, as it plans to introduce a revitalised and more accessible entrance and atrium space and a brand-new ground-floor gallery dedicated to the border city.

In order to complete this redevelopment, work has begun on de-installing one of the museum's biggest, and most iconic exhibits. 

Driggsby, the 12 metre long juvenile Fin Whale skeleton, was installed at Tullie House Museum in January 2018, having washed up on the West Coast near Drigg in February 2014. 

On Monday, January 15, work began on deinstalling the giant skeleton, to protect it from the ongoing construction. 

Wednesday Batchelor holding one of the Driggsby's bones (Image: Stuart Walker)

Wednesday Batchelor, bio diversity curator at Tullie, said: "Driggsby has been on display for a good few years now, but with all the project work and construction going on, the safest thing to do is bring it down. At the moment, we're spending the week de-installing it which takes a specialist team. We will then be processing the bones, cleaning and doing conservation. It's a really nice opportunity to get it down and check that everything is in good order."

The structure is currently supported by steel cables from the ceiling. After initially removing the ribs and forelimb, the skeleton will now be segmented into sections.

Driggsby's ribs and forelimbs were removed first (Image: Stuart Walker)

This will allow Wednesday, and some specialist workers including students from the zoology department at the University of Cumbria, to clean the bones.

Wednesday added: "We will used compressed air to clean them as whale bone is very different to a lot of different bones so it needs really specialist conservation cleaning. I can check it over for cracks, the bone is very sensitive to temperature, light and humidity change."

Removing the 12-foot skeleton is a delicate process (Image: Stuart Walker)

Wednesday is looking forward to seeing the skeleton back on display in a few months time. 

She said: "It's going to be really nice to do it some justice. It's going to be really good for him to have a new background, he will be clean and shiny to go back on display in a few months time."