Beamish Museum - The Living Museum of the North


The World Famous Open Air Museum

Beamish is a world famous open air museum telling the story of life in North East England in Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian times.

In 1825, the region was rural and thinly populated. The Industrial Revolution, particularly the coming of the railways, accelerated change. By 1913 the heavy industries of the region were at their peak.

Beamish stands in 300 acres of beautiful County Durham countryside, eight miles south west of Newcastle upon Tyne, twelve miles north west of Durham city. It is not a traditional museum. Most of the houses, shops and other buildings have been dismantled, brought to Beamish and rebuilt here. Some - Home Farm, Pockerley Old Hall and the Drift Mine - were here already. All of the buildings are filled with furniture, machinery and objects, real artefacts from our designated collections. You won't find objects displayed in glass cases at Beamish, you'll see them in their original context. What's more, you will meet our costumed staff who are proud of their heritage and happy to share their knowledge with visitors.


The Edwardian Town

Take the tram down the cobbled street and make a special journey into the past. Explore the bustling Edwardian Town.

The Town represents a typical North Eastern market town in the years leading up to the First World War. It is instantly reconisable to fans of Catherine Cookson films and the many television dramas which have been filmed here.

Ravensworth Terrace - built for professional people in nearby Gateshead. The houses now represent the premises of a Solicitor, a Dentist and a Music Teacher

The Sun Inn - originally from Bishop Auckland. Enjoy a pint of real ale in front of a roaring coal fire

The Town Stables & Carriage House - a jobmaster's yard, a variety of horses and vehicles for a variety of jobs

The Printer's Workshop & Stationery Shop - see how the amazing Columbia priniting press works

The Jubilee Sweeshop and Sweet Factory - sample the delicious, mouth-watering treats

Barclay & Co's Bank - the Swedish Imperial granite frontage is typical of Edwardian banks

The Masonic Hall - discover the world of Edwardian Freemasonry

The Motor & Cycle Works - admire the splendid vehicles in the Showroom, ask the proprietor about the fascinating story of the Armstrong Whitworth car

Co-operative Grocery, Hardware and Drapery Shops - supplied everything from 'the cradle to the grave'

Redman Park - enjoy your picnic in the park and admire the flower beds. Brass bands play here on some summer Sundays


Home Farm

Home Farm, once the 'model farm' of the Beamish estate, shows a prosperous managed farm of Victorian times. The years after the Second World War were not kind to the farmstead and by the 1960s much of the farm had fallen into disrepair. Beamish began restoration in the late 1970s and in 1983, Home Farm opened to visitors for the first time.

The heart of the farmhouse kitchen is an imposing locally built range, a fire crackles merrily in the grate and the farmer's wife goes about her daily chores. Next door is the Farm Manager's office where the farm administration is undertaken, alongside a well-stocked pantry.

Around the farmstead are stables, a bull pen, blacksmith's forge and cartshed, where agricultural vehicles and implements are on display. Predominantly local breeds of pigs, cattle, sheep and poultry are bred and reared at Home Farm. Livestock may be seen at times here but for the most part can be viewed in the fields and pastures of the Museum.


Pit Village

No recreation of the history of North East England would be complete without a colliery and the people who worked and lived around it. The Pit Village at Beamish is built around a typical colliery as it would have been in the early 1900s.

Villages grew up around the mines, houses and coal was provided free in exhange for labour. Pit communities were close knit and life revolved around the village.

Francis Street - a row of pit cottages brought to Beamish from Hetton-le-Hole. They show the homes of a Methodist family, an Irish immigrant family and a miner's widow.

The Methodist Chapel - once stood in Beamish village. Local choirs occasionally give recitals in the chapel and the Sunday School Anniversary and Harvest Festival are celebrated here too.

The Board School - the three re-built classrooms could accommodate around 200 children. Attendance was compulsory up to the age of 12, but bright pupils often left earlier to help support their families.
In the Colliery Yard nearby is the entrance to the Mahogany Drift Mine, which is original to the museum site. This mine opened in 1855 and was worked for 103 years, before closing in 1958. Visitors can don a hard hat and take a guided tour underground to see how coal was worked and to experience something of the working conditions in the early 1900s.


The Railway Station

Beamish Railway Station, adjacent to The Town, is a typical country station as it would have been in Edwardian times. The passenger station was first built in 1867 in Rowley, near Consett and was re-opened at Beamish in 1976.

A wrought-iron footbridge from The Town crosses the railway line and leads towards the signal box, dating from 1896. Across the tracks in the Goods Yard is a Goods Shed, dating from 1850.

The coal drops from West Boldon reflect the important role of local coal merchants in towns and villages. The coal office, originally owned by James White of Hexham, is of a type which was found in almost every railway goods yard up to the late 1960s.

A variety of wagons can be seen in and around The Railway Station, on a regularly changing pattern of display. Also, from time to time, visiting steam locomotives may appear at the Station.


Pockerley Old Hall

Pockerley Old Hall, situated on a hill in the centre of the Beamish valley, represents the home of a wealthy farmer in the early 1800s.

The Old Hall, which was already on the museum site, has a long history dating back to at least 1183. The 13th century saw a period of expansion of the farm's holding and in around 1440 a solid stone stronghouse was built on the hill top. Parts of the stronghouse still survive, adjoining the newer house built in the late 1700s.

The ground floor of the strong house (the old house) is a barrel vault with walls up to 5 feet thick. The first floor, reached by a narrow stone staircase, contains two main rooms and a narrow passageway which houses the garderobe or toilet. Demonstrations of candle or rushlight making, wool carding and spinning and oatcake making regularly take place here.

The new house at Pockerley Old Hall provided a home for the squire, his family and their servants. Visitors can explore the large, flagged kitchen, the formal parlour for entertaining guests and the north facing larder, stocked with game, salted fish, pickles and preserves.

Upstairs, on the cold and dark north facing side of the house are the hind's quarters, with access directly into the scullery below. The family, of course, slept in the sunnier bedrooms at the front of the house. The storage room upstairs was a common feature of larger rural dwellings and holds large oak chests for dry storage of grain, fleeces waiting to be carded and a smoke room to preserve and flavour hams.

The terraced gardens, on the south side of the Old Hall, sit on three levels. Closest to the house are the formal, ornamental gardens, with the kitchen garden and orchard below. Varieties of flowers, shrubs and vegetables which were available in Georgian times flourish here.

The fine stone and pantile stables nearby house the museum's heavy horses and are the hub of the Beamish Cleveland Bay horse breeding scheme.


Pockerley Waggonway

This operating railway gives visitors a flavour of rail travel in the early 1800s as it cuts through the Georgian landscape in the valley below Pockerley Old Hall. One of three working replica locomotives hauls passengers on a one kilometre trip in recreated carriages from the period.

The 1815 Steam Elephant was built for Wallsend Colliery by William Chapman and John Buddle. Neither the engine itself nor the original drawings for Steam Elephant survived and the construction of the replica for Beamish was based on a remarkable series of sketches and exhaustive researches by Museum staff.

George Stephenson's Locomotion No. 1 was built in 1825, the replica had its first public steaming at Beamish in 1975, 150 years after the original was unveiled on the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

The most recent addition to the collection is a replica of Puffing Billy, built in 1813 by William Hedley to haul coal from Wylam Colliery to the River Tyne. This is one on the world's oldest surviving locomotives, the original is now on display in the Science Museum in London.

The Great Shed, where these locomotives are housed, is based upon the lost buildings of Timothy Hackworth's works at Shildon. Incorporated in the structure is original ironwork from George Stephenson's Forth Banks works in Newcastle. On display here are genuine artefacts from the period including an original Stockton and Darlington Railway passenger carriage (on loan from NRM).


The Georgian North

The Georgian North is a restored landscape surrounding Pockerley Old Hall and Waggonway showing the way it may have looked in the 1820s. Ridge and furrow ploughing, riven oak fences, stone walls and hedgerows of the period create a working agricultural landscape to showcase the farming practices and crops of the early 1800s. Durham Shorthorn cattle and Cleveland Bay horses graze in the fields, typical of those animals bred by farming improvers in the region.

Alongside agriculture is a recreation of an 1820s Colliery and a Wooden Waggonway, representative of the technology of the very earliest railways in the region, used to carry coal to the rivers from the expanding collieries. The Horse Gin is a working replica of a small colliery of the late 1700s/early 1800s. The wooden waggonway is based on archaeological evidence excavated locally at Lambton.

The restoration of the Pockerley landscape included planting around 300 metres of new hedgerow in the valley. Other field boundaries were reinstated in traditional dry stone wall or cleft oak fence allowing the project to support local rural crafts and craft practitioners. An accessible footpath has been provided to guide visitors on a circular route through the valley.


Historic Transport

Whilst at Beamish visitors can enjoy unlimited free rides on our historic transport. Hop on board a Beamish tram to start your journey back in time. The tramway runs in a 1½ mile circuit of the museum with stops in or near each of the period areas.

The Beamish fleet consists of six beautifully restored vehicles:

• Gateshead 10 - one of our three local trams, built in 1925.
• Newcastle 114 - built in 1901 for the opening of Newcastle Corporation Tramway.
• Sunderland 16 - built in 1900 and ceased running in 1954.
• Blackpool 31 - was built in 1901 and was in service in Blackpool until 1984.
• Sheffield 264 - dating back to 1907.
• Tram 196 - originally from Portugal, built to a pre-First World War design and now painted in Gateshead livery.

A replica bus carries visitors between The Town and Colliery Village, this is based on a type used by Northern General Transport Corporation Ltd in 1913. Recently introduced at Beamish is a brand new 'old' bus which links most of the period areas of the museum. J2007 looks exactly like a single deck Northern bus from the First World War years, but is fully accessible for all visitors with a rear wheelchair lift and space for up to four wheelchairs inside.


Times, Prices & Tickets

Beamish Museum offers a number of ticket options including family, sixty plus and student tickets in addition to the Beamish Unlimited Pass which allows you to visit again and again after paying just once. For details, please click on the following links:

Admission Charges & Opening Times
Beamish Unlimited Pass
Group Admission Charges
Beamish Online Ticket Shop


What's On

During the year, a variety of fascinating, additional events are held in the appropriate settings of The Town, Pit Village and Pockerley Old Hall. Usually, there are no extra charges for these and admission is included in the museum entry charge. Some exceptions do apply, however. Click here for more details on Special Events at Beamish.


Educational and Group Visits

Educational Visits, Activities & Resources

The past comes to life for school children of all ages. With Beamish Museum's links to the National Curriculum and Special Activity Sessions, a visit to Beamish is something special they will remember for ever. Beamish is not just for history - art, citizenship, geography and science can all be studied here. Beamish Museum delivers a superb experience offering unrivalled learning opportunities for young people in addition to a programme of educational activities which are suitable for children of all ages and are designed to enrich and enhance your school's visit to Beamish. Beamish Museum also provides educational resources for teachers featuring downloadable worksheets and activites for interactive whiteboards. Click here to find out more.

Group Visits

Beamish has been voted 'Best Large Attraction - Long Visit' at the Group Travel Awards no less than five times since 2000. Beamish Museum offers excellent rates for groups visiting in summer in parties of fifteen or more, special events at no extra charge, free coach parking, and a winning day out that's sure to get your group smiling. Click here to find out more.


How to get to Beamish Museum (from NE16)

For information on local bus services, please visit:

The Waggonway Bus Service ... or
Traveline Website

If you're travelling from farther afield, or for more detailed information on transport and getting to Beamish Museum, click here.


Museum Accessibility

Beamish is a large open air museum with many historic buildings, some with stepped access. Within the historic areas Beamish Museum has files of photographs which can be viewed by visitors unable to access an exhibit.

The staff at Beamish Museum undertake disability equality training and seek to provide honest, helpful advice.

There are accessible toilets and baby changing facilities within the following areas:

• The Entrance Building
• The Town
• Pockerley Old Hall
• Pockerley Waggonway (Accessible Toilets Only)
• Home Farm
• Regional Resource Centre
• Colliery Villiage (Lamp Cabin)

Admission concessions are available for groups of disabled people. Please telephone Beamish Museum Bookings Team on 0191 370 4026 for more information.

A copy of Beamish Museum's access information leaflet can be downloaded from the Beamish Museum website. Click here to visit the website.


Visitor Facilities & Information

Time for a Snack

Dainty Dinah Tea Rooms - above the Co-op shops in The Town. Self-service, hot and cold snacks and beverages.

The Sun Inn Public House - a working period pub in The Town. Soft and alcoholic drinks, sandwiches, tea and coffee.

The Coffee Shop - in the Entrance Building. Drinks and light refreshments.

The Pitman's Pantry - situated in the Colliery Villiage. Drinks and light refreshments.

The Cart Shed - at Home Farm. Drinks and light refreshments. At least one refreshment facility is open at all times.

The Jubilee Confectionery - in The Town. Traditional confectionery available at the Sweetshop.

Facilities

Gift Shops - offering a wide range of gifts and souvenirs

• Picnic areas
• Baby Changing Facilities
• Toilets in most areas
• Wheelchair accessible toilets
• Car park for disabled visitors
• Free wheelchair loan

Information

Visitors are welcome to take photographs and video footage, provided that they are for personal use only.

Smoking is not allowed in buildings, tram shelters or in period vehicles.

Dogs are welcome, though they must be accompanied and kept on a lead at all times. Only Assistance Dogs are allowed in period buildings or refreshment areas.


Beamish Collections

Beamish Museum is here for the people of the north east and to help preserve and celebrate their heritage. Beamish Museum delivers the Beamish Charter - caring for and presenting the social, agricultural and industrial heritage of the north east in an engaging and dynamic way.

One of the most remarkable and fascinating features of Beamish is its vast object, photographic and oral history collections - including everything from furniture, ornaments and house fittings - to costume and ready-to-wear clothing - to agricultural implements - to vehicles and transport.

All of these object collections are supported by huge audio-visual, library and archive resources, including a large collection of original trade catalogues containing examples of almost every item ever manufactured, from ranges and fireplaces, to billhooks and reaping machines, to all manner of tools.

For more information on the vast object, photographic and oral history collections at Beamish, please visit the Beamish Collections website.


Corporate Hospitality & Commercial Opportunities

Corporate hire & Events

For businesses in the region, Beamish can provide a wide range of facilities and opportunities right on your doorstep. Whether you want to hire a meeting room for a business conference or entertain your clients in 1913, Beamish Museum can help.

Conferences and Seminars - the location of Beamish makes it an excellent choice as a conference venue, providing a range of services to meet your every requirement. The Roland Cookson room and Collections Study Room are available for private hire, as are period areas of the museum itself. They offer a dramatic backdrop for seminars, product launches, small conferences, meetings, dinners, charity functions and a host of other events. Beamish offers a range of facilities and expertise to ensure that your conference, seminar or meeting is a success.

Corporate Hospitality - Beamish provides an irresistible, exclusive opportunity to entertain your guests in 1825 or 1913 style. Whatever your requirements, Beamish Museum's experienced and professional team are always on hand to discuss and assist in the planning of your function, to ensure that you are able to relax and enjoy the occasion to the full.

Commercial Opportunities

Sponsorship - there are exciting opportunities for you to promote your business to prospective customers by sponsoring a Tram, the Conference Facilities or the events programme. Beamish Museum would be delighted to discuss your requirements with you.

Beamish can offer your business the opportunity to reach over 300,000 visitors each year and a further 300,000 plus via their website. Working in partnership they can offer exciting opportunities to associate your company with their established and trusted brand. If you are interested in discussing how Beamish can help get your message across please telephone 0191 370 4023.