Accessibility Guide for The Piece Hall

Travel by public transport

You can get to The Piece Hall by bus and train.

Halifax Bus Station is around 5 to 10 minutes walking distance from The Piece Hall. There are regular bus services from across West Yorkshire The bus stop is 0.4 miles / 0.6 km from The Piece Hall.

The nearest train station is Halifax Train Station. The train station is 0.1 miles / 0.2 km from The Piece Hall.

The Piece Hall is located just five minutes walk from Halifax Railway Station, with direct links to Leeds, Huddersfield, Bradford and Manchester stations. Grand Central Rail also operate a regular service between London and Bradford, calling at Halifax. To plan your rail journey visit National Rail Enquiries.

Travel by taxi

You can get a taxi with Crossleys Taxis by calling 01422 250100. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

You can get a taxi with Ziggys Metro Cars by calling 01422 344500.

Parking

There is a drop-off point at the main entrance. The drop-off point has a dropped kerb.

The drop-off point is located on Blackledge by the South Gate entrance.

There are a number of designated bays for Blue Badge holders in Halifax town centre and the nearest one to The Piece Hall is on Westgate.  

Others are located on Alexandra Street, Commercial Street, Corporation Street, Gaol Lane, Northgate, Old Market, Rawson Street, Thomas Street, Wade Street.

Path to main entrance

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

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.

Lift

We have 4 lifts.

You can get a lift to all floors.

South East Lift

The lift door is 900mm wide.

The lift is 1070mm wide. The lift is 1500mm deep.

The lift says the floor number at each floor.

The lift buttons have raised numbers or letters.

The lift shows the floor number, at each floor.

The lift is located in the South East Corner, by the Welcome Centre and Square Chapel. The lift gives access to the following floors: 2 : Colonnade Level 1 : Rustic Level 0 : Arcade Level-1: Square Chapel-2: Basement Toilets and Wheelchair Accessible ToiletPlease note that at basement level the entrance to the lift and accessible toilet is 860mm at its narrowest point.

West Gate Lift

The lift door is 890mm wide.

The lift is 1070mm wide. The lift is 1420mm deep.

The lift says the floor number at each floor.

The lift buttons have raised numbers or letters.

The lift shows the floor number, at each floor.

The lift at the West Gate gives direct access on to Rustic Level (0), and also Colonnade Level (1).The Arcade Level (Courtyard area) can be reached by using the wheelchair accessible walkway.The exit via the West Gate leads on to a cobbled sloped surface.Please note that the door width to access the Colonnade lift Foyer is 760mm at its widest point.

North Gate

The lift door is 900mm wide.

The lift is 1380mm wide. The lift is 1120mm deep.

The lift says the floor number at each floor.

The lift buttons have raised numbers or letters.

The lift shows the floor number, at each floor.

The lift is located by the North Gate (which leads out by the Woolshops shopping area)The lift gives access to all three levels0 - Arcade Level1 - Rustic Level2 - Colonnade LevelOn both the Rustic and Colonnade Level, the door width to access the lift foyer is 740mm at its widest point.Please note that there is a slight lip to the foyer entrance on the Colonnade level.Each lift gives access to the independently owned shops located over 3 floors. There are a number of shops and dining areas at The Piece Hall. Due to the nature of the size of the units, space for moving around in some units is limited. For some of the shops there is a slight raised lip on the doorway to enter. As each store is independent do contact the Welcome Centre or the individual shop for further details on accessibility. 

East Gate Lift

The lift door is 1000mm wide.

The lift is 1070mm wide. The lift is 2280mm deep.

The lift says the floor number at each floor.

The lift buttons have raised numbers or letters.

The lift shows the floor number, at each floor.

The East Gate Lift gives access to The Piece Hall from Square Road. The lift entrance is by the Industrial Museum and gives access to Halifax Central Library and Archive.Floor 0 - Street LevelFloor 1 - Entrance to Library and The Piece Hall East Gate

Ticket/ information desk

Welcome Centre

From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. The route is 1550mm wide, or more.

The door is 1980mm wide, or more.

The Welcome Centre Information and ticket desk is all at one accessible level. The staff are on hand to provide information and assistance to visitors.

Things to See and Do

We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.

The Piece Hall Story

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. The route is 1550mm wide, or more. The door is 1980mm wide.

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

There are three Heritage Spaces at The Piece Hall. The Piece Hall Story is accessible via The Welcome Centre. The doors to the Welcome Centre are not automatic,  however a member of staff will be available for assistance if required.

The Piece Hall Story - Located at Courtyard Level
Our interactive heritage space ‘The Piece Hall Story’ welcomes you to discover this iconic building and its importance at the historic centre of the world’s woollen trade. You will be able to get up close to objects from our past, explore exhibitions and even try on Georgian costume.

The Map Room - Located on Colonnade Level (3rd Floor)
The Map Room has interactive maps, showing how woollen cloth sold in Halifax was traded across the world. In addition, there is a young explorers’ map featuring items to discover around The Piece Hall.

The Trader's Room - Located on Rustic Level (2nd Floor)
In the Trader’s Room you will find one of the units in its original condition. Here you can experience the sights and sounds of what it would have been like to be standing inside The Piece Hall on a busy trading day back in 1779.

Public toilet

South East Corner Basement Ladies Toilets and Unisex Wheelchair Accessible Toilet

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.

From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. There is a lift.

From the lift to the public toilet, the route is 800mm wide, or more.

The toilet door is 920mm wide.

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

There is 880mm at the side of the toilet. There is 850mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 480mm high. The toilets have handrails.

Public toilet

North West Corner Men's and Unisex Wheelchair Accessible Toilet

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.

From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The route is 750mm wide, or more.

The toilet door is 750mm wide.

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

There is 950mm at the side of the toilet. There is 1370mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 480mm high. The toilets have handrails.

Public toilet

East Side Arcade Level Toilets

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.

From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The route is 950mm wide, or more.

The toilet door is 950mm wide.

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

There is 870mm at the side of the toilet. There is 1160mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 480mm high. The toilets have handrails.

There are accessible toilets located on the Arcade Level between Gin Lane and Elder. There is a ladies and gents toilets. The direction of the toilet transfer is to the left in the ladies and to the right in the gents.

Place to eat and drink

The Deli

From the main entrance to the dining area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. The route is 780mm wide, or more. The door is 780mm wide.

To get to a table, there are no steps.

The route through the dining area is 800mm wide, or more.

There is background music.

The table and plates have high colour contrast.

We cater for sugar free (diabetic), vegetarian, lactose free (dairy free), nut free and low fat specific diets.

There is a slight lip on the entrance of The Deli. Due to the nature of the size of the units, space is quite limited in places. 

Place to eat and drink

The Trading Rooms

From the main entrance to the dining area, there is level access. The route is 1120mm wide, or more. The door is 1030mm wide.

To get to a table, there are no steps.

The route through the dining area is 800mm wide, or more.

There is background music.

We cater for sugar free (diabetic), vegetarian, gluten free (celiacs), lactose free (dairy free), nut free, low fat and vegan specific diets.

Place to eat and drink

Blondins

From the main entrance to the dining area, there is level access. The route is 780mm wide, or more. The door is 780mm wide.

To get to a table, there are no steps.

The route through the dining area is 800mm wide, or more.

There is background music.

The table and plates have high colour contrast.

We cater for sugar free (diabetic), vegetarian, gluten free (celiacs), lactose free (dairy free), nut free, low fat, vegan and halal specific diets.

There is a slight lip on the entrance to Blondins. Due to the nature of the size of the units, space is quite limited in places.

The Courtyard

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

The Piece Hall has four entrances, The South Gate, The East Gate, The West Gate and the North Gate. Each entrance leads in to the main courtyard area, which is a wide open space.

The Piece Hall is an oblong shape and is divided over three levels The Arcade Level (Courtyard area), The Rustic Level and Colonnade Level. There are lifts located by the West Gate and by the Welcome Centre in the South East corner. There is also the North Gate Lift, however please note that the manoeuvrability access in this lift is restricted. The lifts allow access to all levels. There is also ramped access in the Courtyard to go from the Courtyard area to the Rustic Level.  

As The Piece Hall is an historic heritage site, the ground is uneven in places. Do take care when moving around.

Accessibility equipment

Throughout the year we host different events and performances. As each performance is different, do check the website for access information and contact our box office for further details. 

For a list of more items, please go to https://www.ageuk.org.uk/calderdaleandkirklees/.

There are four exits in The Piece Hall, out of which are some grassed areas for assistance dogs.

You can hire mobility equipment from Age UK Wheelchair Hire by calling 01422 252 040.

Emergency evacuation procedures

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

The fire alarm has flashing lights.

The fire alarm will sound and lights on all levels will flash. Guests using a wheelchair are asked to make their way to the nearest stairwell on the level they are on, and make themselves known to a member of staff. Trained members of staff will assist the guest by evac-chair if an evacuation is deemed necessary. Guests on the courtyard level will be directed by members of staff.

Customer care support

Some staff have disability awareness training.

Visitor Centre staff are available during office hours, with Duty Managers available in the courtyard during opening hours.

 

We have other services for people with accessibility requirements.

Companion Tickets

For selected event at The Piece Hall we can provide a companion tickets for guests who would be unable to attend without a carer. For further information on companion tickets and eligibility, please see our What's on page on our website. Details of accessible and companion tickets will be listed on there. If the event is a Live@ThePiece Hall music event, accessible tickets are available on the Ticketmaster website.