The Bowes Museum – a miniature V and A

Bowes Museum Restaurant

We’d spotted some information about The Bowes Museum on a leaflet and set off today, as there was rain forecast.

What a lovely surprise this museum was.

It is located in Teesside, in the North of England, and is well worth a days visit.

The museum was founded by the Bowes family in the Victorian period; they were a philanthropic couple who collected all manner of items pertaining to the arts and crafts movements and as a result the exhibitions are akin to the V and A museum in London, albeit on a smaller scale.

Pride of place is the silver, automaton swan which performs at 2:00 very afternoon.

The museum itself is housed in a purpose-built, French- chateau styled building , at odds with the stone and brick of it’s nearby outer suburbs of Barnards Castle,, it’s nearest town.