Beamish Museum's Old King Coal celebration fires up a look at North East's mining past

Visitors can also see restored steam locomotive Glyder in action in the region for the first time in over 80 years as part of the Old King Coal event.

Banner parades, brass bands and pit ponies will all play a part in the County Durham attraction’s programme of events, which will run from Wednesday, June 26, to Sunday, June 30.

Visitors can also see restored steam locomotive Glyder in action in the region for the first time in over 80 years.

There will be a chance to see The 1900s Colliery railway in action during the festival.

Activities will centre around the 1900s Pit Village and 1900s Colliery Yard.

Visitors will be able to join a miners’ banner parade at noon on Saturday and Sunday.

The Colliery railway will be in action, plus there will be the chance to meet Marley the pit pony.

Siân Fox, community events officer, said: “Old King Coal will take place in the 1900s Pit Village and Colliery Yard this year, which tells the story of miner’s and their families in the time of peak coal production in the North East.

Banners will be on parade as part of the celebrations.

“We will have an exciting mix of brass and silver bands, traditional folk singers, and clog dancing.

“Visitors will also have the chance to meet Marley the pit pony and ferrets from the North Pennine Ferret Welfare and Boarding.

“There will be visiting engines, as well as Beamish favourites running throughout the five days, and, of

course, the visiting mining banners.

The 1900s Pit Village and 1900s Colliery Yard will be the main focus of the event.

“We’re all looking forward to a truly special five-day event.”

From tomorow until Friday, visitors can watch a junior miners’ gala at 11.45am each day and enjoy music from the North East England Fellowship Band of the Salvation Army.

On Saturday, the Beamish Choir will be performing at 1pm and 2pm in the chapel.

Around the rest of the museum during Old King Coal, visitors can see replicas of coal-carrying engines at Pockerley Waggonway on all five days of the event and take a train ride behind steam engine Great Western Railway (GWR) 813 at Rowley Station during the weekend.

The part played by pit ponies in mining coal will be explained to guests during the five-day programme.

There will be a coal and limestone model railway exhibition by The Stephenson Locomotive Society in the Collections Study Room, at the Regional Resource Centre, at the weekend.

Beamish Museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm.

For more visit www.beamish.org.uk.