Redcar whale jawbone is unveiled at town's revamped Zetland Lifeboat Museum

Watch: The 45-ft long sperm whale which beached on Redcar in May 2011 will never be forgotten after its jaw bone went on display

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Gallery: Beached whale on Redcar Beach

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It was surely one of the saddest, yet most impressive sights ever seen on Redcar beach.

And the 45-ft long sperm whale, which beached in May 2011, will now never be forgotten after its jaw bone went on display at the town’s Zetland Lifeboat Museum.

The preserved 7ft jaw bone, complete with alarming looking ivory teeth, was unveiled when the museum opened for its 2014 season.

Museum chairman Fred Brunskill said: “The fact it’s a maritime-related exhibit in its own right means it should be in a museum like this.

“We had a record number of visitors last year and we hope the jaw bone will help increase those numbers further.”

Locked in a secure cabinet, the jaw bone is a fascinating reminder of the 35 tonne whale, which died of starvation and dehydration on Redcar beach after straying from its usual waters.

Its jaw bone was sawn off and buried at a site near Dunsdale by Redcar and Cleveland Council so the oil and fat could drain out.

With advice from the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts, Fred then preserved the bones in ammonia and hydrogen peroxide before the teeth were set in the jaw bone sockets. “I took the teeth home in a bucket,” he smiled.

The teeth and jaw bone join several attractions at the revamped museum, with new photo displays and, at its heart, the 1802 Zetland, which is about to undergo conservation.

A wall-mounted, newly painted sternboard is also set to grab the attention. Originally attached to the 380-tone barque Lord Byron, the sternboard came off during a fierce storm in 1848 and washed up on Redcar beach.

After years hanging almost unnoticed in the museum, having been rescued from an allotment, Fred wanted it repainted in its original colours and enlisted Thornaby artist Neida Pearson to do the job.

That job is now finished - but don’t expect to see an image of the man whose name it bears.

Fred explained: “The very ornately-carved timbers show the great poet’s books and quill pens, but is lacking an image of Lord Byron himself.

"It’s thought the bust was defaced by the crew as a result of public condemnation of the poet’s promiscuous lifestyle!”

Calling the museum “a jewel in the crown of Redcar,” Redcar MP Ian Swales said he supported a campaign to have “Home of the Zetland Lifeboat” added to the “Redcar” signs on the roads approaching the town.