Bowes Museum

No, we've not hopped over to France for the day but this is a chateux inspired building.

As Storm Frank made it's way across the North and West of the UK we decided to find an indoor location today. This fascinating museum is in Barnard Castle just a short drive from where we're staying.

It's not a stately home converted to a museum, it was purpose built by John Bowes and his French wife. It was designed as a public art collection.

There's a famous life size automaton here - the Silver Swan which is wound up at 2pm every day, with the resulting action of the swan moving it's neck and then catching a fish and swallowing it.