The Bowes Museum Blog

The Bowes Museum is getting ready to welcome visitors to the exclusive Yves Saint Laurent: Style is Eternal exhibition opening on Saturday 11^th July.  As this is the UK’s first retrospective of the French fashion designer’s work and a huge coup for the North East, we and the town of Barnard Castle are literally ‘putting out the flags’!

Putting up the flags in town

As well as building the actual exhibition inside the Museum which will occupy three galleries on the first floor, selling exhibition tickets and YSL catalogues, and recruiting more staff to accommodate the extra visitors, the park and landscaped gardens are also getting a lot of attention. The parterre is getting a smart new covering of 140 tons of best quality river washed sandstone gravel supplied and laid by Chris Kearton. He is also laying a further 20 tons of gravel on the terrace.

Chris Kearton laying gravel on the Parterre

Val, the Museum Gardener has been planting and tidying borders, trimming hedges, and preparing for the new gravel.

Val, Museum Gardener, prepping before the gravel is laid

Dave Robinson builders have been clearing the pond and reinvigorating the fountain which is now working well and looking great on some of the hottest days of the year, this week.

Ron and Dave Robinson builder cleaning the pond

New gravel and fountain cleaned and working

Up on the terrace there is new work on the end paving flags from Phil and team from Trevor Atkinson and Co. from Mickleton, providing a safe and solid way to walk up to the Museum.

Phil from Trevor Atkinson and Co. relaying part of the terrace

Relaying the East Terrace ramp

These outdoor improvements to the parterre and terrace have been supported by one of the exhibition sponsors, Taylor Wimpey, one of the UK’s largest residential developers with Castle Vale, offering an outstanding selection of properties in Barnard Castle.

All activity on the Parterre

Elsewhere, there is decorating and painting being undertaken by local tradesmen to smarten up the side entrance, and cleaning and polishing inside the Museum by the Front of House team and Conservation staff to make the ‘YSL experience’ a great one.

By Jon Old, Conservation Manager