Most of the exhibits are about 1.4 meters above floor level. For this and other reasons, the exhibition is not considered suitable for children under seven years of age.

Close and adequate supervision is necessary at all times if children are to gain real educational benefit from a visit. The Museum insists on the following ratio of adult supervisors to children, made up of teachers, volunteers and parents.
Primary Schools - 1 adult to each 5/6 children
Secondary Schools - 1 adult to each 10/12 children
A member of school staff must be in overall charge of the party and, for safety reasons, children may not move unsupervised between sections of the Museum. Museum staff must not be expected to supervise children directly.

It is essential that school parties are prepared beforehand if they are to gain full advantage from a visit. Teachers will be expected to use the Museum as a resource to back up study of a project on a matter that relates to the Museum. A prior visit to the Museum by the teacher, on an ordinary week-end opening, is highly recommended. To facilitate this, teachers considering an educational visit can by prior application, obtain a complimentary ticket for free admission to a public showing.

Are there any disabled or mobility-impaired members of your group?

Viewing Pendon Museum takes 30-90 mins and requires walking and standing, we do have a chairlift to gain access to the 1st floor.

If your party includes disabled or mobility-impaired people, please discuss this with us at an early stage; we will do our best to help, and if required we can make arrangements for seating & extra staff.

Most of our exhibits are at a height of about 1.4 metres (4ft 6in) above floor level, and the view from a wheel chair is consequently restricted. The Museum is on two floors, and there is limited access to the upper floor Vale Scene, which includes the model village, for disabled visitors via a wheelchair lift.

Handrails are provided on the stairs leading to and from this upper floor.

Pendon is a viewing experience with some exhibits positioned at high level, limiting viewing for small children and those in wheelchairs.

Pendon Museum acknowledges the assistance of the Adapt Trust in providing the new wheelchair lift.

There are adequate toilet facilities available.

The Museum is at the west end of the High Street in the village of Long Wittenham about 3 miles north-north-east of Didcot, (at National Grid reference SU541 935) and is approached from Didcot or Wallingford (off the A4130 or from Clifton Hampden (off A415)) There are brown signs on the approach roads. We can provide a map showing the precise location of the Museum.

Coaches and minibuses seating ten or more people, including the driver, require special authority to use High Street (West) which leads to the Museum, the use of which is governed by formal traffic orders made by the local authority. If members of your party are coming in a vehicle that requires a permit, we shall need to know the name of the owner of the vehicle and its seating capacity. This information must be given when the booking is confirmed. The necessary permit can then be issued and the driver must have it in his or her possession for the journey and to park the coach at the Museum.
Cars and minibuses with seats for not more than nine people (including the driver) require no special permission and can be left in the Museum car park.
Bringing a vehicle with ten or more seats into High Street (West) without a permit constitutes a traffic offence.

If members of your party are travelling individually by car, it will help if they can arrive in good time. The showing takes the form of a conducted tour, and late arrivals can cause problems.

The museum has a simple catering facility providing a selection of hot and cold drinks, confectionery and biscuits. A large room with chairs can be made available for groups wishing to bring their own food for an indoor picnic, either as part of a planned itinerary or as a back-up in case of inclement weather.

Postcards and souvenirs, books, and modelling items are on sale in the Museum shop.

Applications for special showings should be made in writing to the Special shows organiser at the Museum. To avoid disappointment, bookings should be made at least three weeks in advance of a proposed visit. Please give daytime or evening telephone number where you can be contacted.

Trained teaching staff assist and advise the Museum on the organisation of educational showings. If you wish to discuss any educational matter relating to your visit, Contact can be arranged with our education advisers who will be pleased to help.

In order where possible to meet the needs of schools visiting the Museum, we welcome comments and suggestions from those who have attended and educational showing.

Other facilities in the locality with which a visit to Pendon may be combined are as follows: -

Didcot Railway Centre - re-creating the age of the Great Western Railway. Tel: 01235 817200

Sutton Courtenay Field Study Centre - residential and day facilities on the site of Didcot Power Station, available without charge. Tel: 01235 848333

Little Wittenham Nature Reserve - a wide variety of nature interests with the services of an Education Officer on site. Tel: 01865 407792

Special showings can also be arranged for adults, (Railway Clubs, Women's Institutes, environmental and other social groups). A leaflet setting out terms and conditions for such showings is available from the Museum.