This guide has been produced to assist and enable our visitors with disabilities to enjoy to the full their visit to Hertford Museum.
Hertford Museum welcomes visitors with disabilities, together with their helpers or carers, and we actively seek to promote and provide equal opportunity for all who visit us. We would wish to encourage everyone to fully enjoy the range of facilities and entertainment available.
Arranging your visit
The museum is open 10am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday and admission is free. There is usually a small charge for specific events or workshops. The museum is located on Bull Plain, just off Maidenhead Street in the centre of the town. The road is accessible by car. There are double yellow lines outside the museum.
Parking is available on Bull Plain (limited to 20 mins) and in the multi storey car park on Gascoyne Way or Bircherley Green and in St Andrew Street (short stay) which are close by in the town. There are 3 disabled badge holders spaces at the other end of Bull Plain.
For more information about Hertford Museum's services, please contact the museum on 01992 582686 and ask to speak to the Curator, Helen Gurney. Alternatively, please email the museum on info@hertfordmuseum.org.
Access to the Museum services
Hertford Museum opened on its present site just over 80 years ago. It is now a registered charity and a registered museum which receives funding from Hertford Town Council and East Herts Council. It relies heavily on public support and donations.
The building itself was built around 1610 although many of the original features have since disappeared.
First floor
The first floor area has a large display space which holds exhibitions as well as an activity room, where events take place such as children's activities, talks and school visits. Visitors with young children 'drop-in' to this room and children can play with toys and use the drawing materials.
Access to the first floor is at present limited to one staircase. The museum is planning a large redevelopment which will include access for all to all public areas of the museum (including a lift to the first floor) which the museum will be applying to the Heritage Lottery Fund for in the coming years.
In the interim, we can offer to visitors with mobility difficulties who wish to see the first floor:
- Text and accompanying photographs detailing objects and stories from the exhibition
- An audio cassette of the exhibition
- Some objects can be brought down to the ground floor
- Toys, paper, crayons etc available for children on the ground floor (please ask)
- Provide some children's activities downstairs, e.g. THE BIG DRAW, Christmas activities and some summer activities
Hertford Museum's ground floor is accessible. The ground floor has the museum shop, two temporary exhibition spaces and a Hertfordshire display area.
There is also free accessible Broadband internet service for visitors (sometimes pre-booking is required) which has the following:
- Height adjustable desk (crank operated)
- Dolphin supernova magnifying software
- Large 19inch flat screen panel
To the rear of the building (accessed through the museum) are the toilets (including disabled with a baby-change facility) and a small walled Jacobean-style garden with an array of plants and flowers that visitors can enjoy. The knot work part of the garden has a shingle path which may provide difficulties for wheelchair users on their own. Please ask a member of staff if you would like assistance.
Hertford Museum is always striving to be more accessible to our visitors and we appreciate feedback or comments to enable us to ensure that our services are working. If you wish to know more about Hertford Museum's plans for the future which include a Disability Action Plan, please email or telephone for more details.