Covid-19 FAQ

Do I need to pre-book?

No, we do not have a pre-booking system, but please call the Coffee House on 01729 825185 if you wish to reserve a table, as this helps us plan for busy times. However, we are capping numbers in the Museum; please see below for details.

How will you manage numbers if you are not pre-booking?

We have decided (as of 1 August 2020) not to put a pre-booking system in place, but we will continue to assess numbers and will do what we consider best in the interests of safety.

With three floors in the Museum and our garden to explore, it should be easy to observe social distancing guidance (we recommend keeping 2m away from other people). We reserve the right to cap numbers if we consider that social distancing is becoming difficult for our visitors to The Folly.

If the house is already busy when you purchase your ticket, our vistor welcome volunteer may ask you to wait a little while before you enter the Museum. We will admit you as soon as it is safe to do so. You may like to explore the Hall and Parlour while you wait.

How much will it cost?  

Our admission prices are:

Adult: £5 (annual pass with gift aid)
Concession for BD24 residents: £4
Under 16: Free
We are taking part in the Settle Rainbow Town initiative and will give free admission to frontline NHS and care workers on production of an identity card.

We encourage all our visitors to use contactless payments during their visit, but we are still accepting cash.

What can I expect when I visit the Museum?

Visitors should please enter via the Museum door (to the right of the Coffee House entrance as you face the building). If there are visitors at the admissions desk ahead of you, please wait in the lobby until the volunteer is free to speak to you.

Please wear your mask while you are in the Museum.

Please sanitise your hands on arrival.

We will ask you to give a name and contact telephone number for Track and Trace.

There is a one-way system in operation around the house and you will exit via the Spotlight Gallery door to the rear of the house directly into the garden. Please leave to your left, via the new path and through the garden gate, turning left to return to Victoria Street, or right to explore more of Upper Settle.

What can I expect when I visit the Coffee House?

We have made some changes to help our visitors observe social distancing.

Visitors must now enter through the Coffee House door and leave via the Parlour Exit. Please wait in the lobby until a member of staff asks you to approach the counter, as we will only serve one group at a time. Apart from takeaway orders, staff will allocate a table when you place your order. We have additional seating in the Parlour and the garden. Please do not find a table before speaking to your server.

Please sanitise your hands as you enter. We also suggest that you wash your hands with hot water before you eat.

We ask you to give your name and telephone number (one contact per group) before you order, as part of the Track and Trace system.

Please keep your mask on while at the counter. You may remove it while seated, but we ask that you put your mask on while moving around the Coffee House and please respect other customers by keeping your distance.

Please observe the distancing markers on the floor.

If you wish to be seated in the garden, please let the staff know when you purchase your food and drink. To reach the garden, please leave the building via the Parlour Exit, turn right along the front of The Folly and right again up Well Hill. The garden is on your right, through the green gate half way up the hill. Please leave your trays and dispose of any rubbish in the bin provided.

What other measures will be in place around the house?

As well as a one-way system, we have other measures in place to keep everyone safe.

Please wear your mask at all times while at the admissions desk and in the Museum.

Please use the hand sanitiser provided as you enter. More is available on each floor; please sanitise your hands again if you have to touch the banisters as you go up and down the stairs.

We will ask you to give us your details for Track and Trace (including your house name or number and your post code if you are willing to gift aid your entry fee).

Please do not touch anything in the house other than the banisters, door handles (most of the Museum doors will be open) and the toilet facilities. To preserve our historic furniture, we cannot clean it as required by Covid-19 precautions. We will clean high-traffic areas and the toilets regularly throughout the day.

No more than one household or party will be allowed in a room at once; if there are visitors in the room ahead of you, please kindly wait until they leave the room before you enter.

You will only be able to visit the museum shop at the beginning of your journey around the house. If you wish to shop at the end of your visit, you will have to re-enter via the Museum door, and the volunteer at the desk may ask you to wait until there is enough space for you to browse safely. Please avoid handling anything that you do not intend to purchase. Please then leave through the Parlour Exit.

Staff or volunteers will be happy to direct you or answer any questions you may have.

Will we have to wear masks?

The wearing of masks is mandatory in the shop and museum, unless you are legally exempt.

How do we know which way to go around the house & garden?

Directional arrows and signs will help you follow the one way system and mean you will not have to pick up or touch any interpretation.

What is the accessibility like?

The ground floor and the first floor of the house only are accessible for wheelchairs. Please enter via the Parlour Exit at the back of The Folly and the admissions desk volunteer will advise on the best route to take around the house.

We have remove the handling objects from the museum, including our dressing-up clothes. Please do not touch any object on open display. You can gain access to many of our recent exhibitions online, including those on the Railway and the Lottery of Life (don’t forget to play our online game!)

The garden has a new, level path to the seating area, which has some uneven paving. Other paths around the garden can be slippery in wet weather.

There are chairs for visitors on each floor, where you are welcome to sit.

For more accessibility information please see here.

Are there any places where it is hard to keep your distance?

There are areas where it is harder to observe social distancing than others. For example, the Snug and the passageway to and from the Hall tend to be the busiest areas.

Please be considerate towards each other and observe a 2m distance if possible.

What’s on offer for the children?

We have backpacks full of activities which are for families to use in the house. These are wiped down after each use and quarantined for 72 hours before they can be reused. Our usual Folly trail is available for you to take away after use. You may wish to bring a pen or pencil with you.

In the house there is a trail to find the mice, which can be done without any contact.

You are responsible for you and your family observing social distancing on site and not touching anything around the house.