Carlin Sunday 2026

Discover the story of Carlin Sunday across the museum.

While the tradition of cooking carlin peas is no longer as popular as it once was, it’s one we continue to mark at Beamish on the fifth Sunday of Lent.

The relevance of eating the peas in the North East is traced back to the civil war of 1644, a time when Royalist Newcastle was under siege from the Scots. Stories suggest that a ship carrying a cargo of food became stranded at South Shields, the peas washed ashore and were salvaged by the locals.

In the days preceding Carlin Sunday, carlins will be seen on display at Beamish in the Co-op grocery department as they would have been sold in the early 1900s.

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As with all daytime events, you can use your Unlimited Pass or Friends of Beamish membership to enjoy this special event.

Beamish reserves the right to alter this programme at any point.