Community allotments bloom at Beamish

A North East heritage site is creating new spaces to promote health and learning.

Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, has opened 12 community allotments in its 1950s Town, offering residents, schoolchildren, volunteers and people with additional needs the opportunity to enjoy gardening, grow sustainable food and benefit from physical and mental health improvements. 

The project has been supported with £19,944 from the Banks Community Fund, which helped level the land, divide the plots, lay footpaths and erect fencing. 

Designed in a traditional 1950s style, the plots reflect how wartime rationing inspired people to grow fruit and vegetables in their own gardens.

Educational programmes will be delivered by Beamish’s health and wellbeing, learning and gardens and woodland teams. 

Schools can develop gardening skills while learning about the environment, while surplus produce will be shared with community groups and local cafes. 

Helen Barker, Beamish’s director – collections and programmes, said: “We are delighted that Banks Group has kindly given funding towards the 1950s allotments at the museum. 

“The allotments enable us to tell the story of the importance of people growing their own produce during the Second World War. 

“In today’s fast-paced world, the positive benefits of gardening for mental health and wellbeing are widely recognised and we know that our community groups will benefit greatly from having access to these allotments.”

An independent charity, Beamish was recently named Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025 and welcomed almost 839,000 visitors last year, making it the North East’s most popular attraction. 

The allotments are part of the museum’s Remaking Beamish project, the largest development in its history, which also includes expansions in the Georgian landscape and 1950s Spain’s Field Farm. 

Backing for the initiative came from an £11.8 million National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, supported by National Lottery players.

The Banks Group has been a long-term supporter of Beamish, funding projects including a recreation of Norman Cornish’s Spennymoor home, Leasingthorne Colliery Welfare Hall and sponsoring seating at Ryhope’s Grand Cinema.

Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, added: “Beamish sets the standard for bringing history to life and showcasing the North East’s unique industrial history and heritage. 

“The allotments will add a valuable new dimension to the museum’s overall visitor offering and we’re very pleased to be extending our support for its excellent work.”

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