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Welcome

The Mining Art Gallery will provide a permanent home for the renowned Gemini Collection of Mining Art, which includes more than 420 works by prominent local artists such as Tom McGuinness and Norman Cornish.

Using this powerful imagery the site will help visitors to understand what it felt like to work in the coalmines and shed light on why some miners felt it necessary to paint the dark, clamorous, claustrophobic and arcane world, otherwise denied to the gaze of those above ground.

The Mining Art Gallery will also offer a wide range of opportunities to explore the history of mining and the impact it had, not just on those who worked there, but on County Durham as a whole.

External image showing the Mining Art Gallery

Hearing

We have a hearing loop in Welcome Desk.

Visual

The walls and the doors have high colour contrast.
Some parts of the venue have low lighting.
We have display information in audio and large print.
Alternate formats of written visitor information may be available on request, please let us know at least a week in advance if you have any specific requests.
We have information in audio.
Handheld illuminated magnifiers are available on request from the front desk

General

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
All staff have disability awareness training.
We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

Getting here

Market Place
Bishop Auckland
DL17 7NP

Travel by public transport

You can get to The Mining Art Gallery by bus and train.
The nearest bus stops are in the market place opposite Spanish Gallery and the Town Hall. The bus stop is 0.1 miles / 0.2 km from The Mining Art Gallery.
The nearest train station is Bishop Auckland Train Station. The train station is 1 miles / 1.6 km from The Mining Art Gallery.

If travelling by bus you should alight at Bishop Auckland Market Place

The following bus services, service both stops:

Arriva route 6 runs between Durham Barnard Castle via Cockfield, stopping approximately every 30 mins.

Arriva route 18 runs between Durham Barnard Castle via Cockfield, stopping approximately every 30 mins.

Arriva route 56/56A runs between Durham and Bishop Auckland, stopping approximately every 30 mins.

Please check bus routes direct with transport providers. There are additional services that service Bishop Auckland bus station which is located near the Newgate Shopping Centre.

Travel by taxi

You can get a taxi with S & S Travel by calling 01388 615531. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.
You can get a taxi with AABAT Taxis by calling 01388 607607. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.
You can get a taxi with Atlas Taxis by calling 01388 450717. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

We have no affiliation with the suggested taxi services and the information provided is based on current available data at the time of writing this guide. Any suggestions for alternative please inform the accessibility point of contact.

Parking

There is parking near the venue. There are accessible parking spaces. Parking is not free.
The drop off point is located across the road at Spanish Gallery which is also the location for the blue badge parking. This area has dropped kurb.

Blue badge parking bays are available in the market place directly opposite Spanish Gallery. This is also the drop off area.

Additional parking including blue badge spaces is available on North Bondgate which is approximately 0.2 miles / 322 meters.

Arrival

Path to main entrance

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

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.
There is a permanent ramp.
The door is 850mm wide.
The main door is side hung and manual.

Getting around inside

We have high colour contrast between walls and doorframes.
Some parts of the venue have low lighting.

Lift

We have 1 lift.
You can get a lift to all floors.

Lift to all floors

The lift is a platform lift.
The lift door is 880mm wide.
The lift is 950mm wide. The lift is 140mm deep.
The lift says the floor number at each floor.
The lift buttons have raised numbers or letters.

Ticket/ information desk

Reception

From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. The desk has a low section.

Things to See and Do

We have display information in: audio, large print .
Alternate formats of written visitor information may be available on request, please let us know at least a week in advance if you have any specific requests.

Gallery 1 - The Art of Mining

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 750mm wide, or more. Some display information is low, for wheelchair users.

Gallery 2 - Coal to Canvas

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

Gallery 4 - A Dangerous Life

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

Gallery 5 - Temporary Exhibition

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

Gallery 6 - Audio Visual Room

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 700mm wide, or more. There are seats.

• The audio visual room is at times in complete darkness.
• The AV installation changes from time to time and may include flashing images and loud noises.
• Please ask a member of staff for details of the AV content if you have any concerns.

Gallery 7 - Home and Family

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

Gallery 8 - Community Spirit

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a lift.
From the lift to this area, the route is 1000mm wide, or more. There are seats.

There is an alternative staircase leading to and from Gallery 8 if visitors are not comfortable with the main stone spiral staircase.

Public toilet

Public Toilet

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp.
The toilet door is 880mm wide.
The direction of transfer onto the toilet is to the right.
There is 550mm at the side of the toilet. There is 1200mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 450mm high. The toilets have handrails.

There are baby changing facilities available.

Shop

Gift Shop

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

The gift shop is located within the main foyer near Gallery 1 on the ground floor.

Getting around outside

Customer care support

We provide wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are free.
We have a hearing loop in Welcome Desk.

The Audio Visual installation includes subtitles.

Emergency evacuation procedures

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

• Our lift must not be used during an emergency evacuation.
• We have an evacuation chair to assist visitors who are unable to use the stairs during an emergency evacuation. In order to provide assisted evacuation a visitor must consent to staff assisting them to move if required from a wheel chair to the evacuation chair. Please do not be offended if a staff member asks you if you would consent to evacuation by evacuation chair in an emergency.
• We are therefore only able to offer access to the upper galleries for one visitor at a time requiring assisted evacuation.

Customer care support

All staff have disability awareness training.
We have information in audio .
Handheld illuminated magnifiers are available on request from the front desk
We have other services for people with accessibility requirements.

Scooter/Wheelchair storage
• You are welcome to use compact mobility scooters inside the building.
• Larger mobility scooters or wheelchairs that you do not wish to remain seated in while viewing the exhibition can be stored by us at your own risk.

Guide info
Any information, comments and views made available to users via this Accessibility Guide are provided directly from third party business operators. VisitEngland and VisitScotland do not endorse or validate this information. Any reliance on this Accessibility Guide is at your own risk. This guide is not intended to be a substitute for users making their own checks, inquiries and investigations directly with the business operators prior to making any booking or visiting the venue.