The Bowes Museum is a beautiful art gallery located in the heart of Barnard Castle, County Durham in northern England.
Paying homage in its design and appearance to a glorious French chateau, the imperious Bowes Museum was the brainchild of John Bowes who frequently visited France, building his art collection.
It was there he met his wife to be, Joséphine, also an avid collector and artist. The couple were married in 1852 and decided to combine their interests and came up with the idea of building a museum in the home town of John Bowes – Barnard Castle.
It wasn’t until 1869 that the project was started with around 15,000 artefacts purchased between 1862 and 1874; all destined to reside in the finished museum.
Untimely Death
Sadly, Joséphine’s passed away, leaving her husband stricken with grief and the project subsequently mothballed. Neither ever saw the museum finished.
It wasn’t until the trustees became involved that the project was reignited, opening its doors to the public June 10th 1892. The Bowes Museum was an instant success with nearly 70,000 visitors crossing its impressive threshold in its first 12 months of opening.
The Bowes Museum
Newgate
Barnard Castle
DL12 8NP
UK