View from the pit head

It is a special time at Beamish this year because the site celebrates it’s 40th Birhday.

Bamish grew up, at the same time I did and I have been able to watch the site grow over the years into the premier tourist attraction in the county of Durham, if not the region.

There are two main time zones on the site. The town is based around the 1913 era and Pockerly Old Hall and Wagonway recreate the early 1800′s.

Now I should explain, if you are from outside of the North East of England and plan to visit Beamish, allocate the whole day to your visit. If you spend any less time there you will miss so much of the site. If you live in the region, you can get an annual pass that will allow you to visit the site as many times as you like throughout the year. Great value for money since the annual pass costs (at the time of my last visit) the same as the standard day entry.

Armstrong Whitworth

From the instant you cross the threshold, you are transported back in time. After passing through the reception area the first thing you will see is the tram stop. This is merely one stop on the circular track around the site where you can hop on and off the various trams that provide a frequent service. There is nothing better than sitting on the upper deck of an open topped tram to give a great view of the whole site.

However, if you time it right, you will be met by a chauffeur driving the specially built replica of an Armstrong Whitworth motor car. Driving past those walking to the town, those getting the tram or bus, it’s very hard to resist doing a royal wave as you pass them in style. Sadly traveling from the entrance, passed Pockerly Old Hall to the town was all too quick and we were dropped off by our driver just outside the garage in the town where the original Armstrong Whitworth car is housed.

The Print Shop

There is always plenty of things going on in the town. Whether you visit the Bank, the sweet shop (where you can see the sweets being made), the drapers, co-op, pub or even Masonic Hall. A short walk along the terrace will also take you into the dentist’s, the music teacher’s house or soliticor’s office.

It is also home to the tearoom that supplies a range of food from simple tea and scones to full meals.

A case of type

However, my personal favourite is The Print Shop. There is something special about the mechanics of it all with cogs and levers and counter balances, as well as the sounds of the presses as they operate. It is also the place to ask questions of the master printers. For example do you know where the saying “to come a cropper” originates? Or perhaps you often “get the wrong end of the stick” but never thought where that phrase came from? For the more modern minded, you may want to know why THIS IS CALLED UPPER CASE, whilst this is called lower case, when typing on a computer. This is place to ask and all will be revealed.

Moving on from The Print Shop, it was time to visit the park. It was the ideal time of year as the floral displays were amazing, particularly around the bandstand that forms the central feature.

Bandstand in the park

This is an ideal place to take a rug and have a picnic.

Whilst there was no band playing on the day of the visit it has been known for a range of music to accompany the sandwiches. Even on the busiest of days it is possible to get a spot within easy view of the bandstand.

Moving on from the park it was time to visit the railway station. Painstakingly rebuilt brick by brick, like most of the buildings at Beamish, regular trips are available on the steam train as it passes up and down the line.

From the railway station I moved on to the farm where the highlight had to be the huge shire horses. I really had forgotten how big these magnificent beasts were. The previous visit to the site, I had spotted one in a field driving a plough.

Then all too quickly it was time to go. I hadn’t visited the Colliery Village, the drift mine, the chapel, school or Pockerly Old Hall and wagonway. However, I do have an annual pass so perhaps they will be the first stops on my next visit when I add to my Flickr Set.

Beamish Museum really does allow time travel to come to County Durham.

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Look at the lumps half way up the rock face. The one of the left is a petrified top hat. On the right is a ladies bonnet from the Victorian era.

Ursula was not blessed with good looks and her rounded shoulders and twisted back led many to belief that she herself was a witch. Having been raised for most of her childhood by a local family she would often return to her place of birth to escape the constant taunts she would receive and it was here she discovered her gift for predicting events of the future. Her reputation grew to such an extent that even the court of King Henry VIII sent the Duke of Suffolk, the Earl of Northumberland and Lord D’Arcy to quell her predictions that were beginning to threaten the power of the King. In typical stubborn Yorkshire-woman style, Ursula refused to retract any of her prophecies and hit back by dishing out a few more, especially for the three ‘guests’.

In her mid twenties she married a local Tobias Shipton, a craftsman by trade. However, their marriage was a short one lasting approximately two years. The brevity of the marriage ensured that rumours of witchcraft started to circulate once more.

Despite never having children, Ursula gained the title of ‘mother’ or ‘old mother’, which was commonly used to refer to the oldest woman in a village. Hence the legend of Old Mother Shipton was assured its place in history.

Items take approximately three months to turn to stone

The petrifying well takes approximately three months to turn an item into stone. You will see all manner of items hanging from the line in the dripping waters of the well.

Years ago, it used to be possible to take your own items to be turned to stone, however this is no longer possible due to the overwhelming demand.

Some items are available from the gift shop, but items that have been petrified with a connection to a celebrity can be found in the museum at the end of the walk. The range of items is diverse ranging from Queen Mary’s shoe, to John Craven’s sock and even a hat personally owned by John Wayne.

When visiting the cave ad petrifying well, don’t forget to pay a visit to the wishing well, but make sure you read the instructions carefully. You must dip only your right hand into the water and your hand must be allowed to dry naturally. Do not be tempted to wipe it dry otherwise your wish will not come true.

The wishing well

Unlike other wells, leaving money (which is donated to charities), is not compulsory for your wish to come true.

However, if you dare to remove any money from the well, you are destined to receive nothing but bad luck.

Old Mother Shipton’s cave is set in a beautiful part of the town. It’s riverside walk provides some breath taking views with plenty of places to stop and have that family picnic in comfortable surroundings.

Allow yourself a good three hours to wander through the well kept grounds, view the spring, the petrifying well and along the managed walks. Oh and remember, when you buy a ticket, it is a day ticket. Hang on to it if you nip into the town centre because you can enjoy the river walk all over again from the other direction. Old Mother Shipton’s Cave, a highly recommended attraction.

View from the river walk

The original viaduct was built in 1848. This is the second one, which had to be built in 1851. Visit to find out Mother Shipton's prediction should the bridge fall again.

Peceful waters of the River Nidd

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The weather was just about perfect for walking, warm but not too hot, although we did consume a fair amount of liquids throughout the walk.

We started off at Housesteads Roman Fort. Now the others didn’t spot it at first but read what was on the sign above. Any idea what a Pay & Display toilet is all about? No I didn’t either.

It’s a fairly long walk from the car parking area up the hill to the fort itself, however, a lot of work has been done to ensure the paths are even enough to push a buggy on, though there is plenty of safe open space for children to run around on the way up the hill.

Reaching the top of the hill, your first port of call is the museum area. It’s not that big but has some useful information in the displays that give you an overview of the fort its background, how it came to be found by archaeologists gone by etc. The museum is also where you pay your entrance fee.

Money saving tip: If you’re a member of the National Trust, entry is free!

Much of the site is covered by the exposed ruins, however in one or two places there are some quite steep drops so make sure you keep a close eye on the children. Also, don’t be tempted to rush your visit. There are plenty of things to see and discover if you look for them and the signage around the fort will give you a good insight into how these people lived. Of course some will go the extra mile to get that insight.

Having spent some time at Housesteads learning all things Roman, we moved on to Steel Rigg.

I had never heard of this place, but was reliably informed it was well worth a visit and the view from the car park was pretty impressive to say the least.

Our route was to take us along the top of the cliff, past the lake in the distance and heading east along the wall, back towards Sycamore Gap.

Of course nothing in this life is free and to get these stunning views we had to pay with blood, sweat and tears. Ok I exaggerate little there but certainly plenty of one out of the three with plenty of huffing and puffing too. Though one of the group did earn the name Cragg-hopper as she skipped up the hill.

Our ultimate goal on this part of the walk was to reach an area on the wall known simply as Sycamore Gap.

It’s a gap in the landscape with, erm……. ok no prizes for guessing a Sycamore Tree.

Now that doesn’t particularly sound impressive does it, until you actually see it. Oh, and if you are thinking it looks a little familiar, but you just cannot quite place the memory. Well perhaps you should take another look at Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and all will become apparent. A group of Australians we bumped into at the gap were not quite convinced after they were told, but one of the party managed to persuade the others they were not being subjected to some tourist trap trick.

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On the National Trust website, Wallington is described as “Magnificent mansion with fine interiors and collections, set in an extensive garden and parkland”. It is an accurate description of what was once the home of the Trevelyan family, in Border Reiver country.

As you approach the estate,one of the first sights to greet you are the Griffins on the east lawn.

However, these stone heads do not mark the entrance to the site, you will have to continue a few hundred yards to the north to find the car park and entrance. The estate now owned and managed by the National Trust, is at the centre of a number of working farms which supply produce the farm shop at the southern end of the car park.

Having paid your entrance fee, or shown your National Trust membership card, you enter the Courtyard by walking through the archway under the clock. The Courtyard is a mis-leading description for this area of the estate as there is a large grassed, well tendered lawn to cross or walk round before reaching the big house itself. This area provides an ideal space for a picnic if the weather is nice, whilst other took the opportunity to kick a ball around during our visit.

Formal stable blocks house displays showing the history of the estate, some carriages, as well as the obligatory gift shop, tea room and restaurant. During the visit I stopped for a cup of tea and a scone, very reasonably priced and served quickly with a smile.

The house itself did not open until 1pm, so that provided ample time to take a look around the extensive grounds and woodland areas. One of the highlights was the walled garden, whose formal displays were clearly the result of many hours work by skilled gardeners. However, all this work was upstaged by mother nature herself, when a dragonfly made an appearance at the pond.

This rare sight drew cameras from bags and pockets from everyone in the area.

After the walled garden came a long walk in the extensive grounds of Wallington, though be warned, make sure you are wearing appropriate footwear. Thick soled shoes or boots are best as the paths vary in quality. That said virtually all sections are accessible to those who use wheelchairs.

Overall, you should allow yourself a good four hours to get the most out of your visit which includes the interior of the house itself. Contrary to the plaintive cries of one young man who said “What are we doing in here, it’s all just old stuff?” there is plenty to see and do.

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There are not many places left where you get a genuine feeling of stepping back in time when you arrive, but Blanchland is certainly one of them.

There is a strange tranquility about the place, even on a busy weekend. The sound of nature surrounds you, only interrupted by the occasional passing car or van.

Communication appears to centre around the parish noticeboard that, unlike other places, has a number of notices placed upon an open board which are not interfered with by the younger members of the community. People sign up for community events on the board and receive information. A polite notice indicates that all Freedom of Information requests for the council should be addressed to the Town Clerk as there is no full time member of staff to deal with them.

Blanchland could accommodate far more visitors to the area but appears to have made a conscious decision to keep its open spaces. Visitors must park in the car park at the edge of the village and walk the few hundred yards into the centre. Perfection all round.

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A quick visit to the gift shop on the edge of the village green will equip you with a very reasonably priced leaflet showing three circular walks in the countryside around the village.

Parking is usually easy. The parish council allow you to park at the village green and whilst there are no fixed charges are made for parking a donation towards the upkeep of the greens is request via the honesty boxes.

 It is a very small price to pay to park at the centre of the village, however be warned, if you visit on a public holiday parking can get very busy. Go early to make sure you get a spot.

Perhaps one of the nicest things about Reeth is its central location which makes it an ideal start or end point on a number of circular walking routes.

You can head down towards the river and slowly walk west before returning north towards the village green again. This is a fairly easy walk which will provide a pleasant stroll in most weather. Or if you’re feeling a little more adventurous you can head up the hill to tackle a more adventurous route up the side of the moor.

If the weather is particularly wet and you do not want to tackle any of the grassed routes, you can follow the road north and head towards Tan Hill where you will find the famous Tan Hill Inn, the highest pub in Britain and star of the Everest double glazing  and solar panel TV adverts.

Whichever route you take, don’t forget to make sure you have clothing and equipment suitable for all weathers. A sunny day can turn into a torrential downpour quite quickly, or even worse if you’re walking on higher ground, the mist can descend. The last time I visited Reeth, there was a timely reminder about going out unprepared with a display by the Mountain Rescue Team on the village green.

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Lindisfarne Castle (shown above) dominates the view over the bay of the island. In fact there are not many parts of the island where the castle is not visible.

Boats ashore for maintenance and storage. The village can be seen in the background.

There is a rich history associated with the island with both St Aidan and St Cuthbert having close ties all the way back to 635AD when the first monastery was built.

The village streets are all fairly narrow and careful siting of the visitors’ car park at the end of the causeway ensures the village largely remains free from traffic. This adds to the feeling of peace you will get as you wander around. The photograph below shows the influence of the sea is never far away. Note the lobster pots at the end of the street on the left.

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The former Kings Head where Charles Dickens stayed whilst researching information for his novel Nickolas Nickleby in February 1838.

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