Step back in time ! (Beamish North of England Open Air Museum)

Member Name: anwar7

Product:	Beamish North of England Open Air Museum
Date:	20/10/07 (200 review reads)
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One of my families favourite destinations for a great day out is Beamish open air museum. Situated in the north east of England Beamish has won British museum of the year award not only for the U.K but for Europe too. Advertised as where the past comes to life Beamish will take you back in time to the 1800’s and 1900’s.

Getting there.
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Beamish is situated in county Durham. It is 9 miles south west of Newcastle and 12 miles north of Durham city. It is really well sign posted from all approach roads. There is a large free car park where it is a minute’s walk into the entrance building.

There is a bus direct from Eldon Square in Newcastle that stops right outside the museum gates. From Durham you will need to take a connecting bus at Chester-le-street.



What’s on offer?
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Set in 300 acres of beautiful countryside Beamish is a museum with a difference. It really is like stepping back in time. Part of the area is dedicated to 1825 where you will find Pockerly manor house and farm. Once the home of a yeoman farmer and his family Pockerly manor is exactly as it would have been in 1825. The house has no electricity but is lit by candlelight. All the rooms are furnished with genuine objects from the period. Staff in costume are on hand to answer questions. Outside there are formal gardens with plants that would have been grown at the time. There is a small farm with outbuildings to explore.

The path from the manor house leads past peaceful fields and meadows. The fields have been ploughed, as they would have been in that period. The whole area has a really authentic feel to it. A path then leads to the 1825 wagonway where you can ride a replica steam train in open carriages. I love the engine drivers bothy complete with roaring coal fire.

From the wagonway it is a 2-minute walk to the tram and bus stop. I love riding on the tram and the views from the top are stunning! There is also an open topped period bus that runs to all area of Beamish.

Both the tram and bus fares are included in your ticket price. Alternatively it is a 10-minute walk to the reconstructed 1913 town. Everything around you here is authentic including the shops and row of houses. There are staff in costume walking around to add to the feeling you have gone back in time. All the buildings here have been brought to Beamish and rebuilt and furnished with genuine items from the period.

There is a row of houses that includes a dentist and a solicitor’s house. Entering the dentist’s surgery you notice a strong smell of cloves. Many of the rooms in the houses can be explored and objects handled.

Opposite the houses there is a bank. When we were there recently a member of staff spend 15 minutes showing my children old coins and explaining how the banking system worked at that time. My 10 year old was fascinated to learn that if you wanted to pay £5 into the bank you would first send in one half of your £5 note then send the second half later. The bank would then stick the 2 halves together after checking the serial numbers matched. The idea being to stop fraud!

There is a fully stocked co-op to explore, with all items priced, as they would have been. My children are fascinated to see what foods would have been on offer.
The sweet factory and shop are firm favourites, with free sweets to be sampled! In the shop you can buy sweets in 2 oz portions.

I love the haberdashery with its rolls of material on display. There is a glass display counter with lots of fascinating items for sale, pity you can’t really buy them!

The co-op general store is great fun too. All the things for sale are genuine items from the period and all displayed as they would have been.

There is an inn serving soft and alcoholic drinks and a café serving light meals and drinks.

At the end of the town there is a small park with a bandstand. There are several benches for you to picnic. There is a printers and a garage complete with early motor cars and motor bikes.

Through an archway next to the inn is the horse stables and carriage house.

A short distance from the town is a large field with a Victorian fairground. There is a carousel in addition to a few other rides. Rides cost £1.50 if you are interested. The field is also a picnic area.

Between Pockerly manor and the 1913 town a path meanders through a small wooded area down to the colliery and pit village. Here you have the opportunity to go into the coal mine with a guide. The tour takes you to the coalface. The tunnel is only 4 foot 6 inches in most places and the guide will turn off the light to show you what it would have been like for a miner at work. This is not for anyone who is claustrophobic! If you want to take the tour I suggest you take the tram to the pit village as soon as you arrive at Beamish as it is very popular. There is an engine shed housing a collection of industrial locomotives.

There is a row of pit workers cottages all carefully restored. It was interesting to learn that wages for miners were relatively high in 1913 and this is reflected in the furnishings in the cottages. Each cottage has a yard with outside netties or loos. The gardens to the front of the cottages are as they would have been with vegetables and flowers. There is the colliery office where the men would go to collect their wages.

A short walk along from the cottages and you come to the Methodist chapel with the board school next door. The school is another highlight for my children. There are 3 classrooms with desks and displays all as it would have been. Children can sit at the desks and use the slate and crayon provided to copy from the blackboard at the front of the classroom. There are teachers on hand to show you how children were taught and answer questions. When we were last at Beamish the teacher spent 45 minutes showing my children some of the interesting things in the classroom. They were fascinated by the pickled adder and grasssnake, kept to help children of the time identify which snakes were poisonous.

Outside in the playground you can try your hand at keeping the hoop going, not as easy as it looks!

From the pit village it is a short uphill walk to home farm. Here there are various farm animals to see. On our last visit the bull was a favourite. There are farm buildings with farm implements.

Refreshments.
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We always take a picnic and have never eaten at any of the cafes here so I can’t comment on the food. .However there is a café at the entrance that serves light snacks. There is tearoom situated above the co-op in the town that serves jacket potatoes and light snacks. However there is a steep flight of steps so this place may not be suitable for someone with a disability.

There is a small café with outside seating at home farm. Named the canny cuppa, this is a good place to stop for a cup of tea and a cake. There are also ice creams and sandwiches on offer. Food prices are high at Beamish as in most attractions so pack a picnic! There are plenty of benches where you can eat.

There are plenty of toilets and baby changing facilities throughout the site. I have always found the toilets well maintained.

Beamish is suitable for everyone including those with disabilities. However if you are a wheelchair user then it is suggested you bring someone with you to help you negotiate some of the steep slopes. Surfaces at beamish can be uneven, just as they would have been at the time. There are wheelchair routes to the pit village, Pockerly manor and home farm. Some of the buildings may be difficult to access due to stairs and narrow entrances. There is a leaflet available from the entrance building to assist visitors with disabilities.

Prices and opening times.
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Beamish is open all year.
Summer season-31st march-28th October.
Winter season-29th October-14th march.

During the winter season Beamish closes on Mondays and Fridays.
This is not a cheap attraction.

Summer season prices are-

£16.00 for an adult.
£10 for a child (5-16)

A family ticket costs £46 but is only for 2 adults and 2 children.

Your ticket price includes all tram ,bus and train rides.

During the winter season the cost is considerably less but only the town is open.

Adults-£6.00
Children-£6.00. There are no family tickets in the winter season.

There are special events held throughout the year, details can be found on the Beamish web site at www. Beamish.org.uk. Alternatively you can phone Beamish on 0191-3704000.







There is a lot to see at Beamish and I suggest you allow a full day to enjoy all that is on offer. I honestly can’t think of anything negative to say about Beamish!

Summary: Award winning open air museum