Time-warp northern English ‘town’ named top festive day out – with train station grotto and retro Christmas treats
A HUGE open-air museum has been named one of the UK’s top Christmas breaks for 2024.
Visit England named Beamish as one of eight “uber-festive” places Brits should visit this year.
According to Visit England, the eight attractions each offer something different from “festive light trails with your mates, Christmas afternoon tea with your mum, romantic evenings at German Christmas markets and December days out with the kids to meet Santa”.
And one of the places in Visit England‘s top picks is the “living museum” of Beamish in County Durham.
The huge open-air museum allows visitors to see what life would have been like in the UK between the 1820s and 1950s.
From November 23 until December 24, its replica homes, pubs, shops and businesses will be transformed into a huge festive attraction.
The sprawling 300-acre estate will be decked out with golden fairy lights, pine garlands and a huge Christmas tree
Some of the replica homes will be set for Christmas too with traditional grub on display.
Visitors can sample some retro sweets at the 1990s town sweet shop and listen to festive music in the countdown to Christmas.
The northern attraction will also be serving a range of “yuletide treats”.
Even though there aren’t any specifics on its website, its onsite team rooms will most likely be serving traditional mince pies and other baked goods.
For younger visitors, Beamish will also play host to the big man himself with a Christmas Grotto.
Father Christmas will be meeting kids inside his grotto at Rowley Station Goods Yards. Grotto visits cost an additional £8 per child.
The Visit England website reads: “Experience wonderful festivities and enjoy a wintery stroll around the open-air museum grounds, made extra special by the unique surroundings.
“Afterwards, see the traditional decorations, enjoy festive treats and find that perfect present for someone special.”
Beamish will also be open for evening visits on set days throughout December for visitors who want to experience the open-air attraction after dark.
Previous visitors have been impressed by the festive offering at Beamish, with one writing on TripAdvisor: “Beamish is a yearly festive visit for us of which this year we were truly blessed to waddle around the day after a sprinkling of snow.
“It was truly magical and added to the Christmas spirit.”
Another added: “We have been to visit at Christmas and I have to say it is one of the best Santa experiences our kids have been to.”
One of the main reasons it remains so popular is that its tickets are all annual passes.
From £17.35 for kids, £27.95 for adults, or £71 for a family of four, ticket holders can visit the museum as many times as they like for a year following the day of their first visit.
One of the best Santa experiences our kids have been to
Visit England named seven other places in its list of top festive days out, including Winchester, Chester, Norwich and York.
The four cities were praised for their Christmas Markets, with wooden stalls and chalets descending on each destination every year.
The chocolate-box villages of the Cotswolds like Broadway, Chipping Camden and Bourton-on-the-Water were also named as top places for a festive day out by Visit England.
Bourton-on-the-Water celebrates the festive season by putting a Christmas tree in its river.
The tiny Cornish village of Mousehole also made the cut thanks to its sea light show.
Also on the list was Mompesson House in Salisbury, with its Dickensian-style rooms hosting festive activities.
Three unusual Christmas markets to visit
HERE are three other unusual Christmas markets to visit in Europe.
Kerststad Valkenburg, the Netherlands
The award-winning Christmas market covers every corner of the town, with events at several locations, including several underground caves. One of these is the Velvet Cave Christmas Market, which is situated underneath Valkenburg’s ruined castle. It is home to more than 50 stalls selling handmade gifts and other items.
Fraueninsel Christmas Market
Every winter, the island of Fraueninsel (also known as Frauenchiemsee), in Bavaria, Germany is transformed into a festive attraction thanks to its Christmas market. Fraueninsel is the second-largest island on Lake Chiemsee in Bavaria and is the only island in Germany with its very own Christmas market.
Fraueninsel Christmas Market has been described as one of the “most wonderful” in Bavaria by The Best Places to Visit in Germany. The Christmas market spills across the entirety of the island with both decorations and lights hung from trees and lampposts. There are over 90 wooden stalls at the market that sell handmade gifts, mulled wine, and local delicacies.
Winter Wonder Weeks, the Netherlands
Each year, Leiden in the Netherlands is transformed into a picturesque winter wonderland. The award-winning Christmas Market covers the entire city, with attractions held outside Hooglandse Kerkgracht (a gothic church) and Garenmarktplein (a square in the city).
Known as Winter Wonder Weeks, the Christmas market was previously named the best in Europe in 2016. The Christmas market spans across the entire town, with one of its most unique features being its floating ice rink.
Meanwhile, this travel writer thinks their hometown has the best Christmas attraction in the UK.
A city in Germany has been dubbed “Christmas city” because it has one of the world’s oldest and most famous Christmas markets.