Shaw House and West Berkshire Museum to reopen in July

Venues will operate with reduced capacity as coronavirus lockdown eases

The West Berkshire Museum and Shaw House will be reopening to the public in July.

The West Berkshire Council-run venues have been closed during the coronavirus lockdown but will open their doors again next month with reduced capacity.

Both venues have been deep-cleaned, have reception screens in place, hand sanitiser and hand washing facilities.

Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) has been supplied for staff to use when necessary and social distancing, queuing and one-way systems are in place.

The West Berkshire Museum will reopen on Wednesday, July 15 and will then every Wednesday to Friday between 10am and 4pm.

Museum staff will ask visitors to queue at a designated entrance and leave via a separate exit. There will be a one-way system to allow visits to all of the galleries and exhibitions. The museum’s library will not be available in this phase.

The gift shop, accessible toilet and baby changing facilities will be open, but the café and standard toilets will remain closed for the time being.

Shaw House will reopen for visits to the house and grounds on Saturday, July 18 and will then be open every Saturday and Sunday until the end of the summer season on Sunday, September, 27 between 11am and 4pm.

Again, staff will ask visitors to queue to get in to the building and direct them along a one-way system, including the exhibition rooms, where they can visit the new ‘Dressed for Battle’ civil war display.

During the school holidays visitors will have access to the grounds which will be open 11am until 4pm, Monday to Friday. The garden games will not be available but visitors can bring their own along with a picnic. Dogs on leads will be welcome.

The toilets and shop will be open, along with the café which will be running a take-out service. Indoor seating will not be available, but picnic tables are outside.

At both venues the children’s activities, interactive interpretation and dressing up will not be available in the initial reopening phase.

However, a variety of free trails, along with regular digital activities, will continue throughout the summer holidays, plus a new short story competition, More details can be found at www.westberkshireheritage.org/life-long-learning

Entry to the museum and Shaw House is free, but donations are welcomed.