Musical swan is back on display

To preserve the swan it will be played just once a day

An 18th century musical silver swan, which has taken three months to restore, is back in operation at the Bowes Museum in County Durham.

The 235-year-old automaton, at the museum in Barnard Castle, goes back on show on Monday, after it was taken apart and its parts were catalogued.

Yorkshire clockmaker Matthew Read carried out the dismantling project behind a see-through screen.

The silver swan dates from 1773 and does a 40-second performance.

Museum director Adrian Jenkins said: "As a result of this project we know a lot more about the swan than we did before, which is important as it enters a new chapter in its history.

"How many chapters the swan has left in its life will depend on us and future generations, because we determine the degree of pressure we put it under each time we crank up the ancient mechanism."

To preserve the swan it will be played just once a day at 1400 GMT.