The Best Hotels and B&Bs to Book Near Beamish Museum, UK

Less than a mile from the museum, this 13th-century manor is the closest hotel to Beamish Museum. A gentle 15-minute stroll through narrow country lanes, or a four-minute drive, will take you from the Middle Ages into the Victorian era at the museum. Nor is there any shortage of history at the hotel itself, which began life as a wedding gift for two Norman families. French-themed rooms with antique furniture, roll-top baths and his and hers sinks makes it a popular wedding venue even today.

This family-run venue is not only perfect for visitors to the open-air museum, but also ideal for golfers. The hotel offers deals in conjunction with an 18-hole course nearby, which includes a 20-bay floodlit driving range and PGA-approved tuition from pro Mark Rayson. Back at the hotel, bed down in a super king-size bed and wake up to a full English breakfast served in the oak-floored bistro.

If the Beamish Museum does a wonderful job of recreating the scenes of industrial grind, this charming estate offers the antidote. Bed and breakfast rooms here provide scenes of rustic and retro leisure, featuring four-poster beds, oak bureaus, copper roll-top tubs and studded leather ottomans. Also situated within the large Red Row Estate is the self-contained Huckleberry Cottage; staff will be happy to direct you to local independent grocery shops for stocking the fridge.

Take your pick of three bed-and-breakfast rooms or nine self-catering cottages on this working farm just outside the former mining village of Kibblesworth. Miles of walking trails are accessible from your doorstep here, including the 12km (8mi) Heritage Way Walk west to Derwent Valley. If you’d rather explore the region in more comfort, the farm also offers its well-equipped Riding Rambler motorhome for hire by the day.

After a day at Beamish Museum, step even further back into history at this wonderfully preserved 14th-century castle. You’ll find 73 rooms here, featuring wooden-beamed ceilings, period furnishings and gold-framed portraits. If you’re feeling especially regal, treat yourself to the King James Suite, named after the royal guest who stayed in this very room in 1603. The bucolic views are unlikely to have changed too much, though you’ll be sure to forgive the odd anachronism, such as the bubbling jacuzzi bath.

This 10-room B&B is in an old mining village called Craghead. Around 6km (4mi) from Beamish Museum, it’s also well placed for day trips to Newcastle, Sunderland or Durham. Rooms here are situated above the pub of the same name, with triple, twin and deluxe family rooms available. A stay includes a hearty English breakfast with a mighty Cumberland sausage and two servings of black pudding, which is likely to leave you full until dinner.

This value stay in Chester-Le-Street offers 14 elegantly decorated boutique rooms. You’ll find plush bedding and Bluetooth speaker docks in all of them. The award-winning Sunday lunches here are as hearty as you would expect from a northeast country pub; opt for the rib-eye steak with chunky chips and a pint of local S43 beer. For something a little more refined on the palette, try the scallops with sautéed bacon and creamy leeks.

Designed by the great George Stephenson and opened in 1826, the Bowes Railway once carried coal from Durham to Jarrow. One of the first modern railways in the world is now preserved as a museum, just five minutes away from this local favourite pub and hotel just off the A1. As the jam-packed car park attests, its Sunday lunches are renowned. Upstairs, the rooms are uncomplicated and modern, with family rooms available and free parking included.