Stanley is set on a breezy hill top and commands a bird's eye view of the whole area. A former mining town situated between Consett and Chester-le-Street, the name comes from Anglo-Saxon and means 'stony field'. It was first mentioned in 1211 and there are Neolithic and Roman remains in the area.

Beamish Museum is England's largest open-air museum and has a working steam railway, trams, a Victorian town centre, a demonstration colliery, a school and a working farm. The C2C route passes within yards of the entrance gate.

Tanfield Railway : it is the oldest railway in the world that still exists. It stops at the Causey Arch north of Stanley - 50m high and a Scheduled Ancient Monument built in 1728 - and is manned by volunteers 0191 274 2002.

Jolly Drovers Maze - built on the site of the former Eden Pit Colliery in 1989. Like the Lambton Worm (see Chester-le-Street) it was designed by Andy Goldsworthy.

23. Stanley and Beamish		Back to
		Beamish Mary Inn, No Place, Beamish, Co. Durham DH9 0QH
Tel		0191 370 0237
Fax		0191 370 0091
Web		www.beamishmary.co.uk
Email		beamishmary@hotmail.com
Rooms		4D
B&B		from £25
Evening Meals		from £4
Distance from C2C		500m (behind Beamish Museum)

Traditional Inn. Specialises in good food, real ale, live music. Comfortable atmosphere. All rooms en-suite, 1 with private bath. Cyclists/walkers most welcome.