Midlands
VIEWING HEREFORD FROM A WHEELCHAIR
The pedestrian area in Hightown in Hereford city centre
Hereford is a city set in beautiful rural countryside, with a busy market (held on Wednesdays and Saturdays) and many interesting shops. The city centre is fairly level and the majority of premises are easily accessed. There is a shop mobility scheme with motorised scooters for hire if you require tel: 01432 342166.
For accessible places to stay in the area please scroll to the bottom of the page and for a wider accommodation search for other areas of the Midlands and the UK click here.
The front view of Hereford Cathedral
At the centre of the city is the beautiful 12th century Cathedral (one of the oldest in England) which has good access for wheelchair user visitors, the only exception being the crypt. There is level access to the gift shop and ramped access to a small cafe in the cloisters (limited access to tables) which serves tea and coffee plus light lunches.
The excellent accessible tables
There is also an outside seating area in the courtyard with four wheelchair accessible picnic tables.
The disabled toilet is situated off this area (it is radar key operated and there is a key available from the vestry office).
The interactive replica of the Mappa Mundi
Adjoining the cathedral is the Mappa Mundi and Chained Library exhibition. This is also accessible with an excellent tactile/audio interactive exhibit explaining details of the Mappa Mundi.
Part of the exhibition area
There are also replica maps displayed on the walls in the exhibition that allow close access. However sadly at the present time the actual Mappa Mundi itself is displayed in a high position that does not enable wheelchairs to get close enough to see clearly.
Hereford Museum and Art Gallery
Diagonally opposite the cathedral is Hereford Museum and Art Gallery which can be accessed via a lift in the library below. There is also a stair lift in place to enable wheelchair users to view the Roman Mosaics and other exhibits displayed on the walls around the stairs. Some wheelchair users may need to transfer to the Museums own wheelchair to be able to access this facility.
The museum has a wide range of artifacts
The museum has equipment for people with sensory impairment including a Talking Tactile Tablet (T3) and large print fact sheets. Braille transcriptions are available for some parts of the display, for example, the new Timeline that will be in place by the Autumn of 2008. Small tours for those with cognitive impairment can be pre-booked and workshops relating to the current art exhibition can often be arranged. Information regarding forthcoming exhibitions is available on the website www.herefordshire.gov.uk/museums or on 01432 383592. There is a designated toilet (left hand transfer and radar key operated) in the foyer of the building.
One of our researchers accessing the virtual tour of the Old House Museum
The Old House is situated in Hightown in the city centre within easy wheeling distance of the Cathedral. It was built in 1621 and the house has been used for many purposes during its lifetime and is now a fascinating museum giving an insight into daily life in Jacobean times. Admission is free for all visitors.
A replica model of the Old House
Access for visitors with mobility issues is limited to the two rooms on the ground floor however there is an easily navigated, computer generated 'virtual tour' of the upper floors. This allows visitors to zoom in on some of the more ornate decoration that was popular during the period when the house was built.
The Museum has various aids for people with visual impairment and coloured perspex sheets that can be used to assist visitors with dyslexia. There is not an accessible toilet at the museum but there is one 200 yards away in Maylords Shopping Centre.
Accessing one of the computer slide shows at the Cider Museum
The Cider Museum (which explains the history of traditional cider making in the area) is approximately 10 minutes wheeling distance from the city centre in Ryelands Street. Although you can only access the main floor of the museum with a wheelchair, it is extremely interesting and there is plenty to see which makes it well worth a visit. There are several computer slideshows, detailed exhibits, a childrens colouring and quiz table and tasting samples of the produce.
Access around the ground floor is good
The shop and cafe (serving light snacks) have level access and there is an adjacent accessible toilet.
Approximately half a mile from the city centre situated at the Victorian pumping station by the River Wye is the Waterworks Museum which tells the story of drinking water over the past 2,000 years.
Viewing some of the exhibits at the Waterworks Museum
This has excellent wheelchair access to all parts of the museum, the exception being the hydraulic ram in the well area and even here access has been considered where a close circuit tv has been put in to allow wheelchair users to see.
Accessing the triple expansion steam engine (1895) at the Museum
There is a designated parking space adjacent to the entrance, a good sized designated toilet and level access to the shop where hot and cold drinks and snacks are available. Check out their website for times and dates for 'in steam' days when you can see the engines working. There is an excellent wheelchair users access guide for the museum showing alternative routes around the buildings and you can download both pages in pdf here access guide page 1, access guide page 2
Fifteen minutes drive north of the city centre on the A49 is the beautiful Queenswood Arboretum and Country Park.
The visitor centre at Queenswood Country Park and Arboretum
Queenswood Park covers 103 acres (67 of which are the arboretum) and is open daily. There are excellent hard surfaced pathways through the park and electric buggies (tandem and single) are available to loan should you prefer. Prebooking is recommended and proof of identity is required.
Accessing Queenswood with one of the electric buggies
There is an information centre with designated parking spaces. The cafe serves cooked meals as well as light snacks and there is a radar operated designated toilet (key available from the information centre).
The river Arrow at Eardisland
There is a black and white village trail which starts at the old market town of Leominster (which also has a shop mobility scheme telephone 01568 616755) and takes a forty mile circular route finishing at Eardisland (where the church is accessible via a ramp). These villages are amongst the most attractive in England and typify what most of us imagine as an English country village.
The centre of Weobley
The village of Weobley (pronounced Webbley) has many fine buildings and wheelchair access via a side entrance to the teashop situated at the rear of the giftshop in Back Lane.
An unusual black and white timbered dovecot near Pembridge
The village of Pembridge also has many fine timbered buildings and a Market Hall standing in the small square in front of the 17th century New Inn. There are accessible toilets adjacent to the car park.
Pembridge Bell Tower
St Mary's Church has an unusual detached bell tower. There is vehicular access to the churchyard for wheelchair users via a white gate diagonally opposite the Market Hall. From here there is level access into the bell tower.
The structure is supported by 14th century timbers and houses the clock and a ring of five bells. Legend has it that it was built as a temporary measure when the church was being constructed, however lack of funding meant that a more permanent church tower was never added. N.B. The light inside the tower is operated by a 10p coin. A leaflet giving a map and further details about the trail is available from the Tourist Information Centre in King Street, Hereford. Tel :- 01432 268430.
Part of the formal gardens at Hampton Court
The recently restored Hampton Court Gardens cover 12 acres and are situated on the A417 just off the junction with the A49 between Hereford and Leominster. The site is level throughout with compacted gravel paths and there is good wheelchair access to 90% of the gardens including the brick pathed maze.
Our researchers checking out the Walled Garden
Companions that assist wheelchair users by pushing are exempt from the entrance fee. Access to the gift shop, plant sales area and restaurant is good and there is a wheelchair available to loan (pre-booking is advised). The car park is grassed but there is a drop off point for blue badge holders near the entrance.
N.B. The designated toilet is situated adjacent to the restaurant at the far side of the gardens and wheelchairs might require some assistance to negotiate the door.
Hereford and its Shire has a wide variety of attractions that are accessible for visitors with mobility issues, for more information about the area click on visitherefordshire.co.uk
If you would like more detailed reports about the accessibility of each of the attractions included please e-mail us.
PLACES TO STAY
We have found five places to stay in the area that have been especially adapted for wheelchair users.
The Travelodge Hereford
The hotel is situated adjacent to the Cider Museum near the city centre and has 3 accessible rooms with en-suite wetrooms. Two are on the ground floor and one is on the first floor.
One of the ground floor bedrooms
Adjacent to the hotel there is a bistro which has a connecting door inside the hotel for guests . More info
The Castle House Hotel in the city centre.
Castle House is a beautiful Georgian Town House situated in the heart of Hereford within easy wheeling distance of the Cathedral and the city centre. There is a wheelchair accessible ground floor suite with its own separate ramped entrance (shown above). Please note that the shower room is compact and in our opinion would not be suitable for electric wheelchair users who cannot transfer.
The bedroom in the wheelchair accessible suite
All of the public areas in the hotel are accessible including the bar (that serves light snacks) the lounge and the restaurant.
There is access to private terrace from the suite's bedroom and wheelchair access to tranquil terraced garden and patio of main hotel. More info
There are also four places with wheel-in showers/wet rooms we have not yet visited.
Grafton Villas has two accessible cottages and is only two miles from the city. More info
Approximately 14 miles from Hereford over the border into Wales is Homefield which is a 3 bedroomed self catering bungalow situated in the village of Grosmont in Monmouthshire. More info
About fifteen miles away is Hidelow Lodge which is set within the grounds of a country guest house and has two bedrooms, one with an easy access en-suite shower.
Lastly 15 miles south of Hereford at Ross-on-Wye is Portland Guesthouse which has a wheelchair accessible suite with its own conservatory. More info