Hereford Cathedral
Details
Accessibility
https://www.herefordcathedral.org/accessibility
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.
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. 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.
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.
Additional Resources
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.
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 Officer in advance of your visit.
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.
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).
There is a hearing loop available during services, which our Vestry team can advise you further on.
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.
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; it is designed to help visitors, regardless of impairment, access and enjoy the exhibition.
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.
Parking
Hereford Cathedral has a very limited number of designated disabled parking spaces; these can be booked in advance, but only in exceptional circumstances. However, there are many options for parking in streets and car parks near to the Cathedral.
You can download a leaflet highlighting free disabled parking here.
Brief description
https://www.herefordcathedral.org/our-history
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hereford_Cathedral
"Hereford Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Hereford[1] in Hereford, England.
A place of worship has existed on the site of the present building since the 8th century or earlier. The present building was begun in 1079.[2] Substantial parts of the building date from both the Norman and the Gothic periods. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building.[3]
The cathedral has the largest library of chained book in the world, its most famous treasure being the Mappa Mundi, a medieval map of the world created around 1300 by Richard of Holdingham.[2] The map is listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.[2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hereford_Cathedral#Description
A new library building was constructed in the early 1990s and opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1996.[7] In 1967 with the new liturgical fashion, George Gilbert Scott's iron choir screen was removed in pieces and discarded. It has since been restored and is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Work on a new Cathedral Green, with pathways, seating and gated entrance to the cathedral was undertaken in 2010 to 2011.In 2015, landscaping and restoration efforts began at the cathedral, financed by the Heritage Lottery Fund. These efforts involved reburying thousands of corpses, some from 12th century to the 14th century stone-lined graves, from the cathedral burial plot. Unusually, from the Middle Ages until the 19th century, anyone who died on church grounds had to be buried within the precinct. Notable among those reburied during the restoration was a knight who may have participated in tourney jousting, a man with leprosy (it was unusual for lepers to be buried anywhere near a cathedral due to the stigma associated with the disease), and a woman with a severed hand (a typical punishment for a thief, who would normally be unlikely to receive cathedral burial).[8] "
Address
Hereford Cathedral
5 College Cloisters
Cathedral Close
Hereford
HR1 2NG
Phone
01432 374200
Website
https://www.herefordcathedral.org/mappa-mundi-and-chained-library-exhibition
https://www.herefordcathedral.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hereford_Cathedral
Opening Times
Always check with the venue directly for up-to-date information including opening times and admission charges as they may be subject to change
2022: "Hereford Cathedral is free to enter with a charge for activities such as tours. The Mappa Mundi & Chained Library costs £6 per person to enter"
https://www.herefordcathedral.org/opening-times
Transport
"Hereford Cathedral lies in the centre of the city of Hereford, which was first granted a royal charter by King Richard I in 1189. The beautiful River Wye runs through the city, which has a population of nearly 60,000 and is easily accessible by road and rail.
By railHereford is well connected by rail to Birmingham (journey time approximately 1 hour 30 minutes), Cardiff (1 hr), London Paddington (3 hrs) and Oxford (2 hrs 30 mins). For information about train times and prices please contact National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950 or visit their website.
By busPlease visit the Herefordshire Council website or Stagecoach website for connecting bus services.
By bikeIf you are cycling to visit us there are four cycle racks which are in the car park near the entrance to the Cloisters. Alternatively there is a large number of racks outside the city library which is at the West End of the Cathedral in Broad Street. You may also be interested in reading about the Cathedral Cycle Route.
By roadThe principal roads to Hereford are the A49 from Ludlow and Shrewsbury to the north and Gloucester and Ross-on-Wye to the south, the A465 from South Wales and the A4103 from Worcester to the east. The nearest motorway connection is Junction 4 on the M50 (14 miles), which connects to the M5.
Car parkingThere is no parking available within the Cathedral Close or its immediate vicinity, although there are a number of short- and long-stay car parks in the city. Please click here to download a PDF map of the parking available, or visit Herefordshire Council’s website.
MapTo see a map of our location, please click here." (Updated: 27 October, 2021)"
Cafe https://www.herefordcathedral.org/cafe
Shop https://www.herefordcathedral.org/shop
Toilets
Travel Information
For further travel information please see: www.traveline.info
Or call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33
(Calls cost 12p per minute plus your phone company's access charge)
Location
Nearest Venues
The Spread Eagle, Hereford, Herefordshire
108 metres*
Lade Kitchen Restaurant, Hereford, Herefordshire
114 metres*
Hereford Library, Herefordshire
121 metres*
Hereford City Library, Hereford, Herefordshire
122 metres*
*Distances are calculated in a straight line from the current venue, please allow extra time/distance based on available paths or roads.