Dippy the Diplodocus coming to Newcastle's Great North Museum in 2019

One of Britain's most famous museum exhibits will come to Newcastle upon Tyne in 2019 as part of an unprecedented national tour.

'Dippy' - a Diplodocus skeleton cast - has thrilled visitors to London's Natural History Museum for over 100 years. Now, for the first time, he will go on display outside the capital, touring eight venues around England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Great North Museum: Hancock has been selected as the sole North East England venue on the tour. The Diplodocus will be the centrepiece of a wide-ranging public programme in Newcastle between May and October 2019.

The Diplodocus was unveiled to the British public in 1905 and was cast from the type specimen found in America. The full skeleton is 21.3 metres long, 4.3 metres wide and 4.25 metres high.

Dippy has been the imposing star of the Natural History Museum's grand Hintze Hall since 1979, although his appearance has changed over the years to reflect advances in our understanding of dinosaur biology and evolution - most recently in 1993.

Dippy's last day on show in London will be Wednesday 4 January 2017. Conservators will then take the next 12 months to prepare the delicate object for its journey around the UK. A diving Blue Whale skeleton will take Dippy's place in the main hall as the latest part in an epic, inspiring story - the history of life on planet Earth.