Access information

What is 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. 

Accessibility Guide

Download the PDF: A Visual Guide

Pre-visit information

Please contact the Museum ahead of your visit, by calling (0191) 278 4217 or by emailing  info@segedunumromanfort.org.uk.

Getting here

You will find information about how to get to Segedunum here and you can also find us on Google maps.

Entrance charges

Adult: £6.95* / Adult season ticket: £15*
Concession (including disabled visitors over age 16): £4.95* / Concession season ticket: £11*
One support worker, family member or friend will be admitted free of charge.  
All young people aged 21 years and under: Free
NE28 residents: Free
*Ticket price includes voluntary donation

Car park

There is free car parking available at the venue with four accessible spaces near to the main entrance. Please note 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.

Dogs 

Well-behaved dogs are welcome on the fort site at Segedunum Roman Fort. Segedunum is a World Heritage Site, so we insist dog owners observe our guidelines. Click here to read our Guidelines for dog-owners visiting Segedunum. Assistance dogs can accompany their owner at all times. A bowl of water is available upon request at reception. 

Other than for assistance, dogs are not allowed into any building apart from the museum shop. They can be taken on Hadrian’s Wall Path and to the original Bath House remains.

Group visits and tours

Our staff can lead tours on request. The tours last between 45 minutes and an hour and are in spoken English. You will need to book in advance by calling + 44 (0191) 278 4217 or emailing info@segedunumromanfort.org.uk.

Lifts

There are four public floors, all of which have lift access. The 3rd floor galleries are accessible through a closed metal lift, while the 4th floor function suite and 9th floor viewing tower are reached by a glass lift through the centre of the building. Both have tactile buttons, but only the Tower lift has a voice announcer.

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.

Toilets   

There are male and female toilets and accessible toilets at the rear of Reception on the ground floor, on the third floor in the activities corridor, just beside the Warm Welcome 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.

Breastfeeding

We are breastfeeding friendly and can provide a seated area and water to nursing mothers. Please follow this link to read Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums' commitment to women who are breastfeeding.

Shop

We have a gift shop in the reception area selling books, souvenirs and Hadrian's Wall merchandise. 

Signs

All information panels and signs are in written English with a font size of no less than 14 points. Large print guides for all exhibitions and displays are available on request. 

Telephone

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

Seating 

If you wish to sit and rest, 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. There are also picnic benches on site. On the 3rd floor, you will find seating in our Warm Welcome space.

Entrance   

There is a long (about 50 metres), sloping ramp 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. 

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. 
• There are information packs available for the Roman Gallery. You can collect these from reception.

3rd floor 

• On this level there is an accessible toilet. The cafe is currently closed.
• A temporary exhibition space, an auditorium, and the Strong Place Gallery celebrating the shipbuilding history of the area.
• The Activity Room corridor has an additional accessible toilet and 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 learning@segedunumromanfort.org.uk for more information on booking).
• Emergency evacuation for wheelchair users from the 3rd floor is down the main stairs via an Evac Chair.
• Warm Welcome space with seating, books and blankets.

4th Floor 

• A function suite for pre-booked parties (contact liz.elliott@twmuseums.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 pin code entry system to access the area via double doors. 
• There is an accessible toilet in this area.
• There is a kitchen for function suite users.
• 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 view and laminated guides to the various areas of the Roman Fort site viewable from the tower. Please contact reception if these are missing.
• 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 a self-climbing Evac Chair, there is also a refuge point for visitors who are unable to self-transfer to the Evac Chair.

Exit

The main Exit from the building is via the double doors near the entrance of the Roman Gallery which are held open during the day and lead onto a flat surface by which the fort site and other areas can be accessed. 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.

Wheelchair Accessibility on Site

• All outdoor areas are wheelchair accessible.
• 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.
• There is an exit from the car park onto Hadrian’s Wall path with ramped access.

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. 

Large Print Guides

Large print guides explaining the indoor Exhibits and outdoors areas are available from reception on request.

Assistance Dogs 

We welcome assistance dogs. Reception can provide a bowl of water. Please note that there are no specific 'spending' areas located around Segedunum for assistance dogs to use.

Lifts

Both lifts inside the Building have tactile buttons, but only the Tower lift has a voice announcer.

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 training including customer care, diversity and disability awareness. They are here to help you enjoy the time you spend in our venues.

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