Beamish Open Air Museum

We were a bit skeptical when Jean and Gordon suggested a vist to Beamish Open Air Museum – it sounded like a British Williamsburg or a Renaissance Festival with people dressed up in costume acting out their historical roles. We were very surprised to find a beautiful –and very large (300 acres) park set up to illustrate life in Northeast England between 1825 and 1913. Our first stop was in “the Town”, set up as a typical north eastern market town in the year’s leading up to WWI. Trolley cars shuttle you through the cobblestone streets, filled with shops and houses. Places like the local dentist take you into the world of early 1900 dentistry.

The large manor home farm shows life in a wealthy farming family in the early 1800’s. Next to the manor home is an operating railway, carrying tourists for a 1 km ride.

But the highlight for John was the recreation of the Northeastern pit from the early 1900’s. The cottages show how miners and their families lived. The school, from 1892, had three classrooms that could hold 200 children.


Near the village was the Drift Mine. This mine opened in 1855 and was worked for 103 years before closing in 1958. We toured the Colliery Heapstead building- where the cages were drawn up from the shaft beneath it. The coal tubs were weighed before the coal was tipped onto the screens for sorting and loading.

We stopped at the local store, Sainbridges, for some groceries because that evening, Gordon was preparing his famous beef stroganoff! Mmmm!