Bailiffgate Museum and Gallery Alnwick

Welcome

Bailiffgate Museum and Gallery is a people’s museum, where fascinating stories of the past are told about Alnwick and district. Our historic building is in the town’s Castle Quarter, very close to Alnwick Castle and Garden. It was previously a church, and provides a beautiful setting in which to celebrate our distinctive heritage, display special exhibitions and present a range of events for the whole family.

The museum is on three floors, all easily accessible by lift. Level access entry is via a special entrance, to the left of the main door, leading directly to the ground floor exhibition area and the lift. There is a museum shop, and a bistro next door for refreshments.

Level access

The main entrance has 12 steps and a handrail. There is no lift and no ramp.

There is level access from the main entrance to:

Main Exhibition Floor 2nd Floor Gallery Area Ground Floor exhibition area Reception Desk Disabled Toilet Museum Shop

Access with steps

The main entrance has 12 steps and a handrail. There is no lift and no ramp.

Hearing

Some staff have disability awareness training.

Visual

We have information in large print.

General

We have a concessionary rate for disabled visitors.

We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.

Some staff have disability awareness training.

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

Getting here

14 Bailiffgate

Alnwick

Northumberland

NE66 1LX

Travel by public transport

You can get to Bailiffgate Museum and Gallery Alnwick by bus and train.

Alnwick Bus Station is 2 streets (0.3 mile) away. The bus stop is 0.3 miles / 0.5 km from Bailiffgate Museum and Gallery Alnwick.

Alnmouth Station is on the East Coast Main Line -so readily accessible for London, Edinburgh and all connecting lines.There are transfer lifts on both platforms to enable all users to cross from the up to down line,

(Work is also underway to reconnect Alnwick to the coast and Alnmouth station by rebuilding the old steam railway. This is not yet complete but see the Aln Valley Railway website for progress)

Travel by taxi

You can get a taxi with AA Taxis by calling 01665 60 60 60. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

You can get a taxi with Knights Taxis by calling 07760 751 667 01665 714 555. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

Knights and AA Taxis have minibus-sized vehicles available, but only by pre-arrangement.

Parking

There is parking near the venue. The parking is less than 50 metres from the main entrance. Parking is free.

Drop-off is by using the parking places along Bailiffgate and the road to Hulne Park nearby. From the car park to the entrance, there is level access. The path is sloped.

The route is 1500mm wide, or more.

Parking on the street outside is free for 4 hours.

There is a special entrance door (940 mm wide) to the ground floor to the left of the main entrance stairs with flat access. This leads directly to the lift to all floors.

Some of the parking spaces in Bailiffgate

Alnmouth Station showing (pink) passenger lifts each side

Arrival

Path to main entrance

From the street to the main entrance, there is level access.

The path is 1300mm wide, or more.

The path is sloped.

Main entrance

The door is 1340mm wide.

The main entrance has 12 steps.

This entrance has a handrail.

The main door is side hung and manual.

The other entrance door is 940.00mm wide.

Facing the museum, the other entrance is to your left

The door of the other entrance is always unlocked during opening hours, and has a prominent disabled sign. It opens directly into the ground floor exhibition area, to the rear of which is the lift to all floors.

Bailiffgate other entrance avoiding any stairs

Bailiffgate front from path to Alnwick Castle

Getting around inside

Lift

We have 1 lift.

You can get a lift to all floors.

Main (only) Lift

The lift door is 800mm wide.

The lift is 1010mm wide. The lift is 1400mm deep.

The lift buttons have raised numbers or letters.

The lift shows the floor number, at each floor.

Ground Floor = GFoyer/Shop /Main Exhibition Floor =1Gallery Floor Level =2

Lift open at ground floor entrance from street Bailiffgate

Ticket/ information desk

Reception Desk

From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. The route is 1500mm wide, or more.

The desk has a low section.

Central section 760mm high

Things to See and Do

We have a concessionary rate for disabled visitors.

We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.

Main Exhibition Floor

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 1100mm wide, or more. The door is 930mm wide.

Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

Some videos have subtitles.

The Main Exhibition Area allows flat floor access around several display areas describing the history of the Alnwick area from 10,000 years ago until the present day. There are large all-glass cabinets offering a clear view of the items displayed within. Also a number of large wall panels.

The Edwardian classroom at the centre of the exhibition is on a raised stage, so would not be accessible to wheelchair users to climb onto, but all elements of it are clearly visible from flat floor on 2 sides.

Sign from Alnwick Station when last open, Bailiffgate

2nd Floor Gallery Area

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a lift.

From the lift to this area, the route is 850mm wide, or more. The door is 1260mm wide.

Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

Some videos have subtitles.

The Gallery area is located on the second floor, easily accessible by lift. There is always a clear route of at least 1000mm width maintained around the area, which looks down onto the main exhibition floor. All 4 inner sides of the gallery area are protected by toughened, thick clear glass panels 1040mm high, with a metal rail running around the top.

This area is used to feature the current special exhibition or art, craft, history or whatever, always described in advance on the Bailiffgate website. Pictures and panels would usually be visible to wheelchair height, but if not, by prior arrangement an extra volunteer can be arranged to accompany the visitor.

Part of Gallery Area second floor , Bailiffgate

Looking down on Edwardian classroom from Gallery Area, Bailiffgate

Ground Floor exhibition area

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a lift.

From the lift to this area, the route is 1300mm wide, or more. Some display information is low, for wheelchair users.

The Ground Floor Exhibition Area is accessible from the main entrance by lift or stairs, but is also where the additional access door to the street is located. The area has a number of cabinets and features mainly around the mining heritage of North Northumberland, including a naked miner in a bath and a full coal truck. There is also a small "mine" which is mainly entered by children on their knees, so would not be accessible to anyone of restricted mobility. It is, however, fun to watch excited children who are entering the dark tunnel one side appear from the other!

The miner takes a bath Ground Floor, Bailiffgate

Public toilet

Disabled Toilet

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.

From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The route is 1000mm wide, or more.

The toilet door is 850mm wide.

The direction of transfer onto the toilet is to the left.

There is 1260mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 450mm high. The toilets have handrails.

Room is 1440mm wide and 1900mm deep. with 2 fixed handrails and one drop-down rail. The toilet roll dispenser is 330 mm from the floor. The washbasin is 740mm from the ground with a suitable tap for disabled use. There is also a drop-down baby change facility. paper towels are available as are sanitary disposal facilities.

Shop

Museum Shop

From the main entrance to the shop, there is level access. The route is 1500mm wide, or more. The route through the shop is 800mm wide, or more.

The shop is adjacent to the reception desk in the foyer, with cabinets and shelves on 3 sides of the area. It sells books, DVDs, toys and other items related to the museum contents. Because the shop is next to the reception desk, there is no problem asking the volunteer on reception to help any visitor to access and try any item not within easy reach.

Getting around outside

Customer care support

Accessibility equipment

We provide magnifying plastic sheets to assist viewing of text.

The Castle meadows are nearby ( just down the Peth next to Alnwick Castle), but owners are expected to bag up after their dogs.

You can hire mobility equipment from Mobility Equipment Hire by calling 0800 994 9000.

Emergency evacuation procedures

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

Addition of flashing lights to the system currently being assessed for feasibility.

Customer care support

Some staff have disability awareness training.

We have information in large print.

Some information in large text format.

We have other services for people with accessibility requirements.

Assistance dogs welcome, Water provided.

By prior arrangement, special tours of the museum and gallery can be arranged for parties of visitors with Special Needs of any sort .