Accessible Britain

FOOD & DRINK aa The sizeable Studio Café is located off the lobby and sells handmade
sandwiches and salads, children’s lunchboxes plus a changing menu of hot snacks such
as soups, hot dogs or meatballs.
030 River and Rowing Museum, Oxfordshire
Address: Mill Meadows, Henley-on-Thames RG9 1BF Web: www.rrm.co.uk Tel: 01491 415600 Hours:
daily10am–5pm Dates: closed 24–26 Dec & 31 Dec–1 Jan Entry: [D]£7.50 [C]free [A]£9.50 [4–16s]£7.50
[Con]£7.50 (all standard tickets valid for 12 months)
Set in a picturesque water meadow beside the Thames at Henley, the River and Rowing
Museum gives visitors a glimpse into the historic relationships between the town of
Henley, the River Thames, and the sport of rowing for which it is renowned. Designed
by the award-winning British architect David Chipperfield, this bright, modern, airy
museum is a very welcoming place for disabled visitors.
The permanent displays introduce the Thames from source to estuary and review the
sport of rowing through the ages. There is a look at adaptive rowing and a celebration
of the GB Paralympic arms-only-rowing gold medalists. Visitors can take a virtual tour
around the town and then travel through its history, via artefacts, models, boats, video
displays and interactive exhibits. The museum hosts a varied programme of special
exhibitions and a busy schedule of talks and workshops for children as well as adults.
It also houses The Wind in the Willows Gallery – a permanent exhibition of delightful
dioramas with an audioguide (headphones or loop antenna), which brings Kenneth
Grahame’s classic story to life. Visiting this part of the museum should be a great
experience for visitors with sensory disabilities – there are many sounds and smells to
take in, and even an atmospheric chill in the wild wood.
The museum is a flat and easy ten-minute walk from Henley station and has a free car
park at the rear. An enjoyable alternative means of getting here is on the combined river
and museum trip from Reading to the museum’s jetty; there’s a wheelchair accessible
boat which operates on this service. At the museum itself, ramps run up front and rear to
the main foyer, shop and café, with access to a broad sun deck with benches and tables.
There’s also a disabled toilet on this lower level. There is plenty of room for wheelchairs
through most of the site and staff are happy to assist. The exhibits are on two floors, with
a drive-through lift which takes a chair and a couple of helpers, and most displays are at
low level with easy to reach buttons. The gallery doors are wide but manual and one-way,
though quite easy to open. Much work has been done with disability groups in the area,
and touch tours for local groups can be organised in advance.
FOOD & DRINK aa The pleasant Quince Tree Café has seating indoors and outside, plus the
picnic benches have seating suitable for wheelchair users. You can grab cold snacks and
a small selection of great quality hot meals.
THE SOUTHEAST
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