Museums and Galleries

Bowes Museum

Barnard Castle, County Durham DL12 8NP

Tel: 01833 690606 Fax: 01833 637163

e-mail: info@bowesmuseum.org.uk

website: www.bowesmuseum.org.uk

The Bowes Museum is one of County Durham's great surprises - a beautiful and grand French chateau-style museum on the outskirts of the historic town of Barnard Castle. It was built by John Bowes, illegitimate son of the 10th Earl of Strathmore, and his Parisian actress wife, Josephine, Countess of Montalbo, between 1862 and 1875. They wanted to house the vast collection of works of art they had amassed from all corners of Europe so that people from all walks of life could see and enjoy them, but unfortunately they died before their dream was realised.

But realised it eventually was, and today it has an outstanding collection that will take your breath away. Here the visitor can admire a vast range objets d'arts and paintings, including what is acknowledged to be the most important collection of Spanish paintings in Britain. But John and Josephine Bowes didn't just restrict themselves to the grand and the prestigious. There is also a wonderful display of toys, including the world's first toy train set.

The Museum's most famous exhibit is undoubtedly the Silver Swan. The life-sized bird, with its exquisite silver plumage, is an automaton and musical box, set in a stream made from twisted glass rods with small fish "swimming" among them. When it is wound up, the glass rods rotate, a tinkling tune is played, and the swan preens itself before lowering its head towards the water and seemingly picking up a fish. It then raises its head once more and appears to swallows it.

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