Beamish Museum stars in Virginia Woolf Night and Day movie

The film, set for release on Friday (June 19) retells the story of Woolf’s 1919 novel of the same name.

Woolf classic brought to life in County Durham

Billed as a witty, un‑romantic comedy, the story focuses on astronomer Katharine Hilbery, who is determined to dodge love and marriage in 1910 London.

The film is directed by Tina Gharavi and features an all‑star cast including Haley Bennett as Katharine, alongside Timothy Spall, Lily Allen, Jennifer Saunders, Jack Whitehall, Sally Phillips and Elyas M’Barek.

Timothy Spall at Beamish Museum. (Image: BEAMISH MUSEUM)

Much of the early‑20th‑century bustle has been recreated not in the capital but on the streets of Beamish’s famous 1900s Town, whose tramlines, shops and Edwardian façades double for the metropolis in Woolf’s era.

The museum’s period vehicles, tramway and costumed staff all step in front of the camera, helping turn County Durham into Bloomsbury for a day.

Beamish Museum staff make cameos in the film. (Image: BEAMISH MUSEUM)

A starring role for Beamish – on screen and off

Beamish Museum welcomed stars Haley Bennett, Timothy Spall and Lily Allen, as well as a large film crew, when Night & Day shot key sequences on site in 2024.

Haley Bennett plays the lead in the ‘unromantic comedy’. (Image: BEAMISH MUSEUM)

Scenes were filmed along the tramway and through the 1900s Town, with Beamish’s own historic cars, buses and trams pressed into service and several members of staff and volunteers appearing as supporting artists.

Night and Day is an adaptation of a Virginia Woolf novel. (Image: BEAMISH MUSEUM)

Samantha Shotton, Chief Operating Officer at Beamish Museum, said the production had been a special moment for the attraction:

“We were thrilled to welcome the cast and crew of Virginia Woolf’s Night & Day to the museum back in 2024, and being able to give people the opportunity to view the film in our cinema, around the 1900s town where several of the scenes were filmed, is extremely exciting.

“We’ll be looking out for familiar faces as several members of our staff and volunteers had roles as supporting artists.

Big‑screen return to Beamish’s Grand Cinema

Haley Bennett walking through the town centre in Beamish Museum. (Image: BEAMISH MUSEUM)

To celebrate its role in the production, Beamish is hosting special screenings of Virginia Woolf’s Night & Day at its cinema in the 1950s town on Sunday, June 21 2026, at 11am and 2pm.

Tickets are priced at £12.50 for adults and £10 for children, with entry to the museum permitted up to an hour before each showing so visitors can stroll the very streets they’ll soon be spotting on screen.

It’s not the first time Beamish Museum has been on the big screen. (Image: BEAMISH MUSEUM)

The Grand Cinema itself is a star attraction: originally from Ryhope in Sunderland, it has been painstakingly recreated at Beamish to capture the golden age of cinema, from its art‑deco styling to the glow of the auditorium as the lights go down.

Film‑goers are being invited to “see how many times you can spot Beamish in the film”, turning the screenings into a playful treasure hunt for local landmarks and familiar faces.

Beamish’s growing screen legacy

These latest appearances build on Beamish’s reputation as one of the UK’s go‑to locations for period drama.

The museum has previously featured in Channel 4’s historical saga A Woman of Substance, Channel 5’s All Creatures Great and Small, as well as both the Downton Abbey movie and the ITV series’ 2015 finale.

Timothy Spall filming at Beamish Museum. (Image: BEAMISH MUSEUM)

Its 1820s, 1900s, 1940s and 1950s settings, spread across 350 acres of County Durham countryside, offer directors a ready‑made time machine, complete with tramways, a pit village, farm, and 1950s high street.

“Beamish Museum is the perfect location for a period drama and our visitors love following in the footsteps of film and television stars,” Ms Shotton said.