VISITORS to a museum will be able to see the first stage in the development of a gallery due to open next year.

Because of public interest, Bowes Museum’s new textiles and dress gallery is opening to the public from today as a work in progress.

The showcase at the museum, in Barnard Castle, will highlight gems from the collection.

Joanna Hashagen, the museum’s keeper of textiles, said: “It is quite an exciting and new process, and has not been done before.”

Among those working at the museum is acclaimed costume designer, Luca Costigliolo, who recently appeared as a consultant on the popular BBC2 programme Victorian Farm, where he demonstrated how to make clothes from that period.

He is an experienced theatrical costumier, who formerly worked at the Globe Theatre, in London, where he specialised in 16th Century costume.