Beamish: the living museum of the North,

located just a 25-minute drive from the city centre. Buildings lifted from across the North, including terraces, shops, pubs - and even a church - have been rescued from demolition and reassembled on Beamish’s cobblestone streets in celebration of a heritage that would have otherwise been lost.

Divided into a series of worlds, Beamish instantly immerses you in history. From the Georgian village of Pockerly, to the 20th-century high street, complete with bank, masonic hall, chemists, newspaper office and printers, each area is filled with costumed actors who help bring the story to life. The on-site farm transports you to the 1940s wartime home front, with its beautifully preserved farmhouse and orchard, run by the Women’s Land Army as they battle to feed the nation.

Coal mining defined life in the North-east for generations, and this, too, has been highlighted at

Beamish in its 1900s Pit Village. Explore the history of the Mahogany Drift Mine, one of the

304 mines that once employed over 165,000 of the region’s workforce, with an underground tour. Then head home with the miners to Francis Street and discover the stories of the families who lived there, including a Methodist family and a widow who lost her husband in a pit accident.

The row of six terraced miners’ cottages were originally built in Hetton-le-hole in 1860 and were rescued from demolition and reconstructed brick-by-brick in Beamish in 1976.

All that time travel is hungry work, but there is plenty to eat. Watch the bakers in Herron’s Bakery making their own bread and cakes using traditional Edwardian recipes, or be captivated by the creation of sweets in the Jubilee sweet shop and factory – not forgetting to take some home with you. If you fancy something more substantial, then there is plenty of choice, from lunch at the Sun Inn pub to afternoon tea in the 1900s tearooms. For a really indulgent treat, opt for Davy’s traditional fish and chips, cooked in coal-fired ranges using beef dripping – best enjoyed from the newspaper wrapping as you stroll along the cobblestone streets. Book tickets and a timeslot online; an adult annual pass costs £19.50. (beamish.org.uk)