> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Ford Green Hall: Exploring History Through Touch – Our Accessible Family Visit - URL: https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/ford-green-hall-exploring-history-through-touch-our-accessible-family-visit/ - Published: 2026-10-18T18:00:34.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-18T18:00:34.000Z - Description: Sometimes the smaller places turn out to be surprisingly interesting, and our visit to Ford Green Hall in Smallthorne, Stoke-on-Trent, certainly gave us plenty to explore. - Author: Sue - Tags: Carer Tickets & Disabled Admission, Free & Low-Cost Days Out, Museums & Galleries, Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent, Video Reviews, Visually Impaired Experiences, Blue Badge Parking & Drop-Off, Changing Places & Accessible Toilets Sometimes the smaller places turn out to be surprisingly interesting, and our visit to Ford Green Hall in Smallthorne, Stoke-on-Trent, certainly gave us plenty to explore. We're Special Needs Adventure Family: Sue, John and George. John is totally blind and has hearing loss, while George has autism and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. When we visit somewhere, we're interested not only in its history but also in how accessible and enjoyable it is for our family. Ford Green Hall is a beautiful timber-framed farmhouse dating from 1624\. It gives visitors a glimpse into domestic life more than 400 years ago, with period rooms, furniture, textiles and displays. 💡 ****Essential access info (as of October 2026)** ****Prices:** Adult £5.50, concession (60+) £4.50, child (5–16) £3.00, under 5 free, family (2 adults + 2 children) £15.00 ****Carer ticket:** Carers are admitted free of charge ****Parking:** Free car park shared with Whitfield Valley nature reserve, with designated Blue Badge spaces. A 2.1-metre height barrier at the entrance — phone 01782 537696 ahead if you have a taller vehicle ****Toilets:** An accessible toilet is available near reception ****Mobility:** Historic building with stone, tile and polished wood floors, changes in level and historic staircases. No lift to the upper floor — visitors who cannot manage stairs are limited to the ground floor, where a video tour of the upstairs exhibition is shown instead ****Guide dogs:** Assistance dogs are welcome ****Visual impairment:** Volunteers let us explore exhibits by touch, including embroidery, a historical costume and a 600-year-old chest. Guided visits and extra commentary can be arranged for blind and visually impaired visitors with advance notice **Prices and policies as we found them on our visit — always check with the venue before you go.* ## A hands-on experience One of the highlights of our visit was meeting the ladies working on embroidery. They were wonderfully accommodating, allowing John to explore their work through touch. With their guidance, he could feel the different stitches and details, including leaves and acorns. For someone who cannot see the designs, being able to feel the textures makes an enormous difference. Rather than simply listening to descriptions, John could experience the craftsmanship for himself. There was also an embroidered Tree of Life hanging, which gave John another opportunity to appreciate the patterns and textures. ![A large embroidered piece of the Tree of Life hangs in a doorway. A volunteer stands to the left, watching John on the right feeling the embroidery](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/10/tree-of-life-2.jpg) John feeling the embroidered Tree of Life ## Historic rooms, low doorways and old furniture As we continued exploring, we encountered the sort of architectural features that remind you just how different buildings were centuries ago. One particularly low doorway caught John's attention. He felt along the top and remarked that you feel like Gulliver in a place like this! ![John stands inside of the front door. Both he and Sue are feeling where the top of the door is. The top of the door is approximately level with the top of John's chest area](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/10/door-1.jpg) John feeling the old Tudor front door We also came across an extraordinary old wooden chest, complete with a warning that it was 600 years old and not to be sat upon. As John explored it through touch, I read the notice aloud. It's something I do regularly on our visits, as written signs aren't accessible to him without assistance. ![John is standing in front of the 600 year old chest, bending down to touch its lid. There is also a sign asking people not to sit on the chest](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/10/chest-1.jpg) John feeling the top of the 600 year old chest ## A mouse, a codpiece and a little witchcraft! Not everything at Ford Green Hall was entirely serious. George spotted a little mouse perched on a grandfather clock, which prompted an impromptu rendition of *Hickory Dickory Dock*. ![A grandfather clock is to the left. George is in front of it, standing side on, and pointing to a small toy mouse, near to the clock face. ](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/10/mouse-1.jpg) George pointing to the mouse on the clock Then there was the elaborate historical costume, complete with a rather impressive codpiece! John explored the costume through touch while I described the ornate clothing. When his hand reached the codpiece, I referred to it as a 'little pouch' — which was perhaps something of an understatement! ![John is touching the elaborate period costume. In this photo, he has found the codpiece!](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/10/codpiece-1.jpg) John found the codpiece! We also found a display about women, witches and superstition. This gave me the opportunity to tell John about my distant family connection to Molly Leigh, a Staffordshire woman associated with local witchcraft legends. As we walked away, I announced, 'I've got witch blood!' ![A display cabinet full of items supposed to protect against witches. A grey sign above says "Wise Women, Witches and Superstition." Underneath the title are descriptions of how the items in the case were used.](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/10/witches-1.jpg) The display cabinet with items supposed to protect against witches ## A staircase we certainly weren't climbing! Another memorable feature was a hidden wooden staircase. It was steep, narrow and twisting, and thankfully roped off so visitors couldn't climb it. John was able to lean towards it and feel some of the steps while I described what I could see. My verdict was simple: it was the stuff of nightmares! ![An old wooden staircase hidden behind a door. It is steep and twisty, with narrow treads. A bed pan is leaning against the front of the stairs and a pot is on the third stair up](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/content/images/2026/10/hidden-staircase.jpg) The hidden staircase ## Accessibility at Ford Green Hall Our experience showed how much difference helpful volunteers and opportunities for tactile exploration can make. John was able to engage with several exhibits in a way that was meaningful to him, particularly the embroidery. However, Ford Green Hall is a historic building, so there are some important limitations to consider. The floors include stone, tiles and polished wood, and some areas have low lighting. There are also changes in level and historic staircases. There is no lift to the upper floor, so visitors who cannot manage stairs will be limited to the ground floor. The museum provides a video tour in an exhibition room for visitors unable to go upstairs. An accessible toilet is available near reception, and assistance dogs are welcome. The museum also states that guided visits and additional commentary can be arranged for blind and visually impaired visitors with sufficient advance notice. ## Parking – important if you have a tall vehicle! There is a free car park shared with the neighbouring Whitfield Valley nature reserve, and we found plenty of parking available during our visit. **There are also designated Blue Badge parking spaces available.** One important detail is the **2.1-metre height barrier** at the car park entrance. As we travel in a VW Transporter campervan, this is something we have to consider. Fortunately, Ford Green Hall can arrange to open the barrier for taller vehicles if you telephone ahead. The number to call is **01782 537696**. It's a useful arrangement and means that visitors with taller campervans or adapted vehicles needn't automatically rule out a visit. ## Admission prices and opening times The admission prices advertised by Ford Green Hall at the time of writing are: | Ticket | Price | | -------------------------------- | -------- | | Adult | £5.50 | | Concession (aged 60+) | £4.50 | | Child (5–16) | £3.00 | | Under 5 | Free | | Carer | **Free** | | Family (2 adults and 2 children) | £15.00 | **Carers are admitted free of charge**, which is particularly welcome for disabled visitors who need someone to accompany and assist them. Ford Green Hall is normally open **Sunday to Thursday, 1pm–4pm**, with last admission at **3.30pm**. It is closed on Fridays and Saturdays. There is also a tea room and shop, and the car park is free. For the latest admission information, opening hours and accessibility arrangements, visit [Ford Green Hall's official website](https://fordgreenhall.org.uk/contact/?ref=specialneedsadventurefamily.com). **Address:** Ford Green Hall, Ford Green Road, Smallthorne, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 1NG. ## Our verdict Ford Green Hall may not be a huge attraction, but we found plenty to interest us. What particularly stood out was the willingness of the volunteers to help John experience the exhibits through touch. That personal interaction made the visit much more meaningful than simply walking through rooms and listening to descriptions. There are limitations because of the age and layout of the building, particularly for visitors who cannot use stairs. Nevertheless, the tactile opportunities, helpful volunteers and thoughtful access arrangements made this an enjoyable family outing. And where else could we encounter a 600-year-old chest, an enormous codpiece and a little witchcraft all in one afternoon? ## Watch our visit to Ford Green Hall You can join us as we explore the rooms, meet the volunteers and discover what John thinks of the exhibits in our full YouTube video. Planning your own day out? See our full [UK carer ticket and disabled admission directory](https://specialneedsadventurefamily.com/uk-carer-tickets-disabled-admission-directory/) — carer policies, disabled parking and access notes for every place we have reviewed.