to use a public footpath to access a pricey tourist attraction?

[PennyHasNoSurname]

Entry is only with an Annual Pass - they dont do single day access. There is a public footpath that leads into the attraction, not gated, however it isnt a short walk. Nice enough and our kids are happy to walk.

It is wrong? It feels wrong. Even though its technically allowed.

Not all museums are free at all.
And definitely not the kind of place that Beamish is.

We were out walking with our dog, some years ago and didn't realise that we walked into the grounds of Speke Hall, don't know if this is still possible.

Tbh, we left quite quickly because we avoid children.

Stuff that I used to visit as a child, (and my peers, multiple children, Council Housed WC) whilst it has improved, is now too expensive for the families in my area to visit.

The schools don't do the days out that we used to have either.

I love Beamish but haven't been for a long time . It's the same as the Black Country living museum which we live less then two miles away from and go at least 15 times every year with our £46 family ticket. Worth every penny.

You should pay op. There's things cost money to put on.

I think that museums have to be National Museums to be free.

There's still plenty of museums with entry fees.

It's all very well saying £18 is reasonable as you can go all year, but what if you are visiting for a weekend and you can't keep going back? Happened to us with the Eden project - massively expensive for 1 day, so we gifted our tickets to our friends that live close by to use for the year - not about to drive 5 hours to 'get my money's worth!'

£18 is fine for a day too.

In fact it's very good value compared with other activities - cinema, eating out for example

Some people are just so grabby. The sense of entitlement is awful.

Not paying entrance fee is theft and shitty.

£18 for the Eden Project once is "getting you money's worth"

The place is probably staffed mainly by volunteers who are giving up their time to keep the place going. It seems a bit morally wrong to sneak in without paying.

If it is Beamish you can pay for 1 day. I think it's about £8. So if you don't live in the area and don't plan on visiting more than once it won't cost you £18 each for an annual pass.

Oh, and don't be surprised if you end up on the wrong side of the stately homes thread. 'My mum was a tightwad who made us walk fifteen miles to sneak into a museum without paying.'

As a child my dm used to make us do this and that was back in the day so they obviously know people do this.
However as a child I was mortified by this and was so scared of getting caught by staff. I agree it's very easy to do but not morally correct.

I thought the Eden Project was a bit rubbish actually, really shabby in places and for £70 for a family of 4 a rip off. Whilst I can't be arsed to walk miles to avoid entrance, I'm not that surprised that people take advantage where they can! Not been to Beamish, but have heard its good but again, if you are only there for a weekend, it's a big ask.It's different with English Heritage and NT where you can use across multiple sites.

Agree that £18.50 isn't that bad on the face of it hula, but people were making out it was a bargain - it's not like that fee gets you all in. But yy agree OP should not sneak - either see if you can visit more than once or work out if £50+ is a price that suits you

As I suspected it's obviously heavily reliant on volunteers to keep the place going www.beamish.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering/ What a shame the OP doesn't think about that when deciding whether to go in without paying.

PutAPlasterOn can you really just get a one day ticket? Our friend is coming with us tomorrow but lives absolutely miles away and will probably never be in the area again so won't use her ticket more than once. Can't see anything about it on the website.

Yep the days of AT freebies are long gone lol, though there are a few spots up in the hills where you can park up and watch the fireworks.
DD works there now, they get something like 40 free tickets a season. We had friends in the village and another relative who worked there and I can honestly say we have never yet paid to get it.

Anyway, back to beamish, please do pay or these wonderful places will sadly close.

We love Beamish but Preston Hall is v good value (£5 family ticket) if you just want the period street without the trams

(beware the cafe next to the park though, food isn't great)

www.prestonparkmuseum.co.uk/

I usually plan to go to places with a annual return ticket later in they year, which means I can go again up to that point in the next year. Feels like you get two years for the price of one. (Eg if I went in July, am unlikely to return in August. But if I go the first time in August, I will probably go July next year)

(I know this isn't the point of the thread)

You can only get one day tickets during the winter season; they won't be on now. We're going tomorrow!

I thought Eden project was quite poor and outdated too.

The problem is, everyone knows you can use public access. The attraction is a bit stuffed really but obviously knew about the access way when they set it up as an "attraction" everyone has to put up with public footpaths being public, it's just part of the wonderful country we live in that we can enjoy these things.

A family ticket for the Beamish is £48 (2 adults and 2 children, children under 5 are free). I do think it's expensive for a one off visit and agree Preston Park is a cheaper option (unless the kids make you go into Butterfly World). But when we buy our Beamish tickets we always fit in a few trips in the year and that definitely makes it worthwhile (and when my DB and family came to visit from Scotland they managed to fit in another visit 11 months later so even they got a good value trip). I think it's impossible to see everything at the Beamish in a single day so we tend to concentrate on one part of it at a time (and go to the Georgian Fair in the summer because that makes that part of it much more fun) although the DC are very keen to go to the sweetie shop EVERY FUCKING TIME.

If you are local pay the price and take full advantage over the year, if you aren't local then go somewhere else. If your kids like walking then how about exploring the coastline and going to Souter Lighthouse £15.50 for a family ticket (assuming you don't have NT membership).

If there is a public footpath (through what I understand up-thread was formerly public land before it was given away by the council) surely it's up to the owners to make arrangements to take the entrance fee from people who enter on a public footpath? A simple system of wristbands for paying parts of the site would resolve the issue.

I've got a yearly pass and there is always a member of staff on the gate as you leave home farm and cross the road to go through the gate to get back into the main attraction that can ask to see your ticket.

I do the same for stone henge. Its not a nice walk but better than a bus rde for 20 quid yanbu.