Beamish Avis 

Hl
I visit Beamish regularly with ma children the last times we visited. we noticed the meusem is going really harsh on their staff. I absolutely love the staff i see each time and I love to see them again so I would like to raise this concern so we don’t lose these lovely staff. I have been acknowledged that the staff car park gets close for the statf in the event of horses,truckers exhibitions and etc…and the staff have to go all the way to the main entrance leading them to walk because they finish at 5 and there isnt enough bus sits for them while custom car park is empty and only can be used by the bosess in Beamish. This is not fear and something has to be done.

Third time in the town cafe I have asked for a sandwich for my wife to be made without butter. Three times the sandwiches were made and served with butter.
Why can’t employees follow basic instructions.
It won’t put me off visiting Beamish it’s a first class attraction. It would be great to get what you ask for in the cafe.

Visited yesterday and as usual the place is fantastic. We’ve been visiting since 1986, and we’ve watched the place grow and grow.

However yesterday’s visit was spoiled by the attitude of the majority of staff, something we’ve never experienced before. Staff seemed sullen, miserable and unhelpful, particularly in the Tea rooms. The tea room staff were particularly miserable and verging on being rude with their bad attitudes. Very sad to see.
It won’t deter us from visiting again when we are in the area.

Living near by, I often pop in to Beamish and especially to see the progress of the 1950s town and 1920s cinema. On my last visit I had my first look at the terrace of cottages and seeing in the livingroom of one of them in the tiled fireplace that was popular during the 50s, is a 1960s Berry Magicoal electric fire in amazing condition and it took me back to my childhood when both my parents and my aunty and uncle moved into our first modern home complete with electric underfloor central heating but no fireplaces, so my dad made my mam and aunty fireplaces and they purchased the same berry electric fires, so seeing that one took me right back to my childhood and remembering my dads handywork at building many fireplaces over the years although the 21st century made way for a new focal point, a large screen tv with appropriate furnishing.

Downside - the display at the start of the entrance was badly laid out, it looked like a fairground had dumped its props. The ticket area looked amazing. However, we were served by what seemed to be the only person who didn’t have a north-east accent. Very disappointed, as the whole point of the museum is to be authentic and immersive.
Upside - a brilliant day out! Attention in detail to the props, outfits, vehicles etc was amazing. Excellent, friendly, helpful staff with lots of local knowledge. I loved the way the pub, sweet shop and bakery were open for business. The north-east accents brought the place to life. Will definitely visit again!

I wrote a review in Dec about a Christmas evening visit. The review was honest, fair and accurate. I contacted Beamish with my concerns and was promised a call back; no such call of course.

What is really concerning is that review has been removed by Trustpilot.

Trustpilot, would you care to comment please why my review has been removed?

Update 20 hours on; my review of our experience of the Christmas evening event is back!

Trustpilot, would you care to comment on why it was taken down please? I note my review was referenced in another review concerning health and safety, perhaps this is why? Given that health and safety is probably the single most important feedback for any company (Beamish), and potential customers, I find it extremely disappointing and has left me questioning the reliability of ‘Trustpilot’

I’d previously thought that ‘Trustpilot’ was a platform for open and honest feedback, be it positive or negative, therefore enabling the public to make informed decisions about companies, potential visits, where to spend their money (especially in this current economic climate) etc,, Now it appears that my understanding of a ‘catch and show’ all reviews concept (albeit with the appropriate scrutiny and necessary checks before publishing them), was entirely incorrect, and that the reviews we see are the reviews they want us to see! A great lesson on how to remove the ‘trust’ of your users. Well done, Trustpilot!

Our problem was they had run out of tickets in the summer 2023. We gave our name, address and email and enjoyed our visit but don't know what to do now as I we want to visit again in April. The tickets lasts a year which is great, except we don't have a ticket.

A fantastic day out for all the family including the dogs!

Like the person who sent a review in 13th December 2023 and her incident at the Fish and Chip Shop.
I had an incident at Beamish - fortunately the only damage was to my coat. It was caused by a metal cleaning material being used in the Chemist. Looking on line it says that when using this material you should 'wear protective clothing and avoid contact with eyes'. What if I had been a small child?
The responses I have had from the management team have been totally inadequate. I have an e-mail sent 01.12 23 which says ( amongst other things) 'the health and safety of our staff, volunteers and visitors is of paramount importance to us'. This was obviously not the case at the fish and chip shop. I also see from a there was a problem with a loose fire place in the bakery on 7th September 2023.
Beamish has so much potential and should be a great day out but......
Why does a site like Beamish have so few really positive reviews on Trustpilot?
5th Feb update Having got nowhere with regard to the obvious short comings of Beamish with regard to Health and Safety and the customer experience I contacted the Trustees for Beamish. Providing the executive team take forward the recommendations of committee who have looked into my concerns things should improve. Good luck Beamish lets hope for some better reviews. Increased my rating from 1 to 3 due to response for the Trustees.

Family visit of 4 adults inc 1 disabled in scooter.
Though the subject and content were very interesting, the visit was ruined by queues and lack of refreshments/cafes.
Beamish are missing a money maker here.We couldn't get anything to eat or drink except a coffee at entrance, then nothing except a bag of crisps at 1 place and ice cream seller, both hopeless.
After walking for hours we were left starving and thirsty with a flat battery and nowhere to charge.
The bakery in the town was useless too as ran out of everything by 3ish so there were many disgruntled and starving visitors left.
How hard would it be to have regular pie a and water/tea sellers? Or Lyons tea rooms?Or chestnut sellers or hot potato sellers?
Also wanting are dedicated disabled friendly stations where visitors could sit, refresh, recharge dying batteries, disabled loo facilities, get a cup of tea with their exhausted families? I am sure some of the existing buildings could be converted?

Visited today. It has been many years since our last visit so a lot of new things to see.
We had an amazing day. I thoroughly enjoyed Pockerly Hall and the 1950s village. The fish and chips were delicious.
Just wished we lived nearer so we could visit more often

Love Beamish museum ,its like stepping back into the past and is so much more interesting than staring at exhibits behind glass.
But the queues to get in are just ridiculous. 55 minutes we waited to get in,many more people checking online tickets ,which is a quicker process ,than till points open.Every pay point should've been manned.

Whilst I value this museum and would encourage anyone to visit, I was hit with an arcane regulation concerning photography.

I have filmed on an amateur basis four times since 2014 and on each occasion I have used a tripod to produce steady movies. Not once have any of the museum staff or volunteers made any comment about this, even when filming them directly.

However, today as I was setting up for the first shot at the Transport Cavalcade, a jobsworth came over and pronounced "forbidden tripods!" I enquired at the office and spoke with a member of the management team who reiterated the "forbidden tripod" mantra, adding that he was unable to give permission without a meeting of the Communications Team, which he said would not happen today.

He was obdurate and deaf to the evidence of previous non-eventful tripod activations and my clear ability to make reasonable and accurate risk assessments.

Furthermore, having been to the Museum last Wednesday, and again today with a clearly visible tripod in hand, NO-ONE mentioned this suddenly made up regulation. Neither is this "forbidden tripod" rule visible on the Museum website or notices at the site. The website advice to photographers is concerned with selling the place as a venue. Not one mention of the just popped up tripod ban.

This is shoddy. I have travelled throughout Britain and Europe and have never come across such a unthinking, intransigent attitude to such a simple concept. Thumbs down in multipla for Beamish.

First time here for a few years and we had a great time seeing the new houses etc but the queues are ridiculous need maybe another sweet shop and ice cream truck
Only downside was my husband tripped over the hearth in the bakery no one asked after him all they said was be careful that the fireplace didn’t move which is a bit concerning if it’s not fixed to the wall
My husband was shocked and hurt his thumb and shoulder but it could be a child that could get hurt
A part from that we enjoyed our day
Chairs in the cafe really need seeing to all ripped and stuffing coming out

I am a disabled woman who also has severe sensory issues
This is my review of Beamish Museum in Stanley , Durham , England

PROS
I have loved Beamish most of my life
We have a long history of taking our children there too
There are so many lovely areas from all time eras and much to see
The renamed Ravensworth Terrace in the Edwardian town , was originally a row of houses opposite where I was born , in Rawling Road in Gateshead
So Beamish is in a way , like my second home
They extend the site now and then to build new towns from new eras
Reconstructing the original buildings sourced from the North East , brick by brick
There is a variety of places to see and experience and it is wonderfully authentic
The site is Situated over a wide area and is completely suitable for the able bodied to walk around
Regular vintage buses and trams help you around the site if you are impaired or have small children
PAST eras offer safe lighting - no nasty migraine and dizziness inducing blue/LED lighting back then
Only cool darkened rooms - such as in the Edwardian terraced houses- ideal for those with sensory issues needing to leave a crowded noisy or hot bright street and step into a saner environment
The staff are usually friendly , caring and kind
The staff of the Crosville wheelchair bus are especially experienced and true gentlemen
CONS
Since being in a wheelchair and being disabled, I see life from a completely new angle
I see what I could not possibly have known previously and I seriously hope this insight will help Beamish management to plan for the near future
Beamish , while it has a brilliant wheelchair friendly bus and kind staff , is sadly eons behind in terms of disability friendly access
Except maybe for those few who have electric motor powered scooters that can handle the state of the ground surfaces
Even for a disabled person with a walking aid , they will struggle to negotiate the broken , uneven ,unrepaired surfaces and cobblestones / granite sets
Beamish use the excuse they want authentic ground surfaces but surely that can be retained without excluding wheelchair users and the mobility impaired
The thoughtfulness of creating a wheelchair friendly path throughout the entire museum, is surely long overdue
Excluding certain sections of the public and making an already difficult life worse , is surely wrong
We have to negotiate crowded pavements and rely on the publics common sense and decency to know that we have right of way on that pavement and that they need to move aside
It’s absolutely exhausting and stressing trying to deal with this
Either this or travel on the road area and that’s obviously not safe
The refreshments are another issue
There needs to be more choice and availability
Perhaps new places to eat
With Perhaps thought to lower prices of products throughout the site because not everyone can afford premium rates
The queues are a big problem
They can get out of control , regularly blocking access to the pavements and wheelchairs
Better and firmer monitoring of such areas could resolve this
People who do not mind queues are those who will not be affected by such issues

Totally disorganised for the volume of people they are accepting. Go to beamish museum if you wish to spend your day queuing. Really needs to rethink what they are doing and how they deliver it. Poor experience and won't be returning.

Well worth the annual ticket price.
So much fun seeing people going about their day in costume and they were so knowledgeable.
The different types of free transport to get around is definitely a big plus.

The pub had a nice pint.
The bakery sold the tastiest cheese and onion slices that I've ever had.
The 1950s hair salon did my daughters hair fantastic and was so much fun for her.
The photographers dressed her as though she was auditioning for Mary Poppins and she loved it, the pic they took was fab.
Pockerley House was fantastic along with the pit village. An afternoon at the fair was lovely as was the weather.
Even her being arrested in the street for suspected theft of sweets by the local Bobby was fun.
Oh boy there was so much more that we did I could go on forever.

Beamish Museum is a really good day out. It takes me back many years to what my parents used to talk about. My only comments are 1. It could do with more period cafes like for instance Betty’s Tea Rooms. 2. More transport is needed to accommodate the increase in customers. 3. Some areas are looking a bit tired and could do with being spruced up.
It is still well worth a day out.

Wife uses a motor scooter not allowed on bus or trams distance to villages to far aprox 15 20 mins away battey wouldn't have lasted as its uphill on most of the way back not recommended for motercooter people

It's a very interesting place to visit we had a good day food prices are reasonable and good food we wanted fish n chips but it was taking well over 1hr to get served so we didn't bother there was one thing we noticed the was a bit disturbing there was a sheep that should have had medical treatment it was unable to stand it was dragging its back legs that looked totally paralysed it could hardly lift its head and its front legs was going underneath it at first we thought it was lambing but the really was not the case can you please reply to this comment