Cherryburn

About the museum

Cherryburn is a small farmstead above the River Tyne where the wood engraver and naturalist Thomas Bewick was born in 1753. A plan of 1570 seems to show a cottage with half an acre of land, and the Bewick family first leased the holding in 1742, when it was a smallholding of about eight acres between two coal mines that gave the family its income. Thomas was the eldest of eight children and spent his childhood drawing the birds and animals around him.

At fourteen he was apprenticed to the Newcastle engraver Ralph Beilby and went on to perfect the technique of cutting detailed engravings into the end grain of boxwood. His books, including A General History of Quadrupeds in 1790 and A History of British Birds in 1797 and 1804, changed how the natural world was described and illustrated. Cherryburn stayed the family home, and around 1820 his brother William built a new stone house beside the old cottage, partly demolishing it.

The last Bewick to live at Cherryburn, Ralph John Bewick, died in 1956. In 1987 the Thomas Bewick Birthplace Trust was formed to open the site to the public, and in 1990 it passed ownership to the National Trust. Today the tiny birthplace cottage can be seen, the farmhouse is a museum with an exhibition about Bewick's life and many of his original boxwood printing blocks, and a print room shows how his engravings were made. The cottage garden has been replanted with species that suit wildlife and would have been familiar to Bewick.

Highlights

• Birthplace cottage of the wood engraver Thomas Bewick
• Farmhouse museum with an exhibition on his life and original boxwood printing blocks
• Print room with demonstrations of how his engravings were made
• Wildlife-friendly cottage garden with views over the Tyne Valley
• Free entry, with a silent space for quiet reflection in the garden

Permanent exhibitions

• Thomas Bewick: life and work – The farmhouse museum holds an exhibition about Thomas Bewick's life with a collection of his original works, including many of his boxwood printing blocks.
• Birthplace cottage and print room – The tiny cottage where Bewick was born can be seen, and a print room shows the process from wood block to finished print.

Operated by

National Trust

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to Cherryburn is free. Visitors who are not National Trust members pay for parking: up to one hour £2 and up to four hours £4, paid through the JustPark app.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Accessible parking is in the main car park, about 100 yards from the house, and there is a drop-off point in the courtyard through the right-hand gate (contact the property in advance to use it). Paths are sloped and surfaced with fine material, stone or grass, and some areas have steps or uneven ground. An accessible toilet with level access is outside the main building. Wheelchairs are available, seating is provided, a Braille guide is available and an induction loop is installed in the Press Room only. Assistance dogs are welcome. The garden has wheelchair- and pushchair-friendly paths.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Stroller-friendly
• Playground / play area

A natural play area without playground equipment invites children to build dens from sticks and leaves and to hunt for minibeasts. The garden paths suit pushchairs. A print-room demonstration shows how Bewick's wood engravings were made.

Getting there & parking

Cherryburn is 11 miles west of Newcastle and east of Hexham. Follow the brown signs from the A695 into Mickley village and on to Station Bank; the signs point to Cherryburn at the village's only crossroads. Some satnavs choose a route that does not reach the site, so visitors should navigate to Mickley village.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop: not available

There is no cafe or shop on site. Toilets are available, and visitors can picnic on the lawn.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit