Ashington's Woodhorn Museum has won Best Accessible Museum in the 2026 Family Friendly Museum Award, decided by families on undercover summer visits.

Woodhorn Museum in Ashington has been named the UK’s Best Accessible Museum. The title is one of the category awards in the Family Friendly Museum Award 2026, run by the charity Kids in Museums.

The winners were announced in Birmingham on Monday 12 October (Kids in Museums). Woodhorn was the only museum in the North East on the 20-strong shortlist (Kids in Museums shortlist).

How the winner was chosen

The award is not decided by a panel visiting on a good day. It works in three stages:

  • the public nominated museums between February and April, and hundreds of families voted
  • an expert panel, including children, young people and accessibility specialists, cut the nominations to a shortlist
  • families then made undercover visits over the summer holidays and rated each museum

Woodhorn was up against three other museums in the accessible category:

  • Brampton Museum, Staffordshire
  • Hull and East Riding Museum of Archaeology
  • The Postal Museum, London

The overall winner was the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea, which also took Best Small Museum.

What the family judges praised

The judges singled out Woodhorn’s staff, according to the county council’s announcement. They said staff were proactive and knowledgeable, and took the time to tell families about quieter sessions and sensory considerations (Northumberland County Council).

Families also noted that accessibility ran through the whole visit, from braille signage to audio description in the exhibitions. The judges said the museum combined a strong welcome with practical support, so families could get on with enjoying the day together.

Jo Raw, Northumberland Venues Manager for North East Museums, which runs Woodhorn for the council, said the award “reflects the experiences of the families who visit us and the dedication of our team”.

Councillor Wendy Pattison, the council’s Cabinet member for Arts and Culture, said the team had “gone above and beyond”.

What is actually there

The museum’s own access information lists what a family with additional needs can expect (Woodhorn Museum accessibility information):

  • a downloadable visual story, access guide and access map, the map marking light levels, noise, smells and temperature changes
  • a quiet space on request, which can be arranged before you arrive
  • ear defenders to borrow
  • hearing induction loops at the entrance hut, the welcome desk and shop, and throughout the Coal Town exhibition
  • a Changing Places toilet on the upper ground floor of the main Cutter building
  • a Pit Yard play area designed for children with a broad range of physical and sensory disabilities, including a wheelchair-accessible rotating plate
  • a braille 3D plan of the Cutter building by the welcome desk

There is no lift in the Cutter building. A long indoor ramp, hung with miners’ banners, links the two floors, and both floors have level entrances with automatic doors.

The colliery’s two heapsteads, once on the Heritage at Risk Register, have just had a £2.5m restoration: see our report on the completed heapsteads work.

What it means for you

If you have been put off a museum trip because of a child’s sensory or access needs, this is an independent, family-judged recommendation on your doorstep. The practical details, from Woodhorn’s own visitor page:

Visiting Woodhorn Museum, Ashington
OpeningWednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Open every day during Northumberland school holidays
Adults£11 (£10 without the optional donation)
Concessions£10 (£9 without the donation): over-60s, disabled visitors, students and Max Card holders
Under-18s and carersFree
BookingNot needed. Buy on the day at the entrance hut
Your ticketAn annual pass: unlimited repeat visits for 12 months
AddressQueen Elizabeth II Country Park, Ashington, NE63 9YF. Telephone 0191 277 2410

Two dates in half-term week are worth knowing about:

  • Sound Down Sunday falls on the fourth Sunday of each month, so the next one is Sunday 25 October. From 10am to 12pm there are fewer visitors and the sound is turned down in the exhibitions.
  • Arborialis, a walk-in light sculpture, is at Woodhorn from Saturday 24 to Thursday 29 October, with a relaxed session at 10.15am each day. Booking is recommended. Details are in our October half-term guide.

Sources