Access Guide
Summary
- View information about opening hours.
- The most accessible entrance has step-free level access and doors permanently held open.
- This entrance is at the front of the cafe.
- The following are also available: seating and a clearly signed hearing assistance system.
- At the time of our visit the hearing assistance system was working.
- This site is part of the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme.
- Toilet and changing facilities available include: standard toilets and an accessible toilet for the use of everyone.
- The toilet with adaptations for disabled people surveyed can be found to the left of the Coffee Shop entrance.
- This toilet with adaptations for disabled people is approximately 9m from the Coffee Shop entrance.
- The standard toilets surveyed can be found immediately outside the café entrance.
Equipment and Resources to Borrow
- You can borrow or hire the following equipment: manual wheelchairs. It is highly recommended that these are booked in advance, where this is possible. Please check the National Trust website for details.
- Sensory packs can be borrowed which include: fidget toys.
- Powered mobility vehicles cannot be borrowed or hired.
Route to (Garden Coffee Shop)
- With the Blue Badge parking behind you, proceed up the hill towards the castle.
Before reaching the castle, bear right and follow the path until you reach the entrance to the terraced gardens on the right.
Go through the entrance and turn left.
Follow the path until you reach some steps on your right.
Go down the steps.
Cross the path and go down some more steps and turn sharp left at the bottom.
Follow the path through the yew tree topiary then immediately turn right.
Go down a gentle set of steps then turn left down a long set of steep steps.
Turn left at the bottom, then turn right and the Garden Coffee Shop will be on the right at the end of the path. - The route to the area includes more than 3 steps without a handrail.
- Path surfaces along the route are gravel.
- The majority of the paths are not wide enough for wheelchair users.
- There is a shuttle which can take visitors to this area, but wheelchair users will need to transfer into it.
Entrance
- There is step-free level access at the entrance.
- There are double manual doors which are permanently open.
- The width of the opening is 244cm.
- There is a small lip on the threshold of the entrance with a height of less than 1.5cm.
Eating and Drinking
- This is a café which serves sandwiches and snacks.
- There is a counter where food and drink can be ordered.
- Staff can provide assistance and offer service to tables.
- Menu types include: written wall menus.
- Menus are not easy to read (unclear font with poorly contrasting colours).
- The following are available here: drinking straws, takeaway cups, a portable card machine for payment, large-handled mugs and large-handled cutlery.
- Lighting levels are varied.
- There is background noise here which varies, depending on the time of day.
- There is a clearly signed hearing assistance system.
- The hearing assistance system was tested and working at the time of the survey.
- There is a counter over 85cm high with a tray rail.
- The counter is 91cm high.
- There is not a section of the counter at a suitable height for a wheelchair user.
- There is step-free level access around the seating area.
- There are sofas, tables, coffee tables and chairs without armrests available in the seating area.
- The seating area does not have: a priority table and a mixture of chairs with and without armrests.
- There are no tables which are at a suitable height for a wheelchair user.
- The surface height of the tables is 76cm.
- All flooring in the area is smooth and even.
Toilet with Adaptations (Left Hand Transfer)
- This toilet is located to the left of the coffee shop entrance.
- There is step-free level access into the toilet.
- This toilet is approximately 9m from the coffee shop entrance.
- There is pictorial signage on or near the door.
- The door is manual, opens outwards and has a low colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the toilet door opening is 80cm.
- The door has a locking handle.
- Internally the door has a low colour contrast.
- There is a lateral transfer space to the left of the seat but it is obstructed.
- The lateral transfer space is 113cm from the side of the toilet pan to the wall.
- There is a spatula flush on the non transfer side.
- The following grab rails are available: a horizontal grab rail on the door, a horizontal grab rail on the non transfer side, a vertical grab rail on the transfer side and vertical grab rails on both sides of the wash basin.
- There is a dropdown rail on the transfer side.
- The following fixtures can be reached from the toilet seat: toilet roll holder and wash basin.
- The following fixtures cannot be reached from the toilet seat: soap dispenser and hand dryer.
- The height of the toilet seat above floor level is 47cm.
- The height of the toilet roll holder is 93cm.
- The wash basin tap type is lever mixer.
- The height of the wash basin is 74cm.
- The height of the soap dispenser is 95cm.
- The height of the hand dryer is 116cm.
- The height of the baby change is 87cm.
- There is a pull cord emergency alarm but it is not at a recommended height (within 10cm from the floor).
- There is not a shelf.
- The cubicle has: a waste bin without lid, a nappy/incontinence items bin and a sanitary bin.
- The cubicle does not have a full length mirror.
- The height of the coat hook is 134cm from the floor.
- The following have a high colour contrast with their surroundings: the toilet seat and the floor.
- The following have a less clear colour contrast with their surroundings: the dropdown rail, the internal door and all grab rails.
- Lighting levels are bright.
Standard Toilet
- There is step-free level access into the toilet.
- The door is manual, opens inwards and has a low colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the door opening is 81cm.
- Internally the door has a low colour contrast.
- The male and female standard toilets were surveyed.
- The width of the widest cubicle door opening is 67cm.
- The wash basin tap type is push.
- Lighting levels are bright.
- There are hand dryers.