1950s Farm

Explore our 1950s Farm and discover the story of upland farming in the North East during the 1950s.

Beamish Unlimited

Spain’s Field Farm

The farm will be open on weekends initially to allow for the continuing construction work on our 1950s Town.

Spain’s Field Farm, from Eastgate, near Stanhope, tells the story of upland farming in the North East during the 1950s.Visitors will be able to see the tough conditions faced by families living in rural areas during this time.

Around 1,170 tonnes of Spain’s Field Farm’s stone and timber were moved to the museum after the farm was kindly donated to Beamish by the Jopling family. The building was thoroughly recorded before being dismantled and among the objects discovered were a Georgian bread oven, 17th century cannonball, fragments of 1950s Farmer’s Weekly magazines, furniture and farm tools. Samples from the remnants of internal paint, lino and wallpaper were also taken.

Beamish’s team carefully rebuilt the farm and also worked with the Raine family and the Weardale community to gather stories and memories. Generations of the Raine family lived at Spain’s Field from the 1870s until they moved out of the farm in the late 1950s although they continued to use the buildings into the 1970s. The farm at Beamish features furniture and other items from Spain’s Field that were donated by the family. Mary Forster (nee Raine) lived there from the 1920s until she was married in the 1940s. Mary, who passed away in 2020 aged 101, laid the first stone of Spain’s Field at Beamish and her memories helped to shape the stories the museum will tell at the farm.

Visitors to the farm will be able to see traditional rural skills and discover the farm kitchen produce.

You can find out more about Spain’s Field Farm, as well as the rest of our Remaking Beamish plans, over on our Remaking Beamish Blog.

Thanks to the money raised by National Lottery players, the Remaking Beamish project was awarded £10.9million by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2016.