Venue Description

Our beautiful building is the home of a community that has worshipped and worked here continuously for well over 1,300 years. All are welcome to visit, and entry is always free. Hereford Cathedral also houses the Hereford Mappa Mundi, a copy of the Magna Carta dating from 1217, King John's Writ, and a unique Chained Library. Hereford Cathedral endeavours to be as accessible as possible, ensuring an equal experience for all visitors, regardless of impairments. We understand that not all conditions are visible, such as autism, dementia or chronic illness, and we aim to create an environment where all visitors feel welcome and comfortable. Ultimately, we want to share the cathedral’s spirituality, heritage and sense of place with every visitor, in a way that is accessible to them.

Accessibility

-- Wheelchair Access -- The main body of Hereford Cathedral is wheelchair accessible. To help visitors plan their visit, our Access Map marks all the level, ramped, and stepped access points. [https://www.herefordcathedral.org/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=82cb171f-1bb7-4d6e-95d7-a5968ef21c60] The main North Porch entrance is level, as are the entrances from Chapter House Gardens and the Lady Arbour. There is a shallow ramp at the St John’s door entrance, which is the entrance nearest the car park. Please note that the floor can be a little uneven in places, due to the age of the building. There is also a small step down into the Stanbury Chapel (less than 4cm). There are three shallow steps up to our Quire; we can provide a ramp to access the Quire, which can be installed by contacting the Vestry. Unfortunately, our Crypt, Lady Chapel and Audley Chapel are not currently wheelchair accessible. There are five steps up to the Lady Chapel, and therefore also to the Audley Chapel which is accessed via the Lady Chapel. We are investigating solutions to make the Lady Chapel wheelchair accessible. In the meantime, a printed guide to the inaccessible chapels is available to borrow from our Welcome Desk. Our volunteer Guides have a wealth of knowledge, and are always happy to provide further information or answer any questions. Wheelchairs are available for visitors to borrow, but visitors are advised to book these in advance by phoning the Vestry. There is a small ramp into the Shop if approaching from the cathedral; however, the route from the Chapter House Gardens or Lady Arbour ensures totally level access. Within the Shop, the main shelves are lowered (63cm high) and are wheelchair accessible. The Café is also wheelchair accessible, with a ramp from the counter to the seating area. However, circulation within the Café is difficult at busy times, so the table with most room is designated as priority seating and is reserved for wheelchair users. The Mappa Mundi & Chained Library Exhibition is fully wheelchair accessible, and rest seats are provided throughout; more information about the exhibition is provided in the Mappa Mundi section below. -- Additional Resources -- We are constantly updating the additional resources that we have available at Hereford Cathedral - next on our to do list is audio descriptions and video tours of the inaccessible parts of the building - so please do keep an eye out! There is a large-print guide to Hereford Cathedral, as well as Braille guides and tactile maps, produced in partnership with the Royal National College for the Blind. Our new Sensory Trail is available for families to borrow; please contact the Accessibility Officer to request it. We also offer ear defenders, which are available to borrow from the Welcome Desk. These resources are designed to help those with sensory sensitivities, such as those on the autistic spectrum or living with dementia, have a better experience at Hereford Cathedral. There is a hearing loop available during services, which our Vestry team can advise you further on. Specially designed lighting in Hereford Cathedral focuses lights on architectural details, using strategically placed LED lights. Those with photosensitivity can check our lighting in advance by taking a virtual tour, created by Light Perceptions (please note this will open on an external website). [http://www.lightperceptions.co.uk/projects/hereford-cathedral-2/] -- Preparing for your Visit -- We understand that many visitors feel more comfortable having additional information in advance of their visit; we try to provide all of the information that you may need on this page, but please do contact us if you have any further questions. We have also written a Social Story to help prepare visitors for a trip to the cathedral, which can be downloaded below. We create Social Stories for our special events, services and school trips as well, so if you are planning on coming to an event in the future, please check back on this page for the relevant Social Story. [https://www.herefordcathedral.org/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=e6b750da-60d1-49e3-a80f-9d1aa5d7d96e] For visitors who prefer visiting at quieter times, we recommend visiting first thing in the morning (before 11am) or later in the afternoon (between 4pm and 5:30pm). There are usually less people in the cathedral at those times of day. We also have a number of chapels, which are places that visitors can retreat to if overwhelmed; they are marked on our Access Map. If you prefer to visit at a time that is guaranteed to be quiet, we offer regular ‘Quiet Hours’; these are held on the last Wednesday of every month, from 9am-10am. During this time we stop all activities which may cause noise, such as organ practice or hoovering. These ‘Quiet Hours’ are ideal for visitors on the autistic spectrum, living with dementia, or with PTSD. Visitors are welcome to visit as they usually would during ‘Quiet Hours’, and may tour the cathedral freely and independently. There is always a Dementia Friend at the Welcome Desk during these times, if visitors would like any help. -- Mappa Mundi and Chained Library -- The exhibition, which houses the Mappa Mundi and Chained Library, is designed to be fully accessible and offers a wide range of resources. The exhibition is fully wheelchair accessible, and rest seats are provided throughout. There is an interactive tactile and braille interpretation of the Mappa Mundi, with an audio description of key parts of the map. There is also a large tactile map of the Mappa Mundi, as well as braille guides available to borrow. Although there is not currently a separate audio guide, there is an audio commentary on the video which gives an introduction to the Mappa Mundi. There is a charge to enter the exhibition, but companions are entitled to free access. We also provide complimentary tickets for visitors if they have to leave suddenly, for example if a member of your group is overwhelmed. You can read our full Accessible Ticketing policy (linked below); it is designed to help visitors, regardless of impairment, access and enjoy the exhibition. [https://www.herefordcathedral.org/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=bd4dbc62-d97a-49fe-b435-2774708fcd2d]

Accessibility Guide

Accessibility Guide Link: https://www.herefordcathedral.org/accessibility

Accessible Performances

As we are a cathedral, most of our events rather than services; we aim to make these as accessible as possible, and all are welcome to attend. For our larger services, such as Christingle, we provide specific Social Stories and Visual Timetables. We are always open to suggestions as to how our services or events could be made more accessible, so please do contact us with any suggestions. We also hold access-focused events. On the last Wednesday of each month, we hold ‘Quiet Hour’ from 9am-10am; more information is given above. One of our Access Ambassadors also runs Dementia Friends information sessions each month; these can be found on the Alzheimer's Society's website. [https://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/]

Awards List

Hereford Cathedral was the first ever place of worship to receive the Autism Friendly Award from the National Autistic Society; this is an achievement which our whole community worked incredibly hard for, and we are very proud of our Autism Friendly Award status. Hereford BID Awards - Outstanding Contribution to the City tripadvisor - Certificate of Excellence

Toilets

There is a non-gendered accessible toilet, located in our Chapter House Garden; this can be reached externally via the car park, or via the Café or St John’s door. A Radar key is needed to open the toilet, but spare keys are available from the shop and the vestry. The door width is 92cm, with a turning circle of 160cmx225cm. We apologise that we do not currently provide a hoist; the nearest Changing Places facility is in Old Market, which is less than 250m away. There are also male and female toilets available in the same location, accessed via Chapter House Garden.

Staff

All of the staff and volunteers at Hereford Cathedral are currently taking part in Accessibility Training. The training covers topics such as how to ensure proper access for visitors in wheelchairs, how to communicate effectively with visitors who are blind or deaf, and the adjustments that may improve the experience of visitors with less visible impairments. Our training includes resources from the National Autistic Society and finishes with a Dementia Friends information session. Some of our staff and volunteers are also learning Makaton; you can follow their weekly progress, or learn some signs yourself, by searching for #MakatonMonday on any of our social media channels.

Assistance dog facilities

Assistance dog exercise facilities

Assistance Dogs are free to enter any area of the building. Emotional Support Animals may be permitted, but will be assessed on a case-by-case basis; please contact our Accessibility Ambassador in advance of your visit. The Cathedral Close is a large area of green space surrounding the cathedral, and dogs are welcome to use this to exercise.

Other assistance dog facilities

Water can be provided for dogs.