Welcome to Beamish

We are looking inside a  box bed (see the pillows and covers used by the master of the house for privacy and keeping out varmits.  There were often up to 20 people sleeping in the main room.

This desk was in the "solicitor'"s office.  I could see the characters from a Charles Dicken's novel sitting at it.

Here is the dentist. Amazing what was available in during the Victorian Era. During this time they also had "tooth pullers".

This is Queen Victoria as she looked in her 60th year on the throne. She is the longest reigning monarch in English history.

Mel could not resist a picture of this MICHELIN poster.  It is a great one.

We just missed the train ride.. the engine was pulling away as we got to the station.

This cart and horse came through as we were in the Old Farm area.

Beamish had the biggest pigs I have ever seen.  I think they weighed more than I do.

Farm kitchen

Imagine cooking all this in the kitchen in the picture above.

The Mahognay Drift mine entrance- we walked down into the mine. It was mined for a 100 years, 1850's-1950's.
At one time, this area had over 300 coal mines in operation. 

Coal miner, Mel Shurtz, getting ready to load the car.

This is a coal shaft mine winding house with a steam winder used to lower and raise the cages taking the men down to work.
The winder operator was among the highest paid, and could control the cage depts to within an inch.   This huge winder worked nonstop for about 100 years.  We could learn something from the Victorian workmanship.