Beamish, previously named 'Pit Hill', is a village in County Durham, England, situated to the north east of Stanley. The entrance to Beamish Museum.The village is contained within Hell Hole Wood and is home to Beamish Museum, an open-air museum seeking to replicate a northern town of the early 20th century.eamish, previously named 'Pit Hill', is a village in County Durham, England, situated to the north east of Stanley. The entrance to Beamish Museum.