A roadway and tram line circle the 120 hectares, making it easy to get around. The mostly single track does cause some delay to the circling trams at times and loading and unloading the trams at busy stops takes some time.
But there is always the bus, more than one.
To me this is obviously an ex Black Pool tram.
The Georgian village fete.
No comment.
He was making wooden shoes. Quite interesting.
Cute, aren't they. From what I know of llamas, I rather like them. Very tasty marrow bones.
Some steam driven thingie.
Sister 1's husband danced a little jig on the separate board in front of the musicians, who were tolerant and no doubt used to such things.
A coconut shy. So simple, but still kids were lined up to play. Were tin cans around in Georgian times?
Not sure why I need a second photo of the coconut shy. Oh yes, I see now.
R, his sister and her husband all knew what this was called. I did not. It is a shuggy boat, a swing propelled by a person at each end pulling on ropes.
It is a terrific setting, with forest and open grassland.
At this stop almost every passenger left the tram and it then filled with new passengers, including us.
No, you won't get a shock if you touch the pole connected to the wires. You have to be earthed.
I think the outer end of the train line.
The colliery village, which we did not have the energy to see. That would be Sister 1's head in the photo.
The tram depot.
I have never seen a steam powered merry go round.
In the main village.
The 'go' handle on the left, the 'whoa' handle on the right.
One house was set up in a Victorian style, another as a dental surgery and another as a solicitors office.
We walked to the train station but train trips were closed for lunch.
Time for lunch. The tea rooms were hot, crowded and noisy. We should have brought a picnic.
The Blaydon Races, as on the side of the cart, is now a very famous Geordie (Newcastle) folk song about the race meeting and quite an enjoyable listen. The "Airmstrangs" refers to the the armament manufacturer Vickers-Armstrong and the Robin Adair was an infamous hotel. I can well imagine the song being sung loudly at St James Park, home of the Newcastle United football team.
The sign says, "None but company's horses allowed to drink at this trough".
It was a great day and we did not get to see much more than half of the site. We were worried about where to have our long for waited for Sunday roast, and just outside the Beamish gates was the Shepherd and Shepherdess where we had another terrific pub meal.