Attractions open their doors wide once again as visitors welcomed
BEAMISH AND CITY CATHEDRAL FULLY OPEN TO PUBLIC
TWO of County Durham’s most popular tourist attractions welcomed visitors back as lockdown restrictions eased.
Beamish Museum opened its grounds in the spring but yesterday was the first time visitors were allowed inside various shops and buildings since last year.
Eager visitors were seen getting off the first bus of the day soon after the open air museum opened, with customers queuing outside the popular sweet shop.
The museum has introduced social distancing measures such as one way systems and booking time slots for arrival to meet current restrictions.
Rhiannon Hiles, deputy director of Beamish Museum, was greeting visitors as they arrived.
She said: “It is so exciting to be open again, not just the grounds but to be able to open up the exhibits is second to none.
“We are very happy to welcome people at last to the exhibits. The doors have been closed but they are open now.
“It has been a strange time for everybody, we have been closed, we’ve been open, we’ve been closed, we’ve been open but we have always been quite positive.
“Even in the depths of the lockdown last year we were thinking about what we can do to get people back into the museum and what we can do to make sure people still engage.
“So we have lots of online presence. We have come on leaps and bounds in terms of our digital engagement in a very short space of time like many folks because we thought let’s bring Beamish to home.”
She added: “It has been hard and we’ve had to furlough staff but the furlough scheme and other funding has been a lifeline to make sure we are ready for a day like today when the country is starting to open back
up, we are getting open again and people can come and visit.” Durham Cathedral was also welcoming back visitors for the first time since the end of last year. During lockdown the Cathedral live-streamed services, offered limited in-person worship in the Cathedral itself, and was open for a short period each day for private prayer and quiet reflection. Visitor and tourist related activities were put on hold. Visitors can once again marvel at the outstanding Romanesque architecture and stained glass; explore the medieval Cloister, a filming location in the first two Harry Potter films; climb the Cathedral Tower,
purchase quintessentially Durham gifts in the Cathedral Shop, and enjoy a bite to eat in the Undercroft Restaurant, with seating options also in the covered Cathedral Cloister.
Al fresco picnic lunches (purchased from the restaurant or ready-made from home) can be enjoyed in the Monks’ Garden with its spectacular views of Durham City’s woodlands and riverbanks.
Andrew Usher, director of visitor experience and enterprise at Durham Cathedral, said: “We have worked exceptionally hard behind the scenes to make sure the Cathedral is safe and Covid secure, as we prepared to welcome visitors.
“Staff and volunteers are excited to be able to greet people in person and we have had almost 400 members of the public on site. We look forward to seeing many more over the coming days and weeks.”