A new gallery has opened its doors for business in a truly enviable setting – Olney's Cowper & Newton Museum!

The Three Hares Gallery will showcase artists, predominantly local, on a month by month basis. It offers a much needed new platform in an area that is awash with creative sorts, but starved of places where they can put their talents before an audience.

Olney Camera Club became the first group to benefit from the space, but the shutters come down on their show this week.

The doors re-open on Friday though, with a spanking new arrival for August – a joint exhibition by Northampton's David O'Leary and London-based John Hine.

The former will present paintings including portraiture, while John's pieces ready for perusal include a series of paintings that he has made of Cowper's garden.

Ann Walker has been a volunteer at the museum for the past five years and now takes the new role of Gallery Manager, a job she is relishing: "I keep waiting for the bubble to burst, but it hasn't yet," she told Go! "It is just so enjoyable!"

When a vast Cowper collection came up for auction at Bonham's, a Lottery Grant allowed the personal artefacts to 'come home' to the Olney setting, and a development officer took charge of re-organising the museum and its goodies. He did a sterling job during his 12 month placement.

Aside from the museum being spruced up, two new spaces were created at the top of the building which looks out over the town's Market Square: A schools' area and this new gallery space.

Visitors pay £3 for a day ticket, and also get to wander the museum at their leisure, making it a truly cheap way to make a connection with local history while also supporting new artists.

Better still, if you pay £5 you can visit the house and the exhibition area as many times as you like throughout the year. That's cheap as chips!

"It is really part of local, national and international history," Ann says of the museum.

"Cowper is famous for his writings, and while he suffered massive bouts of depression, he was also incredibly creative and humorous.

"It is also the home of Amazing Grace. Written by Newton it is the most recorded song in the world, there are thousands of recordings..."

The Three Hares Gallery has a lovely ring about it, but there is quite a story behind the name too...

Our famous local poet had three pet hares, Puss, Tiny and Bess, but when one temporarily escaped from the house, via the front door, Cowper was far from happy.

Although the hoppy-hare was later returned, never again was the front door used as an access point for visitors, irrespective of their status!

The front door remained locked and bolted with entry from the side of the house...a tradition that the gallery continues today.

The Three Hares Gallery and The Cowper & Newton Museum are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10.30am-4.30pm.

For further information, call 01234 711516.