Accessibility Guide for REME Museum

Welcome

The award winning REME Museum, including Crowns Cafe, is situated in the village of Lyneham in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Opened in June 2017 after a major redesign, the Museum provides a unique, interactive visitor experience for all ages. There are 8 galleries to explore and the Museum is fully accessible. On display you will see large armoured recovery vehicles, weapons, uniforms, medals and there's even a helicopter suspended from the ceiling. Try your hand on a recovery task simulator. From the battlefields of WWII to Afghanistan, to winning medals at the Olympics discover the fascinating stories of the Soldiers and Officers who have served.

Watch the video: Welcome to the REME Museum

Level access

The main entrance has level access.

There is level access from the main entrance to:

Exhibition Galleries Museum Main Reception Museum disabled and baby changing toilet Cafe and Archives disabled toilet Crowns Cafe Museum reception shop Conference room Lyneham Memorial Garden

Access with steps

There are steps from the main entrance to:

Dig for Victory Garden Wildlife Garden

Hearing

We have a hearing loop in On audio displays throughout the 8 galleries.

Some staff have disability awareness training.

Visual

Glass doors have contrast markings.

The walls and the doors have high colour contrast.

Some parts of the venue have low lighting.

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. The toilet is a Changing Places toilet.

Some staff have disability awareness training.

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

Getting here

Calne Road

MoD Lyneham

Chippenham

SN15 4XX

Travel by public transport

You can get to REME Museum by bus and train.

The bus route is the Number 55 (Swindon - Chippenham). The nearest bus stop, MoD Lyneham Main Gate, is located across the road from the Museum and MoD Lyneham Main Gate. It is less than 350 meters from the bus stop to the Museum’s entrance. The bus stop is 0.1 miles / 0.2 km from REME Museum.

The nearest train station is Chippenham. The train station is 10 miles / 16.1 km from REME Museum.

Buses usually run every 20 minutes and go between Swindon and Chippenham railway stations.

Travel by taxi

You can get a taxi with Terrys Taxi by calling 01380 721034. You can get a taxi with Norman E Webbs Transport Service by calling 01249 471278.

Parking

We have a car park. There are accessible parking spaces. The parking is less than 50 metres from the main entrance. Parking is free.

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

From the car park to the entrance, there is level access. The route is 1040mm wide, or more.

The Museum's car park is directly outside the front entrance to the Museum. There are 4 marked disabled parking bays close to the entrance. The nearest of which is approximately 10m from the door.

Museum car park with 4 designated disabled parking bays

Arrival

Path to main entrance

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

There is a permanent ramp.

The path is 1040mm wide, or more.

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.

The door is 1300mm wide.

The main door is side hung and automatic.

The main door is sliding and automatic.

The Museum entrance has inner and outer doors. The outer doors are sliding doors, the inner doors are side hung doors that open inwards. Both are automatic activated by sensors as the vistors approaches.

Automatic Inner entrance side hung doors

Getting around inside

We have contrast markings on all glass doors and high colour contrast between walls and doorframes.

Some parts of the venue have low lighting.

Ticket/ information desk

Museum Main Reception

From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. The route is 1300mm wide, or more.

The door is 850mm wide, or more.

The desk has a low section.

View from above of the reception area from the entrance door

Things to See and Do

We have a concessionary rate for disabled visitors.

We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.

Exhibition Galleries

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 1300mm wide, or more. The door is 1500mm wide.

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

There is a hearing loop.

Videos have subtitles.

Some displays have flashing lights.

Visitors enter the first gallery, the WWII gallery from a WWII Landing craft there is a flashing light and sound show to create the atmosphere of landing on the beaches of Normany on the 6 June 1944. There are no more flashing lights within the the galleries. These lights can be turned off if arranged in advance to suit visitors with sensitity to light.

Public toilet

Museum disabled and baby changing toilet

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.

The toilet is a Changing Places toilet.

From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The route is 1400mm wide, or more.

The toilet door is 830mm wide.

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

There is 890mm at the side of the toilet. There is 1200mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 480mm high. The toilets have handrails.

Public toilet

Cafe and Archives 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 1500mm wide, or more.

The toilet door is 830mm wide.

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

There is 750mm at the side of the toilet. There is 1400mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 480mm high. The toilets have handrails.

Shop

Museum reception shop

From the main entrance to the shop, there is level access. The route is 1200mm wide, or more. The door is 1300mm wide.

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

Place to eat and drink

Crowns Cafe

From the main entrance to the dining area, there is level access. The route is 1500mm wide, or more. The door is 1300mm wide.

To get to a table, there are no steps.

The dining area is self-service. If you need table service, staff can help you.

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

There is no background music.

The table and plates have high colour contrast.

We cater for vegetarian, gluten free (celiacs), lactose free (dairy free), nut free, low sodium and no gastric content specific diets.

All specific diets can be catered for if at least 48hrs notice is provided prior to the day of visit.

There is one raised seating area within the cafe that does not have ramp access

Conference room

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

The door is 1300mm wide.

Getting around outside

From the main entrance to the gardens, there is 1 step. There is no lift and no ramp.

The route to the gardens passes through the cafe and is level until the threshold of the cafe door to the outside area, this is navigable by wheelchair users but may require some assistance. The double doors can be opened fully on request to make enough space.

The narrowest point is the path entrance to the garden at 110cm.

On event days an additional entrance is usually open via the Education Suite which has full level access.

Wooden planters in rows of 3 by 4, laid out on gravel path with concrete path around two sides.

Wildlife Garden

From the main entrance to the gardens, there is 1 step. There is no lift and no ramp.

The narrowest point is the path entrance to the garden at 100cm. The gravel pathway has matting underneath to ensure it is suitable for wheelchair users.

On event days an additional entrance is usually open via the Education Suite which has full level access.

A wild garden with tall grasses and plants roped off in a rectangle by wooden posts and rope, a gravel path leads up the middle.

Lyneham Memorial Garden

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. The route is 1020mm wide, or more. The entrance is 2000mm wide.

Although not a part of the REME Museum's displays there is a Memorial Garden in the Museum’s grounds. The garden is in remembrance of all those who lost their lives in service of their country and were repatriated back via RAF Lyneham.

Customer care support

We provide wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are free.

We have a hearing loop in On audio displays throughout the 8 galleries.

You can hire mobility equipment from Chippenham Mobility centre by calling 01249 462404.

Emergency evacuation procedures

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

Customer care support

Some staff have disability awareness training.

We are looking to train Reception Staff in British Sign Language. In the meantime, we have a greetings sheet to ensure our staff are able to offer deaf visitors a friendly welcome into the Museum.

We have other services for people with accessibility requirements.

If arranged in advance of your visit, we can turn off lights and surrounding noises to make the visit more comfortable for visitors with sensitivity to light and/or noise.