From Victorian hats to a lump of iron ore, artefacts brought the past to life for visitors with sight loss during a South Cumbrian museum’s first touch tour.
The Dock Museum in Barrow welcomed a party of 10 – plus guide dogs – from the charity Vision Support Barrow & District for a private visit.
The museum, owned and run by Westmorland and Furness Council, recently celebrated its 30th birthday and the reopening of its Shipyard Gallery following a two-year project costing nearly £1 million.
Staff are passionate about making the attraction as accessible and inclusive as possible and the sensory tour was designed by museum assistant Sue Vose, using display items and artefacts brought out of the collections such as a riveter’s hammer and caulking hammer used by shipyard workers; an air raid warden’s tin helmet and Victorian headwear; an old lamp and a lump of iron ore.
Smell boxes dotted around the galleries also evoked the scent of the past through realistic aromas such as coal fires and carbolic soap.
The museum’s premises manager John Irving said: “I would like to thank Sue for all the planning, preparation and thought that went into delivering this tour, and the feedback was brilliant.
“We are constantly trying to improve on our inclusivity and accessibility to all as per our latest Cumbria Tourism Award – the museum was highly commended in the 2024 Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award category – and this was a great example.”
Nadine Mayor, Vision Support Barrow’s groups co-ordinator, said: “We all thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful touch tour and we had some amazing feedback from our clients.
“Many expressed how interesting they found it and how engaging, knowledgeable and detailed the staff were when talking us through each exhibit.
“They really enjoyed the sensory elements of the tour, particularly holding the tools and iron ore and smelling the different scents in the Victorian exhibit.
“We were very impressed with the changes to the colour contrast on the placards too around the museum, making it easier for our clients to read. The new immersive submarine experience is also a wonderful addition to the museum.”
Vision Support Barrow worked with Dock Museum Curator Charlotte Hawley on the design of the new Shipyard Gallery, which was transformed during the two-year Shipyard Town Project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, BAE Systems and the Sir John Fisher Foundation to celebrate Barrow’s past, present and future of shipbuilding.
