Visual Story: what to expect when visiting Woodhorn Museum

Download a PDF version of Woodhorn Museum's visual story (PDF, 1.50 MB)

Take a 3D virtual tour of Woodhorn Museum.

1. What to expect at Woodhorn Museum
2. Arriving at Woodhorn Museum
3. The Cutter Building and Welcome Desk
4. Meeting people who work at Woodhorn Museum
5. Borrowing ear defenders
6. Accessible toilets
7. The café
8. The gift shop
9. Coal Town
10. The Banner Ramp
11. The Upper Ground level
12. The Ashington Group Gallery
13. The Learning Room and Northumberland Archives
14. Mik Critchlow Coal Town Collection
15. Upper Ground level entrance and exit
16. Quiet places outside
17. The Stables
18. The Workshop Galleries
19. The Cage Shop
20. The Jack Engine
21. The Pit Yard Play Area
22. The Wild Wood
23. Help us improve Woodhorn Museum's visual story

I am going to visit Woodhorn Museum. There is lots to see and do but I don't have to do it all in one visit.

Woodhorn is a coal mining museum. I will find out about Northumberland's coal mining history.

I will be able to see some of the old industrial buildings. Some of these have old machinery in them that doesn't work any more.

It is a safe place to relax and explore and have fun with my family and friends.

When I arrive, I will see a big car park which may have a lot of cars in. There is a path to walk on.

I might have to wait at an entrance hut to get in. I can sit on a bench under the covered walkway if I like.

Some of the buildings are being repaired. I can't go inside the area with the fence. 

I might see and hear the builders working.

The main museum is inside the big building called the Cutter Building with spikes on top. The spikes do not move.

Inside the doors there is a Welcome Desk.

The person working here can help me find my way and I can ask them questions.

During my visit I will meet people who work at the museum.

They will help me with tickets, give directions and answer my questions.

They also work in the gift shop and café and lead the tours to help me learn about coal mining in Northumberland.

They are very friendly and able to help me.

Some parts of the museum can be noisy. 

I can borrow ear defenders at the Welcome Desk if I want to.

There are accessible toilets around the site, including a Changing Places toilet.

If I do not like the sound of the hand dryer there is a toilet with paper towels instead.

This is the café. It may be busy but there are quiet places where I can eat if I ask.

I can borrow a book to read while I am in the café.

I can eat outside in the shade on sunny days. If I have brought a picnic there are places to eat it.

There is a gift shop. I can come back here later.

If I have some money, I can buy things - but I don’t have to.

Coal Town is an exhibition about coal mining in Northumberland.

Some parts of Coal Town are dark, and there are sound effects.

I can leave Coal Town through any of the Fire Exit doors in there - this will not set off an alarm.

There is a ramp to the Upper Ground level of the Cutter Building.

Above the ramp I can see the coal mining banners. These will not fall down.

The banners are swapped for different ones every year.

The Upper Ground level of the Cutter Building can sometimes be darker or brighter, depending on the weather.

There are places I can sit, and drawers to explore called the Mini Museum.

This is the Ashington Group Gallery on the Upper Ground level of the Cutter Building.

I can look at the paintings and use the iPad to learn more about them. 

This room is a little darker to protect the paintings.

The Learning Room is used by groups on school trips. 

Sometimes the Learning Room is open to the public and I can go inside.

The Northumberland Archives is a place I can go to do research, for example family history. 

It is a bit like a library.

This gallery is the Coal Town Collection. There is a TV outside which plays a video.

Inside there are photographs I can look at.

The light in here is brighter, with a shiny floor.

There is another entrance and exit on the Upper Ground level.

I can go outside and have a look at the old colliery buildings.

There are quiet places I can go outside.

I can walk in the woods near the Stables.

These are the Stables.

Inside there is a model Pit Pony called Flax, who makes a noise, but doesn’t move.

This is the Workshop Galleries.

Sometimes this building is open for events and exhibitions and I can go inside.

This is the Cage Shop.

This building is open in the school holidays. When it is open I can do some crafts in here.

This is the Jack Engine. It is very old.

In this building there is a big TV playing videos of miners talking. This can be quite loud.

There is a park that I can play in with accessible and sensory play equipment.

There is a woodland area I can explore where I will see lots of flowers and trees.

I might see some bugs and animals like birds.

There is also a sensory path, with interesting plants that look and smell nice.

We hope this visual story is useful.

If after your visit you feel we have missed any important sensory information, please email us and let us know: info@woodhornmuseum.org.uk