A SOUTH Lakeland museum has received a grant to conserve and reshape the 16th century skeleton of a Helsfell wolf.

The wolf was excavated from a site close to Kendal Museum in the 1880’s by John Beecham, a local archaeology enthusiast, and has previously been on display in the attraction's World Wildlife Gallery.

The skeleton of the Helsfell wolf is unique in its Cumbrian context and connects the county’s ecological past, present and future.

It is an extraordinary object in that it is an unusually complete skeleton but has suffered deterioration through breaks and fractures over the years, which can now be put right.

It will be restored at the Lancashire Conservation Studios in Preston.

At the Conservation Studios, the bones of the wolf will be stabilised and the missing ones replaced with modelled ones in clear Perspex.

The skeleton will also be re-articulated to give an anatomically correct representation of the animal.

Carol Davies, curator manager at Kendal Museum, said: “It has long been my ambition to restore dignity to this historic skeleton, representing a magnificent wolf that once lived in Cumbria.

"Together with Liverpool John Moores University, we have researched the legend of the Helsfell bones and rediscovered the cave where the bones were found. I got completely fascinated by this collection and even went into the cave myself when we rediscovered it. It’s only a short walk from the museum but it was still a real adventure.

“Once the wolf is back with us next spring, it will become the centre piece of our World Wildlife Gallery and will help people gain a better understanding of the wonderful animals that once used to roam in the wilderness of our beautiful Cumbrian fells.”

Wolves already have an affiliation with South Cumbria as the last wild wolf in England was reportedly killed at Humphrey Head on Morecambe Bay in the 14th century. Legend has it that the wolf was killed with spears after chasing sheep and attacking a child.

The conservation work will form part of a larger project involving the radiocarbon dating of the skeleton to learn more about the full extent of its significance.

The museum will then be running reinterpretation sessions and workshops to engage visitors with the history of the wolf in the Lake District.

The restoration project has been made possible thanks to an Arts Council PRISM Grant of £2,605 plus £260 match funding from Kendal Town Council. Lucie Graham will carry out the work at the Lancashire Conservation Studios in Preston.