Bank of England governor visits Beamish

A County Durham museum has hosted a national economic briefing.

Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, welcomed Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey today (October 8) for an event attended by regional business leaders. 

The visit included a presentation on the outlook for the UK economy, providing insights for representatives from across the North East.

During his visit, Mr Bailey met Beamish chief executive Rhiannon Hiles and chair Chris Loughran, touring the museum to learn more about its economic, cultural and tourism contributions. 

Mr Bailey said: “It’s been a pleasure to visit Beamish today and to meet a wide range of business leaders from across the North East.

“Beamish is not only a remarkable museum, but a vital regional institution that contributes significantly to the local economy, tourism and cultural heritage.

“I was delighted to share the Bank’s outlook on the UK economy and to hear directly from organisations driving growth and innovation in this part of the country.”

As the North East’s most visited attraction, Beamish, which employs 530 staff and is supported by 370 volunteers, welcomed 838,632 visitors in 2024, up five per cent on 2023, with guests coming from across the UK and internationally.

The museum was recently awarded Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025, the world’s largest museum prize.

Rhiannon added: “We were pleased to welcome the governor of the Bank of England to the museum for this event, which brought together business leaders and organisations from around the region.

“As an anchor institution, Beamish makes a significant contribution to the region and its economy, we’re the North East’s most visited attraction and a major local employer. 

“We work with partners across the region to champion the North East and create opportunity, and we have strong community connections, including through our innovative work in health and wellbeing, learning and inclusivity.

“As an independent museum and charity, we are grateful to our partners and businesses who support our work to continue making a real difference to our communities.”

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