Overview

Vindolanda is one of the most important Roman sites in Britain, and a place that everyone should be able to visit. Thanks to the good wheelchair access, we can.

Transport & Parking

No problem getting a blue badge space in the car park.

Access

Jen 33 describes the access very well in a review from 2015 - see https://www.euansguide.com/venues/vindolanda-hexham-1058/reviews/good-access-and-alternatives-provided-2198. Everything written there still holds true in 2018, including the staff being eager to explain about the steep path below the ruins and offer alternative ways to get down to the museum and cafe. I was able to get up close to the ruins in my small scooter and even got some of the way along the battered Roman paths. The modern paths skirting the ruins had good, level tarmac - just a shame there wasn't one of these paths to get wheelchairs over for a look at the part of the site where people are doing live archaeological work. I'd also like to say that the museum at the bottom of the site is world-class, with excellent accessibility to match the quality of the artefacts on display. The place is regularly refreshed with new exhibits discovered in the ongoing archaeological dig, including a rather moving selection of Roman shoes, with the leather unusually well preserved by the local soil conditions.

Toilets

There's a loo by the entrance at the top of the site, but I used the one in the museum at the bottom. This, when I eventually got into it, was large and clean with good rails, but the door was a bit too automated for its own good! A touch pad outside is supposed to show when the loo is occupied or free, and then you tap the pad to open the door. After waiting a very long time (taking into account that wheelchair users like myself tend to be slow in the loo) I began to suspect that the loo wasn't actually occupied and the electronic lock display was faulty. It turned out I was right, and it took some effort by two members of staff to get the loo open for me.

Staff

All friendly and helpful, but three cheers in particular for the people who got that electronic loo door open for me!

Anything else you wish to tell us?

I wish I lived nearer so I could go again. The ruins are pretty good, but the museum is excellent, and a lot of thought has clearly gone into the wheelchair access throughout.

Photos