It’s already firmly cemented as the North East’s favourite daytime attraction, and now, for the first time, visitors can spend the night at Beamish Museum.
The County Durham venue has launched its self-catering holiday cottages as part of the major Remaking Beamish project, which has seen a number of new attractions at the outdoor museum.
Now, two former agricultural buildings, which were already part of the Pockerley Manor estate, have been turned into Potter’s Cottage and Drover’s Rest, which each sleep two people.
Located in the 1820s landscape at the museum, the cottages give you the chance to travel all the way back to Georgian times.
However, you don’t have to fully live like a Georgian - there are some modern conveniences including electricity, indoor bathrooms (the bed pans aren’t for actual use), wifi, telephones and 21st century amenities such as ovens, fridges and TVs, which have been hidden away.
“This is Beamish as you’ve never seen it before,” said Samantha Shotton, chief operating officer at Beamish, as bookings go live for the cottages.
She added: “What’s really interesting is that there was a building here, an original Georgian building, and we’ve raised it up, and saved it, and put it back in a way that visitors can come down and have a new experience at Beamish and see it in a whole new light.”
1. Live like a Georgian
The two cottages give people the chance to live as labourers would in the late Georgian period of the 1820s. The cottages are typical of those that would have been occupied by the rural working classes - with some modern tweaks. | Sunderland Echo
2. Home from home
The cottages are self-catering but you can, of course, use the food outlets within the museum during the daytime hours of your stay. The kitchens include fridge freezers, ovens, kettles and microwaves. | Sunderland Echo
3. Carefully curated
The cottages have been carefully curated by the Beamish team to reflect the period featuring furniture and items from its own collection. | Sunderland Echo
4. Under the rafters
The cottages are primarily for couples, with each containing an upstairs double bedroom, however, there would be space in each for a travel cot. Potter's Cottage is also dog-friendly. | Sunderland Echo