If you’re looking for something to do over the Easter weekend, you could pop over to Beamish Museum to find out how people celebrated Easter in the not too distant past.

Visitors can discover how Easter was marked in the 1800s, early 1900s and 1940s.

Kids can search the museum for eggs that have been scattered around the premises by the Easter bunny. Anyone who finds all of them will receive a traditionally printed certificate from The Town’s print shop. 

Traditional Easter baking will be underway across the museum, with Herron’s Bakery in The Town selling snacks like hot cross buns and simnel cakes.

Simnel cakes are dyed yellow with saffron and contain a very rich filling made of plums, dried fruits and candied lemon peel. According to legend, they were first made by an old couple called Nell and Sim as the result of an argument about how they should use up certain leftovers.

In The Pit Village school, kids can take part in classes on making Easter cards on Saturday and on making Easter bonnets on Sunday and Monday. 

You can get involved in egg dyeing at Pockerley Old Hall, help decorate the hall for a Georgian Easter and even make a paper flower to take home. Egg decorating sessions will take place in the waiting room at the dentists in The Town on Easter Sunday. 

On Easter Monday, there will be the chance to take part in egg rolling in The Town’s park at 11 am, 2 pm, 3 pm and 4 pm.

At the 1940s farm, there will be sessions on making Easter cards, carrot lollies and rabbit finger puppets.

For more information, and to purchase tickets, please go to beamish.org.uk.  

Beamish Museum has been enjoying a high profile in recent months with record visitor numbers and the announcement last year that the museum had won £10.9 million in lottery funding. Beamish plans to use this money to fund a massive expansion programme.