AN EXHIBITION at Hexham Abbey is charting changes in wedding dress trends throughout the decades.

'A Century of Wedding Gowns' features 48 gowns, including one made and designed by Coco Chanel as well as replicas of Kate Middleton and Princess Diana's dresses.

The exhibition, which runs until June 13, has previously been shown at the Ripon and Newcastle cathedrals. Collector and curator Kevin Thornhill reached out to the Abbey to see if they would be interested in hosting it this year.

"And we very much were!" said Cath Newson, the Abbey's fundraising manager. "It is proving really popular."

Hexham Courant: Esme Young, fashion designer and star of the BBC's The Great British Sewing Bee, visited the exhibition last Sunday while she was in Hexham for the Hexham Book Festival.Esme Young, fashion designer and star of the BBC's The Great British Sewing Bee, visited the exhibition last Sunday while she was in Hexham for the Hexham Book Festival. (Image: Hexham Abbey)

"The oldest wedding dress in the collection dates back to 1885," she said. "Not only does it show the change in fashion throughout the decades, it also shows the changes in body shapes.

"The dress that dates back to 1885 is tiny, it's petite. People who have been looking at it have commented on that."

Entry is free. Booklets to accompany the exhibition are available for £3 each.