The North East offers many opportunities to get close to the past, from choosing sweets in an Edwardian sweet shop, to soaking up the art of the mining communities
Tourists are a much more common sight in the North East than they used to be. That’s largely down to the success of the Harry Potter movies, in which Hogwarts is instantly familiar to anyone who has visited Alnwick Castle.
Having said that, it’s still one of the most unspoilt destinations in the country. It has beautiful, varied scenery, and north of Newcastle its coastline is largely untouched by the Victorian mania for seaside resorts – giving you some of the most beautiful and peaceful beaches in the UK.
Its long and ancient history on the border of Scotland has left a landscape dotted with fascinating castles, some of them in ruins, some of them restored by Georgians and Victorians and lived in as family homes; most of them open to the public and welcoming of groups.
There are a number of other types of attraction too. One of the most famous is Beamish, the Living Museum of the North – just a brilliant, packed day out at any time of year.
Explore zones of history
Beamish incorporates several eras of history in several zones.
The 1820s can be explored hands-on at Pockerley Old Hall and Pockerley Waggonway. New from late 2016 is St Helen’s Church, which was dismantled brick by brick from Eston, 40 miles away, and lovingly rebuilt at Beamish. It now sits in the attraction’s Georgian landscape as if it’s always been here.
The 1900s are explored in both the Town and the Pit Village. A terrace of liveable homes; businesses including a dentist, a Co-op store, a sweet shop, a garage and a bakery; and even a pub where you can sit by the fire and have a proper drink, are worth over an hour exploring.
The most remarkable thing about Beamish is that most of these buildings are real, brought from around the North East and resurrected here, and so have real histories to tell.
New in the 1900s Town is a chemist’s shop and photographer’s studio, both vital types of business in the Edwardian period.
The 1900s Pit Village and Colliery truly shows life as it was for the close-knit mining communities of the North East. There’s a terrace of tiny pit cottages, with a working communal bread oven; a school and chapel; a fried fish shop selling real mouth-watering fish and chips cooked in beef dripping; a colliery railway; and the mine itself, a drift mine original to the site.
The 1940s Farm allows groups to explore life on the Home Front, with a cosy farmhouse and labourers’ cottages to visit, and sheepdogs at work to watch.
A wealth of old transport models can be admired at Beamish too, from the picturesque old railway station to the vital tramway that encircles the site, and allows groups to take the weight off their feet. Back on the rails after a long period of restoration is a delightful double-deck ‘balcony tram’ from Sheffield.
On the remake
Work has now started on the £18m project Remaking Beamish, which will introduce 30 new exhibits to the attraction over the next four years. It's the biggest such project Beamish has ever undertaken, and is expected to attract an extra 100,000 tourists a year.
A 1950s Town will be added, including a cinema being moved from Sunderland, a community centre, homes, shops, a bowling green and a fish and chip shop. Artist Norman Cornish’s former home will be recreated, including the studio he donated to the museum.
Groups will also be able to explore the 1950s through Spain’s Field Farm, from Weardale.
The 1820s Landscape will see the addition of a Georgian coaching inn, where visitors can stay overnight, and a recreation of murdered Joe the Quilter’s cottage.
And a trolleybus system will be installed with restored buses, while a Northern General bus depot will help pass on heritage engineering skills.
Community spirit
One of the amazing things about Beamish is that it’s all about the communities of the north east.
Most of the buildings that have been rebuilt come from this part of the world, and the communities they are from are still involved – for example, the Eston community had a special service at St Helen's church when it reopened at Beamish.
If you want to really explore the north east, it's a great place to start.
Groups are very welcome, with free admission for the coach driver and group organiser. The rate for groups of 15+ is £13pp (£11.50pp for seniors). Visit goo.gl/UiZUsS
Ancient history
While in the area, there's plenty more history to explore.
English Heritage has several properties in the area, including Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens in Northumberland. It contains a unique mix of architecture, including a ruined medieval castle enlarged into a Jacobean mansion, and a noble Greek Revival villa, all linked by outstanding plant-rich gardens. Free tours of the Greek Revival house are included in admission.
The 30-acre Grade I-listed gardens are famed for their magnolias and rhododendrons. There are formal and informal gardens and a romantic quarry garden, home to the red squirrel.
Pre-booked garden tours are £5pp, and a tour with afternoon tea is £11pp. The Victorian Kitchen Tearoom seats 50. Visit english-heritage.org.uk/belsay
The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is a tranquil, beautiful place to take a group. The National Trust-owned Castle will reopen after a major refurbishment in April 2018. In the mean time, groups can follow the same path taken by 13 centuries of pilgrims by crossing the causeway at low tide and reaching Lindisfarne Priory – a dramatic and poignant ruin.
Groups can wander around the extensive richly-decorated ruins and its most dramatic feature, the towering ‘Rainbow Arch’. A museum houses lively displays, interactive exhibits and relics including the Viking Raider Stone, believed to commemorate the first Viking raid on the monastery in AD 793.
Coach Parking is in the main car park on Holy Island, 200 metres from the site entrance. Advance booking is advised. Visit english-heritage.org.uk/lindisfarnepriory
Bamburgh's brilliance
One of our favourite castles in Northumberland is Bamburgh, an imposing and intimidating fortress high on the cliff above the tiny village. It was restored from ruin in the late Victorian period by the illustrious Baron Armstrong, and is fully explorable as both a medieval castle and a stately home.
Groups can make their way through the State Rooms starting in the Great Kitchen, explore the Great Keep and its impressive armouries collection, and visit the fascinating Armstrong and Aviation Artefacts Museum on site – where you can learn about the man Armstrong and his pioneering work, including installing the first house in Britain with electricity, and his work on the railways.
There are also beautiful stables, and the Victorian King's Hall decorated in grand medieval style, a popular wedding venue today. Visit bamburghcastle.com
New in Bishop Auckland
Finally, don't miss the new Gallery of Mining Art in Bishop Auckland.
It's part of the Auckland Project, a major regeneration of the town that presents the spectacle of Kynren to the public (GT&T, July), and is the only gallery dedicated solely to mining art in the country. It includes work by Norman Cornish, whose studio is being rebuilt at Beamish, as well as countless other talented artists.
The collection, of over 420 artworks including paintings, drawings and print, has been amassed over two decades by Bob McManners and Gillian Wales, and is now housed in the Old Bank Chambers in Bishop Auckland's Market Place.
Some of the works evoke the claustrophobia and fear of life underground, while others reveal the spirit and energy of the community above the mines. These paintings express better than almost anything else what life was like in these communities. Tickets are as little as £3pp. Visit goo.gl/sK96UY
For more information visit:
