Access statement

Car parking

Pay and display car-parks are situated close to the museum in the Market Square,Tebbutts Road and Waitrose car park. There is a taxi rank at the South East corner of the Market Square. Parking is also available across the town bridge in the Riverside Park, approximately 10 minutes walk from the museum.

Railway station

The Railway station, on the East Coast main line, is approximately one mile from the town centre and has a taxi rank which is well used.

Bus services

The nearest bus stop to the museum is on the Market Square, with regular buses from local villages and major towns including Cambridge and Oxford. It is a short walk from the Market Square to the museum

Services for people with disabilities

The centre of the town is flat land and all the streets around the museum including New Street are flat, level roads with pavements. The museum holds information about local services available for disabled people.

Information in alternative formats is available from our reception volunteers who are able to offer information verbally to visitors.

There is currently no hearing loop system at the museum.

Our volunteer receptionists are friendly and approachable and will do all they can to assist visitors at Reception.

The museum uses text panels to describe the exhibits on display, large print versions of our permanent displays are available on request.

The museum has background sounds in the following areas; Police Cells Corridor, Early History Gallery, Home Life Gallery, Village Hall Gallery.

No displays use flashing lights.

Car parking and arrival

There is one car parking space next to the museum available to anyone with mobility needs, this space has a dropped kerb to the road but is on a slight upward slope from the pavement. There is also the option of being dropped off on hard standing immediately outside the museum’s front door. Please ring or email to arrange use of the space.

Pay and display car-parks are situated close to the museum in the Market Square,Tebbutts Road and Waitrose car park. There is a taxi rank at the South East corner of the Market Square. Parking is also available across the town bridge in the Riverside Park, this is 0.5 miles or ten minutes walk from the museum.

There are Blue Badge parking spaces at all the listed car parks, as they are some distance from the museum, please contact us to use our one available space which is free to use. The surface from the parking space to the museum front entrance is pavement and block paving which is slightly uneven, staff are available to help with access if booked in advance. There is street lighting outside the museum.

Entry to the museum

The museum entrance is level from the pavement although there is a small raised metal bar across the front door entrance, this does not prevent wheelchair access. The front door is manual and opens inwards with a short shallow ramp leading into the reception, there are no handrails for the ramp. The clear door opening width is 790mm. There is a door bell which can be used to call staff for assistance entering the building.

Reception

The reception area is flat and all on ground level, the floor is carpeted. Seating can be made available if required. The lighting in the reception area is provided by spotlights and by fluorescent tubes. There is no low counter area at reception but our volunteer receptionists are friendly and approachable.

Complimentary ticket policy

Entry to the museum is free for all local residents and those of local parishes that make a small financial contribution to the museum. It is the museum’s policy to allow carers free entry to the museum.

Access to the Museum

During opening hours most doors within the museum exhibition area are open to allow easy movement around the building. Exceptions to this policy are the Fire Doors within the building. These are: the door between the Police Cells Corridor and the Early History Gallery which is 760mm wide and opens towards the Cells Corridor, the door to the upstairs galleries which is a fire door which is 770mm wide and situated in the Early History Gallery up a short ramp with a hand rail, the door from the Temporary Exhibition Gallery to Reception which is 750mm wide and a fire door. The door from Reception to the Police Cells Corridor is the original heavy metal gate and also kept closed but is opened by the volunteers at Reception for visitors when they arrive if necessary.

Seating

Seats are provided in all exhibition areas of the museum.

Floor coverings

The museum floors are carpeted throughout the main exhibition areas, with short pile carpet tiles. The Police Cells Corridor is smooth concrete, the floors in the Old Court Room and disabled toilet are lino. Lino is also used in the upstairs Village Life Gallery with a carpet bar covering the join between carpet and lino.

Exhibition lighting

Spotlights are used throughout the museums permanent exhibition areas. Small spotlights are used within some cases to illuminate objects.

Public toilets

One unisex toilet with disabled access is provided in the Early History Gallery a short walk from Reception. Entry to the toilet is on the level. The door is 820mm wide and the toilet area is 190mm x 150mm , the toilet seat is not raised and there is a pull down grab rail next to the toilet. Height of the WC from the floor to the seat is 420mm. The right hand wall is close to the toilet and the left hand wall is 900mm from the toilet, from the pull down grab rail 800mm. The floor is non-slip lino. A small hand basin and electric hand drier are provided within the toilet area. The tap is of traditional design. There is NO emergency call system. Two other public toilets are situated in the Old Court Room.

Emergency fire and security alarms

The Fire Alarm system uses flashing lights as well as a siren to alert visitors to any problems.

Museum shop

The museum shop is situated in the reception area where there is level access. The shop is accessed from the front door via an internal door 870mm wide, a short shallow ramp leads from the door into the shop and reception area. The shop can also be accessed from the cells corridor, the Temporary Exhibition Gallery and the Old Court Room. The shop area is one small room with cupboards with shelves above around the walls, the central space is open with no free standing units. There is no low counter area but our volunteers are friendly and helpful and will give assistance to any visitor who needs help. There is no background music, there is no hearing loop installed.

Opening times

The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday 11am to 4pm We are closed on Sundays and Mondays, except for pre-booked groups.

The Museum is closed in January for an annual spring clean and re-opens on the first Tuesday in February.

Please ensure you check opening times by telephoning the museum on 01480 214163 before you leave home, particularly during Easter and Christmas holiday periods, to ensure we are open.

Admission charges

Free entry for local residents*

Adults £3, Seniors £2 and Children (5 to 16) and concessions £1. Friends of the Museum receive free admission.

We also offer free entry to all families who pay for a drop in family workshop.

* Free entry – all visitors who live in one of the local parishes that make a small contribution to the museum’s running costs are entitled to free entry to the museum. The parishes who make an annual contribution to the museum are: St Neots, including Eynesbury and the Eatons, Buckden, Chawston with Colesden and Wyboston, Eltisley, Great Paxton, Great Staughton, Hail Weston, Kimbolton, Little Gransden, Little Paxton, Offord Darcy and Offord Cluny, Roxton, Southoe and Midloe, Toseland, Waresley and Tetworth.

Accessibility

• Ramp/level access to the ground floor
• Stair lift with wheelchair available on the first floor
• Disabled person’s toilet
• No dogs but Guide Dogs/Hearing Dogs welcomed
• Please telephone for further information, reception 01480 214163
• Other facilities