The Bowes Museum

Swaledale mini break 8

Whilst up in the northern Yorkshire Dales, I took the opportunity to go just little further north into Teesdale to tick another place off my 'bucket list'. That place was the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle (a town made famous during the Covid lockdown as the place the Prime Minister's aide, Dominic Cummings, went to 'test his eyesight'). I didn't need my eyesight testing - the view that greeted me as I turned in the gates was simply astonishing. 

The Bowes Museum was purpose built by its founders John Bowes (1811-1885) and his wife Josephine, to house their extensive collection of European art, ceramics, textiles and other decorative objects. It's a fascinating story: in a nutshell, John was the illegitimate son of the 10th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and his mistress Mary Millner. John was acknowledged and brought up by his father, who did eventually marry Mary just a few hours before he died. John didn't inherit his father's title but after a legal battle he did inherit some of his estate. Despite serving as an MP, being a prominent businessman and being a significant figure in the art, theatre and horse racing world, he eventually left for France, feeling he wasn't fully accepted in Victorian society because of his illegitimacy. 

There he met and married an actress, Josephine Benoite Coffin-Chevalier. They were unable to have children and, both being avid and knowledgeable collectors, they decided to commission the Bowes Museum, in John's home area, to house their collection for the benefit of the public. Sadly both died before it was fully completed. The museum, built in the style of the French Second Empire, is now run by a Trust who continue to acquire objects for the collection, as well as hosting significant exhibitions. See HERE for more details. 

It's a stunning building, covering three floors, with a magnificent connecting staircase that reminded me of an Escher drawing. I'll show some items from the collection tomorrow.