Accessibility Statement

Accessibility statement for Beamish.org.uk

This accessibility statement applies to www.beamish.org.uk

This website is run by Beamish Museum. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:

change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser or device settings
zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software
listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

Some images don’t have alt-text descriptions so they can’t be read by a screen reader.
Most older PDF documents aren’t fully accessible to screen reader software.

Feedback and contact information

If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact: media@beamish.org.uk

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

email media@beamish.org.uk
call 0191 370 4000

If you cannot view the map on our ‘contact us’ page, call or email us for directions.

Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

Beamish is a large open air museum with many historic buildings, some of which are not always completely accessible to visitors. You can find the details in the accessibility section on each of the era pages.

We also have a accessibility page that includes information about travelling around the museum, Easy Access Bus, Motorised Scooter and Wheelchair hire.

We have the Recite Me web accessibility and language toolbar across our website to make it accessible and inclusive for as many people as possible. This is an innovative cloud-based software that lets visitors view our website and use it in the way that works best for them. For more information on Recite Me, check out their website here. You can open the Recite Me language and accessibility toolbar by clicking on the button called ‘Accessibility Tools’. This appears at the bottom of every page, in the footer. After you click on the button the Recite Me toolbar opens and displays a range of different options for customising how the website looks and how you can access our content.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

Beamish Museum is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

The website has been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard.

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non-accessible content

Some older videos may lack captions, so the information in them isn’t available to people using a screen reader. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). When we publish new film content we will ensure there are captions, subtitles or transcripts added.

We plan to add text alternatives to all images going forward. When we publish new content we’ll make sure our use of images meets accessibility standards.

Our ticket and online shop purchase path websites are built and hosted by Digi Tickets with sometimes limited customisation available. We will continue to work to ensure these sites can be as accessible as possible

Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

PDFs and other documents

Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

Live video

We do not plan to add captions to live video streams because live video is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We are committed to inclusive design. This means that each new component that we make will be built to the highest WCAG standards we can.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared March 2026. It was last reviewed on March 2026.

The test was carried out by Beamish Museum against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.. The most viewed pages were tested using automated testing tools.

Accessibility

Beamish is a large open air museum with many historic buildings, some of which are not always completely accessible to visitors.

Website Accessibility Toolbar – Recite Me

We have the Recite Me web accessibility and language toolbar across our website to make it accessible and inclusive for as many people as possible.

Plan Visit

Find everything you need to know to plan your visit to Beamish Museum, from practical information to exciting inspiration for your trip.

Things to see

Explore everything Beamish has to offer, from bustling historic towns and working farms to heritage transport, live demonstrations, and hands-on activities.

101 Things to Do at Beamish

Can you complete our list of 101 exciting things to do at Beamish? Experience good old-fashioned family fun, from playing traditional games and spotting items from our collections to sampling tasty treats and taking a ride on our vintage transport.

Beamish Unlimited Pass

Our Beamish Unlimited Pass allows you to visit again and again after paying just once. So if you’re worried that you won’t be able to fit everything into one day, now you can come back as many times as you like for a whole year!

Plan Visit

Find everything you need to know to plan your visit to Beamish Museum, from practical information to exciting inspiration for your trip.

What’s on

Discover what events we have coming soon!

Food & Drink

Beamish offers a range of food and drink options in each time period of the museum.

Accessibility

Beamish is a large open air museum with many historic buildings, some of which are not always completely accessible to visitors.

Dogs

Well-behaved dogs are welcome in the outdoor areas of the museum, but there are restrictions on the indoor spaces they can access.

Costumed staff in front of Georgian accommodation.

Places to Stay

Enjoy a trip back in time and stay in Georgian-style holiday cottages in our stunning 1820s Landscape, or find out about other places to stay in the region.

Three staff members on 1900s Town street

Donate

Beamish is a charity and your donations help preserve heritage for future generations, maintain and develop the museum, and support today’s communities, including health and wellbeing, and learning programmes.

Extreme Weather Policy

Beamish Museum is an open air museum spanning over 350 acres. We aim to be open rain or shine but, as we are an open air museum, that does mean the weather can play a big part in your visit.

About Beamish

Beamish is a world famous open air museum which brings the history of North East England to life at its 1820s Pockerley, 1900s Town, 1900s Pit Village, 1940s Farm, 1950s Town and 1950s Spain’s Field Farm exhibit areas.

Get Involved

At Beamish, your support helps preserve history for future generations. Make a donation, become a Business Friend, or leave a gift in your will to ensure our work continues. Every contribution helps share the stories that matter.