Last Updated on August 1, 2026 by Tavernier’s Travels
OK – so I know Beamish Living Museum technically falls under County Durham, and I’m taking liberties to include it as part of a Yorkshire road trip post. However, in my defence, it formed part of our road trip to Yorkshire and was only a slight detour out of the county for half a day. In any case, Beamish is a fantastic museum to visit on any road trip through the North of England.
Visiting Beamish Living Museum
Located about three miles from the town of Stanley, and 12 miles south of Durham, Beamish Living Museum is famous worldwide as a pioneer of the open-air museum. It won the Museum of the Year Award in 2025, and, quite frankly, it’s easy to see why.
Until my cousin recommended it, I’d never even heard of Beamish. But it has served as a filming location for the likes of Downton Abbey and All Creatures Great and Small, and the historian in me naturally loves any chance of exploring history.
Arriving at the entrance and joining the queue to scan our pre-paid tickets (which are valid for unlimited visits over the course of a year), the museum gave little away. But, armed with a map, we set off to explore.
Almost as soon as you descend the steep hill, you’re immediately transported back into time – in this case, from the 19th century to mid-20th century North East England.
To make the most of your trip, I’d definitely recommend hopping on one of the buses or trams that stop at the entrance to head to the era that interests you most as you’ll need all your energy for exploring the towns when you arrive. If there is one era I’d highly recommend you visit first is 1900s Town. That’s where we headed first, and it didn’t take long to understand why it’s considered one of Beamish’s standout attractions.
1900s Town
A winding high street, lined with traditional early 20th-century shopfronts, had us instinctively reaching for our phones (yet again!) to capture the scene. One of the best features about Beamish is that it really is a living museum. Many of the shops aren’t simply there for display – they’re fully functioning businesses, with visitors happily queuing outside to step inside.
As Beamish is a popular destination for school trips, it was perhaps no surprise to find a long queue of excited school children snaking outside the confectioner’s. Thankfully, it eventually died down, allowing us to wander straight in. After browsing the printed menu, we couldn’t resist picking up a few traditional sweets.
Sarsaparilla tablets (“good for your health”), cinder toffee and pips were all on offer, alongside plenty of other old-fashioned favourites. At certain times of the day, you can also watch demonstrations showing how these sweets were traditionally made using techniques from the period.
Just across the road is W. Smith’s Chemist, recreated to reflect a traditional Edwardian pharmacy. The shop is named after William Smith, a real chemist who practised in Durham, while its beautifully preserved interior was rescued from an actual chemist’s shop in the 1960s, thought to be the last surviving interior of its kind in the North East.
The bus dropped us off opposite a row of unassuming houses known as Ravenscroft Terrace, their open front doors beckoning visitors inside. Here, you can explore the Edwardian homes of a solicitor and a dentist, where costumed guides bring the period to life with fascinating tours.
At the end of the terrace, you can also step inside the Masonic Hall or venture into the vaults of Barclays Bank for another glimpse into Edwardian life.
1950’s Town
This was where it really felt like stepping back in time. If it weren’t for all the other visitors in modern clothes, I could almost have believed I was about to star in my own Back to the Future story.
The 1950’s high street has been perfectly recreated, from the Grand Cinema showing actual screenings of Pathé films, to the Electrical Shop where white goods can be “bought” or “rented” and even the chippy, Middleton’s Quality Fish and Chips, where the irresistible smell of beef dripping draws you into joining the long queue stretching down the street. But it was well worth the wait.
Leaving the 1900s Town behind, we decided to walk towards the fairground and past Rowley Station, as the buses and trams were particularly busy with visiting school groups at the time. By this point, we were starting to feel quite tired, so we chose to focus on exploring the areas that interested us most rather than trying to see everything. Eventually, we made our way back to the entrance, where we caught the tram over to the 1820s landscape area.
1820’s Landscape
After a steep incline down hill, we wandered into the area. With cows set uphill preparing to shelter from the overcast clouds that threatened rain, the ruins of the Quilter’s Cottage and the expanse of the English countryside around you, its many cottagecore-lovers’ dream.
Further along, we came across St Helen’s Church, where, as with many other locations across the site, an interpretation guide dressed in 18th-century attire helps transport visitors back to the era.
A Brief History of Beamish
The history of North East England in the 19th and 20th centuries has been wonderfully preserved at Beamish. The origins of the museum can be traced back to Dr Frank Atkinson, who founded it after being inspired by the Scandinavian open-air museums he had visited. He saw an opportunity to capture the story of the region at a time when it was already undergoing significant change, transitioning from a landscape shaped by coal mining and heavy industry towards a more modern era of technology and innovation.
How long do I need to visit Beamish?
If you want to visit every part of Beamish, or explore the different eras at a fairly leisurely pace, then I would say a full day is absolutely needed. The museum opens from 10am until 5pm, and with so many areas to discover and attractions to explore, you’ll need every minute of those opening hours — especially if you don’t make full use of the buses and trams.
Thankfully, there are plenty of places to stop for a meal or take a break, including chip shops and cafés, as well as sweet shops and ice cream parlours for when you need a sugary boost of energy.
But if you find yourself in the area, Beamish Living Museum is definitely worth visiting. The uniqueness of an open-air museum is an experience in itself. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or simply someone who loves a good period drama, Beamish offers a fascinating day out. It’s ideal for couples, families, and anyone wanting to step back in time, with plenty to keep children entertained — not least the fairground.
Thanks to our year-long open tickets, I hope to return again to explore some of the eras we didn’t get a chance to see on this visit. And, of course, I’ll have to pick up some more traditional sweets while I’m there!
After our day at Beamish, we returned to North Yorkshire where we stayed at the beautifully whimsical Grinklebell Cottage, which you can read about here.
