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Welcome

The grim atmosphere of the Workhouse Museum has been carefully maintained in order to give visitors a sense of what life in a Victorian Workhouse could have been.

Start your visit in the original Gatehouse building, which contains the Guardians' Room, Bathing Area, Vagrants' Cells and Receiving Ward for inmates.

Then take a look around the Main Block where you can see the Master's study and dining room, the pantry, classroom and inmates' dining hall. In the Workhouse Museum Garden, fruit and vegetables would have been tended by the inmates and been used to feed them and we use 1860s gardening techniques to cultivate heritage crops. 

An exterior photo of the Workhouse Museum in Ripon

Level access

The main entrance has level access.

There is level access from the main entrance to:

Main ticket deskVagrant's block toiletsMain block toiletWorkhouse Museum shopWorkhouse Kitchen GardenWorkhouse Museum site

There is level access from the car park to:

Workhouse picnic area

Visual

Glass doors have contrast markings.
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.

Getting here

Sharow View
Allhallowgate
Ripon
HG4 1LE

Travel by public transport

You can get to Workhouse Museum by bus.
The nearest bus stop is at Ripon Bus Station, Moss's Arcade, Ripon HG4 1AG.

Travel by taxi

You can get a taxi with Ripon Taxi Service by calling 01765 600128.

Parking

There is parking near the venue. There are accessible parking spaces. Parking is not free.
There is some on street parking available outside the museum, which may allow for drop offs at quiet times. Visitors with access needs can also ask to be dropped off at the museum's side entrance via the driveway, where they can walk through the yard and access the ticket desk by the building's rear door. There is some uneven ground on this route. Visitors can also park at St Marygate car park, postcode HG4 1LX. The car park is 5 to 10 minutes walk from the museum. Part of the route is uphill. From the car park to the entrance, there is level access. The path is sloped.
The entrance to the Workhouse Museum

Arrival

Path to main entrance

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

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.
The main door is side hung and manual.

Getting around inside

We have contrast markings on all glass doors.
Some parts of the venue have low lighting.
Contrast markings on the entrance doors

Lift

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

Vagrant's block lift

The lift is a platform lift.
The lift is 1000mm wide. The lift is 1480mm deep.
The lift shows the floor number, at each floor.

Ticket/ information desk

Main ticket desk

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

Things to See and Do

We have a concessionary rate for disabled visitors.
We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.
There are seats.

Stairs to the first floor are uneven. A handrail is provided.

Public toilet

Vagrant's block toilets

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access.

Public toilet

Main block 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.

Shop

Workhouse Museum shop

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

Getting around outside

From the main entrance to the gardens, there is level access.
There is a permanent ramp.
The route is sloped.

There is some uneven ground on the museum site. The Kitchen Garden is on a slope, with upper and lower paths.

The sloping ramp at the entrance to the Workhouse Kitchen Garden

Picnic Area

Workhouse picnic area

From the car park to the picnic area, there is level access. Some tables have space for wheelchair users. You can bring your own food to the picnic area.

We have three picnic tables on a grassy area of the Workhouse Museum site. There is a low kerb around the grassy area.

A view of the Workhouse Museum Main Block, including the picnic area

Workhouse Museum site

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

There is some uneven ground on the Workhouse Museum site, including some pathways with kerbs. There is a dropped kerb on the main visitor route from the rear of Main Block giving access to the Kitchen Garden.

Customer care support

We provide wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are free.
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.