Discover the evolution of ladies' dress over the last 1,000 years at a new exhibition at Sudeley Castle that opens today (Monday, July 19).

This fascinating and unique exhibition 'The Change in Ladies Costume from 1066 - 1980' by costume creator Lisa Jayne Smith, will be on display at Sudeley Castle until August 31.

The charming collection features an extensive collection of 74 dolls immaculately dressed in exquisite, hand-made costumes spanning a millennium.

The collection, which took five years to create, will be on display at the castle. Visitors can see the change in ladies' clothing over 1,000 years, depicted in miniature form, with exceptional attention to detail; from Saxon dress worn around the time of Harold Godwinson and William the Conqueror, to power dressing synonymous with the 1980s anarchic style of fashion.

Each individual costume took between two hours to two weeks to create, and with such a large collection, Lisa Jayne Smith has made this a real labour of love.

The collection even includes a majestic miniature model in ornate early Tudor dress, which can also be seen on life-size models in the main exhibition.

Exhibition creator Lisa Jayne Smith said: "I used dolls as my main model for two reasons: I knew they would be available perpetually, and so kept my collection standard, and there are a wide

range of different looks, shapes and colours and so reflect the real-life diversity in ladies' appearances throughout the ages."

Visitors to the new exhibition can also discover the castle's eventful 1,000-year history showcased throughout the recently refurbished 'Royal Sudeley 1000, Trials, Triumphs and

Treasures' exhibition.

The inside areas of the Cotswolds' most historic castle include exhibitions, fully furnished castle rooms and the final resting place of Katherine Parr, in the quaint St Mary's Church are all now open to visitors, plus the adventure playground for lots of family fun.

Tickets for Sudeley Castle must be pre-booked online at www.sudeleycastle.co.uk  and are on sale now with limited availability at weekends throughout the summer.