Beamish, Britain's favourite open air museum, set in over 300 acres of beautiful countryside, vividly recreates life in the North of England in the early 1800s and 1900s.

Winner of both the British

Museum of the Year and European Museum of the Year Awards, it demonstrates the recent history of the region in a "living" way and provides entertainment and education for visitors of all ages and interests.

People from the past welcome visitors and interpret how the people of the North of England lived and worked. At Beamish, you can take a trip down a real drift mine, watch sweets being made, visit an authentically recreated Masonic Hall and take a ride behind a replica of Puffing Billy, one of the world's oldest surviving steam locos at Pockerley Waggonway!

Step on board our trams and we'll transport you into the past, for a happy day out in history!

The Coffee shop in the admissions building and the Dainty Dinah in the town offer a selection of hot and cold snacks throughout the day.

The Cartshed Cafe at Home Farm and the Pitman's Pantry in the Pit Village offer a range of light snacks, ice cream and hot and cold drinks. Open weekends only during winter season. Davy's Fried Fish and Chip Shop is now open in the Pit Village. Try our authentic fish and chips, fried in beef dripping in a coal-fired range! Open weekends only.

The Print shop and Co-op in the Town, and the Gift Shop in the entrance building offers a large range of Souvenirs, gifts and books.

Accessible facilities are available in all areas within the museum.

Organic baby food by BabyDeli. There are baby changing facilities within the following areas: * The Entrance Building * The Town * Pockerley Old Hall * Home Farm * Regional Resource Centre * Colliery Village (Lamp Cabin)

From the North and South - Follow the A1M to Junction 63 (Chester-le-Street exit), then the A693 towards Stanley for 4 miles following the signs. From the West - Take the A68 to Castleside and follow the Beamish Museum signs along the A692 and A693 via Stanley. Sat-nav users - our postcode is DH9 0RG. Service Buses: The Waggonway (No. 28/28A) sees regular buses running from Eldon Square bus station in Newcastle - via Gateshead, Birtley, Ouston and Chester-le-Street. Monday to Saturday daytime there is a bus every 30 minutes between Newcastle and Chester le Street. Evenings and Sundays 28 provides an hourly service.

The museum is set within 300 acres of County Durham countryside, so a comfy pair of shoes is a must, as there is a lot of walking to do!

The majority of pathways are buggy and wheelchair friendly; however, the landscape does have some steep slopes and uneven surfaces (such as the cobbles on the Town street), so some care is required. Due to the nature of the museum, some of the exhibits are not easily accessible.

Dogs are welcome within the museum, but must be kept on a lead at all times and are not allowed into any building (except the entrance). There are water bowls placed around the museum for their use.

We visited Beamish yesterday, on a fine sunny February day, and we thought it was brilliant! The fee to visit was hugely reduced as so much of it was closed for the winter, but the 1913 town was open, and the tram was in service. It's a lovely place to begin with, and the attention to detail in the town was fantastic. The staff working in the shops and displays were extremely informative, and could answer any of the questions asked by the children and the adults. They demonstrated things for us when asked, and gauged their conversation to the age of their audience, making it interesting for everyone.

We were maybe spoilt by the fact that there weren't very many people visiting at this time of year, hence the staff were able to spend more time talking to us, but we can't wait to go back in April when more of the attractions are open.

Can't recommend it more highly.

Lucy Parkington 4.2.07