Discover 6 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Beamish (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Beamish Museum, Tanfield Railway, and Pelaw Grange. Also, be sure to include Waldridge Fell in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Beamish (England).
Table of Contents
Beamish Museum
Open-air living museum of historic life. Beamish Museum is the first regional open-air museum, in England, located at Beamish, near the town of Stanley, in County Durham, England. Beamish pioneered the concept of a living museum. By displaying duplicates or replaceable items, it was also an early example of the now commonplace practice of museums allowing visitors to touch objects.
The museum's guiding principle is to preserve an example of everyday life in urban and rural North East England at the climax of industrialisation in the early 20th century. Much of the restoration and interpretation is specific to the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, together with portions of countryside under the influence of industrial revolution from 1825. On its 350 acres (140 ha) estate it uses a mixture of translocated, original and replica buildings, a large collection of artifacts, working vehicles and equipment, as well as livestock and costumed interpreters.
The museum has received a number of awards since it opened to visitors in 1972 and has influenced other living museums. It is an educational resource, and also helps to preserve some traditional and rare north-country livestock breeds.[1]
Tanfield Railway
Tourist attraction in England. The Tanfield Railway is a 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in standard gauge heritage railway in Gateshead and County Durham, England. Running on part of a former horse-drawn colliery wooden waggonway, later rope & horse, lastly rope & loco railway. It operates preserved industrial steam locomotives. The railway operates a passenger service every Sunday, plus other days, as well as occasional demonstration coal, goods and mixed trains. The line runs 3 miles between a southern terminus at East Tanfield, Durham, to a northern terminus at Sunniside, Gateshead. Another station, Andrews House, is situated near the Marley Hill engine shed. A halt also serves the historic site of the Causey Arch. The railway is "the world's oldest railway" because it runs on a section dating from 1725, other parts being in use since 1621.
The railway is run by three bodies: "Friends of Tanfield Railway", "Tanfield Railway Trust" which owns the railway, the locomotives and rolling stock and "The Tanfield Railway Company" which operates the railway.
"The Tanfield Railway Company" is split into four departments; each has a manager and director: Engineering who maintain locomotives, Operations including drivers and guards, Carriage & Waggon who preserve carriages, and Commercial which operates shops, events and the passenger side of operations.[2]
Address: Old Marley Hill, Beamish
Pelaw Grange
Greyhound stadium in Birtley, England. Pelaw Grange Stadium is a Greyhound Board of Great Britain regulated greyhound racing track located at North Lodge in the English county of Durham, between Chester-le-Street and Gateshead. The stadium has a restaurant and a number of bars and has been owned by the McKenna family since January 1965.
Racing takes place every Friday and Saturday night as well as Sunday evenings.[3]
Address: Drum Rd, DH3 2AF Chester le Street
Waldridge Fell
Country park in England. Waldridge Fell is a Site of Special Scientific Interest located immediately south-west of Chester-le-Street in the northern part of County Durham, England. It is one of the largest areas of lowland heath in County Durham and contains the only lowland valley-mire in the county. The fell is home to a number of plants and insects that are scarce to rare elsewhere in the county.[4]
London dial
A London dial in the broadest sense can mean any sundial that is set for 51°30′ N, but more specifically refers to a engraved brass horizontal sundial with a distinctive design. London dials were originally engraved by scientific instrument makers. The trade was heavily protected by the system of craft guilds.[5]
Fox & Parrot Wood
Fox & Parrot Wood is a broadleaf woodland in County Durham, England, about 4 miles west of Chester-le-Street. It is situated just north of the B6313, near the village of Craghead. The wood forms part of the Great North Forest, which is one of England's community forests, and is adjacent to Twizell Wood, which lies to the north. Fox & Parrot Wood was originally planted in 1998 as part of a joint project between the Woodland Trust and the Forestry Commission. Further planting took place in 2004. It now covers a total area of 13.4 hectares and is owned and managed by the Woodland Trust. As with other Woodland Trust woods, it is freely open to the public, with five access points.
The forest was named after Dr Fox, a local GP in the 1950s, who was known for his pet parrot.[6]