Accessibility at Segedunum Roman Fort

Segedunum Roman Fort explores the Roman, coal mining and shipbuilding history of the area. It consists of a large outdoor area with two satellite sites nearby and a museum building with four public galleries, a viewing tower, and a function suite. 

For more information contact us by telephone on (0191) 277 1499 or by email at info@segedunumromanfort.org.uk

AccessAble

AccessAble have created a detailed accessibility guide for Segedunum Roman Fort.

Visual Guide

Download a copy of Segedunum Roman Fort's Visual Guiie (PDF, 2.24 MB)

Updated June 2026

Step-free access

Accessible toilets on the ground floor, third floor, and fourth floor in the function suite area

Lift access to all floors - Viewing Tower lift is currently out of service awaiting repair (26 June 2026)

Blue Badge parking

Seating available around the museum and outdoor site

Assistance dogs welcome

If you have any questions, please contact us on (0191) 277 1499 or by email at info@segedunumromanfort.org.uk

Adults

£7.75* (per visit) / £15* (season ticket)  * Ticket price includes £1 voluntary donation. 

Concessions 

(including disabled visitors) 

£5.50* (per visit) / £10* (season ticket) One support worker, family member or friend will be admitted free of charge.  *Ticket price includes £1 voluntary donation. 

Young people 21 and under 

Free.

NE28 residents 

Free.

Pre-booking is not required for general visits. For special events, if there is an additional charge or pre-booking is necessary it will be stated.

Car parking

There is free car parking available onsite with three Blue Badge spaces near to the main entrance. 

This car park is gated and only accessible during museum opening hours. We do not accept any responsibility for cars left over night and cannot provide access after the gates have closed.

Public Transport

We are easily accessed via public transport, located a 3–5 minute walk from the Wallsend Interchange (Metro and Bus).

Please visit the Travel North East website for more information about public transport.

Museum 

Visitors enter and exit the museum via the museum shop. There is a long sloping ramp (about 50 metres) descending to the front entrance. The gradient is 1 in 20. There is a handrail on the right on the final part of the approach. Two sets of automatic doors lead to the Reception desk and shop area. There is a rear entrance on Station Road that can be used on request. This rear entrance slopes down at a gradient greater than 1 in 20. 

The museum is spread over four floors.

Ground Floor 

On this level there is a reception, gift shop and the Roman Gallery displaying archaeological finds from the site.

A Roman film theatre displaying a subtitled film about life in the fort. 

The Roman Gallery has sound effects that replicate life in the fort. A translation of the spoken Latin in the gallery is available from reception. There are also slideshows in written English with no audio.

There are two accessible toilets and a baby change area with sink and changing table to the rear of reception.

Behind reception, there is an area with tables and chairs that can be used for picnics or breastfeeding. 

3rd floor 

Two temporary exhibition spaces and the Strong Place Gallery celebrating the shipbuilding history of the area.

The Activity Room corridor has a view on to the site with further information about the area on text panels. 

The Activity Room is for pre-booked school parties (contact segedunumlearningbookings@northeastmuseums.org.uk for more information on booking).

On this level there is an accessible toilet.

Emergency evacuation for wheelchair users from the 3rd floor is down the main stairs via an Evac Chair.

4th Floor 

A function suite for pre-booked parties (contact Nicola.Naroz@northeastmuseums.org.uk for more information on booking). There are two bookable rooms, the Daniels' Room for large conferences and lectures and the Corder Room suited more for meetings.

There is a kitchen for function suite users.

There is a pin code entry system to access the area via double doors. 

There is an accessible toilet in this area.

Emergency evacuation for wheelchair users from the function suite is down the stairs at the back of the Corder Room via an Evac Chair.

9th Floor  

The viewing tower provides a panoramic view of the entire site.

There are video screens with extra information about the various areas of the Roman Fort site viewable from the tower.

Wheelchair users can enjoy the view from the tower from the rear of the area as there are steps running through the aisle to the front.

Emergency evacuation is down the main stairs via an Evac Chair, there is also a refuge point for visitors who are unable to self-transfer to the Evac Chair.

Lifts 

There are two lifts.

Currently out of service awaiting repair (26 June 2026) The 2nd floor, 4th floor function suite and 9th floor viewing tower are reached by a glass lift which travels through the centre of the building and is located behind the museum reception and shop.

The 3rd floor galleries are accessed through a closed metal lift which is located in the shop.

Both lifts have tactile buttons, but only the glass lift has a voice announcer.

Exits

There are two emergency exits from the ground floor at the front of the Roman Gallery onto the Station Road courtyard area with flat access out of the building and at the rear of the gallery which has a ramp. There is an additional emergency exit located at the rear of reception next to the baby change area that also leads onto the Station Road courtyard. There is a staff exit onto Station Road that can be opened on request.

Outdoor spaces

All outdoor areas are wheelchair accessible. There is an exit from the car park onto Hadrian’s Wall path with ramped access. There are metal gates on and off site, usually held open during the day. Please ask a member of staff if you need help opening and closing these. 

The Fort site

A fully excavated Roman fort with a Roman herb garden and an (unsupervised) children’s play area consisting of a climbing frame and slide.

A picnic area with benches and tables located near the herb garden.

The Wall site

A gated area on the opposite side of Buddle Street (across a busy road) to the main fort site.

The remaining section of Hadrian’s Wall, with a reconstruction at the minimum height the wall would have been in Roman times. The reconstructed wall is only accessible via a flight of steps.

 The original Roman Bath House remains

The excavated remains of the original Roman bath house that would have served the fort are located around 100m from the main site on the Hadrian’s Wall Path. There is a flat path with inclined access to this area.

The remains can be enjoyed from the perimeter, there is no public access inside the gated area. 

Seating

Benches and chairs, some with backs and arms are situated throughout the museum.

There are benches around the museum, in the Roman garden and beside the path leading towards the Colliery and Hadrian’s Wall sites from the west side of the fort. 

On the 3rd floor, you will find a seating area including chairs with backs and arms.

There are also picnic benches on site.

Fire alarms

If there is a fire alarm it will give an audible bell warning and visual flashing lights. The lifts cannot be used in the event of a fire.

If you will need assistance to exit the building in the event of a fire alarm please tell a member of staff.

Wheelchair hire

A wheelchair is available for visitor use. Please ask a member of staff at the reception who will be able to assist. 

Breastfeeding

We are breastfeeding friendly and can provide a seated area and water for nursing.

Accessible toilets and baby changing 

There are toilets and standard accessible toilets at the rear of Reception on the ground floor, on the third floor in the activities corridor, just beside the seating area on the third floor, and on the fourth floor in the function area. 

There is baby changing at the rear of Reception on the ground floor. 

The nearest Changing Places toilet is located at Wallsend Customer First Centre, 16 The Forum, Station Road, Wallsend NE28 8JR

Public telephone

There is no public telephone available. Please ask a member of staff at reception to order taxis or if you need to make an urgent phone call and they will assist you.  

Displays, exhibitions and attractions

There are a variety of permanent and temporary installations within the galleries which feature audio points and videos including captions.

Films and interactive displays

There are various interactives in the galleries. These include computer interactives and films.

Special exhibitions and learning family activities

Throughout the year, the museum holds a wide variety of changing exhibitions, events and activities. For further information please look at our What's On page.

There are a variety of permanent and temporary installations within the galleries which feature videos including captions.

We welcome assistance dogs. A bowl of water can be provided, please ask a member of staff. 

All information panels and signs are in written English with a font size of no less than 14 points. 

Both lifts have tactile buttons, but only the Tower lift (currently out of service awaiting repair - 26 June 2026) has a voice announcer.

If you would prefer to have a quieter experience of the museum, we recommend that you avoid the peak times for school visits, which are between 10am and 2.30pm on weekdays during term time and between 11am - 2pm on weekends and during school holidays. 

In our museum in the Roman Gallery, some of our interactives have sounds attached to them. If you are likely to struggle with these sounds, please let our staff know so they can turn these off or reduce the volume whilst you visit.

We have a gift shop on the ground floor of the museum at the entrance. You'll find a range of high-quality books, souvenirs and Hadrian's Wall merchandise. Soft drinks and snacks are also available to buy.

Although we make every attempt to make the venue as accessible as possible, aspects of the building and the nature of the exhibitions we show sometimes make it difficult to make everything fully accessible.

Here are some examples:

i) The site of the fort of Segedunum and Hadrian’s Wall are Scheduled Monuments and there are restrictions on what structures, signage and pathways can be incorporated.

ii) The long entrance ramp leading to the Museum from the pedestrian gates was designed in response to a need to protect the Roman period archaeological levels that were discovered immediately to the east of the fort.

iii) Many of our exhibits need to be protected from damage caused either accidentally by visitors or indeed by the environments in which they are displayed. While many of our exhibits are displayed in cases we do try to put items on open display where the object is not at risk. However this is not always possible.  Where items are on open display it is important that the ambient relative humidity and temperature of the gallery is maintained and at a constant level. This means that doors leading into and out of a gallery will need to be closed. If you require assistance with the opening of doors please ask a member of staff at Reception.

There are other occasions when items on open display need to be protected and cannot be touched. In this instance you may find that there are some low slung barriers which will indicate how close you can get to something. Again if you require further assistance, please ask a member of staff but remember you will not be allowed to touch it.

Light levels in exhibitions of paintings and of costume and textiles need to be low. High lux levels will cause paintings and fabrics to fade over a period of time. If you need assistance, please ask a member of staff.

All staff attend a programme of core training which includes customer care, diversity and disability awareness. They are here to help visitors enjoy the time they spend in our venues.

If there is anything that we can do to make your visit more enjoyable please contact us at info@segedunumromanfort.org.uk, we will be happy to assist you.

Here are some helpful resources you can use before or during your visit: 

AccessAble

AccessAble have created a detailed accessibility guide for Segedunum Roman Fort.

Visual Guide

Download a copy of Segedunum Roman Fort's Visual Guide (PDF, 2.24B).