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Pall Mall, Carlton House Terrace and The Mall

Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5HD

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Access Guide

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Overview (Key Accessibility Information)

  • This Access Guide covers Pall Mall, Carlton House Terrace, part of The Mall between Spring Gardens, and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Memorial and the connections between them.
    The changing nature of the West End may mean that the on-street conditions are different to the description in this Access Guide.
  • Piccadilly and St James's Street, Regent Street St James's and Haymarket, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Carnaby Street, Bond Street and Oxford Street are all covered in separate Access Guides.
  • Pall Mall and connecting roads Trafalgar Square and Cockspur Street can be very busy.
    The pavements and pedestrian crossings are all wide, but they can be congested at peak times, which could be daunting for some people.
    The crossings of the main road are signal controlled pedestrian crossings or zebra crossings.
    Some of the side road crossings are not controlled and some have no dropped kerbs.
  • Traffic on Carlton House Terrace is for access only and is generally light.
    Pall Mall is a major ceremonial route between Admiralty Arch at Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace.
    When closed to vehicles for special events, the pedestrian areas are likely to be very congested.
    There is very limited on-street public seating in The Mall area, but seating is available in St James's Park on the south side of The Mall.
  • There is a significant level change between The Mall and Carlton House Gardens or Pall Mall.
    Step-free pedestrian routes are via Spring Gardens or by detours through Trafalgar Square to the east, or Marlborough Road to the west.
    These longer routes are not covered in this guide.
  • The main ways to get to the Pall Mall and The Mall areas include train, tube, bus or taxi.
    There are bus routes through Trafalgar Square and Cockspur Street that connect with Regent Street St James's northbound and Haymarket southbound.
    There are no bus routes along Pall Mall, The Mall or Carlton House Terrace.
    The nearest accessible step-free tube station is Green Park on Piccadilly, west of St James's Street.
  • Parking in the area is very limited and visitors are encouraged to use public transport.
    There are a small number of Blue Badge bays in Waterloo Place, off Pall Mall, and Carlton Gardens.
    There are also short-stay pay by phone bays in these areas and other side roads.
    The Q-Park Trafalgar off Cockspur Court is closed (from June 2022) for development work.
  • There are public toilets, including accessible toilets, on Trafalgar Square and at Charing Cross Rail Station.
    There are public toilets within Piccadilly Underground Station, accessed by steps only.
    There are also accessible and standard toilets within large venues, such as The National Gallery, that are free to enter.
  • To view the Access Guide for Regent Street St James's and Haymarket Area please click here (new tab)..
  • To view the Access Guide for Piccadilly, St James's Street and Jermyn Street please click here (new tab)..
  • To view the Access Guide for Regent Street please click here (new tab)..

Getting Here

General Accessibility (Pall Mall)

  • Paths and Pavements View
    • Pall Mall connects with Trafalgar Square and Cockspur Street to the east, and St James's Street to the west.
      There are private members' clubs and a small number of shops, restaurants and bars.
      There is step-free access throughout Pall Mall.
      The flagstone pavements are mostly level, wide and even (photographs 1-4).
    • The main crossings over Pall Mall are pedestrian controlled or zebra crossings.
      There is a zebra crossing at the junction with Marlborough Road.
      All other side road crossings are not controlled and most do not have tactile paving.
  • Street Furniture and Features View
    • There are no public seats in Pall Mall.
      There are a number of waste disposal bins along both sides of the street.
      There are potential obstructions from shop/restaurant signage boards and external seating areas on the north side of Pall Mall (photographs 5 and 6).
    • There are a very small number of cycle racks and cycle hoops attached to signposts (photograph 7).
      There may be bikes chained to lampposts and street signage posts.
  • Maps and Signage View
    • There are Legible London map signs on the north side of Pall Mall near to Trafalgar Square and on the south side near to Marlborough Road (photographs 8 and 9).
      In this location, there is also a sign with historical information about the area (photograph 10) .
  • Public Transport View
    • There is a taxi rank on the south side of Pall Mall, near the RAC Club, although it is likely to be easy to hail a taxi in any location.

Main Pedestrian Crossing(s) (Pall Mall)

  • There are signal controlled pedestrian crossings near Trafalgar Square, near the junctions with Cockspur Street and Haymarket, and both sides of Waterloo Place (photographs 1-4).
    There are also zebra crossings near to St James's Square and Marlborough Road (photographs 5 and 6).
  • All the crossing points have dropped kerbs with tactile paving.
    The signal controlled crossings at Waterloo Place have a central refuge but are timed to be crossed in phase.
    The zebra crossings also have a central refuge and can be crossed in 2 stages.
  • The road surface is tarmac.
  • There is two-way traffic in most sections of Pall Mall, generally with 2 lanes in each direction.
    East of Cockspur Street, there is one-way traffic towards Trafalgar Square.
    The traffic direction is shown by painted floor signage at each crossing point.

Side Street Crossings (Pall Mall)

  • On the north side of Pall Mall, there is a push-button controlled pedestrian crossing at the junction with Haymarket (photographs 1 and 2).
    There are 4 lanes of one-way traffic joining Pall Mall, shown by painted floor signage.
    There are dropped kerbs with tactile paving on each side.
    The central refuge is not marked and the road is intended to be crossed in 1 phase.
    There are visual signals but no audible signal.
    There are rotating cones on the underside of the control boxes.
  • The junctions with Waterloo Place on both sides of Pall Mall have a large central island with one-way traffic on each side of the island (photographs 3 -6).
    There may be 2 lanes of traffic entering and leaving Waterloo Place on the north side.
    There are no signal controlled crossings.
    There are dropped kerbs, but there is no tactile paving or painted floor signage to indicate the direction of traffic.
  • On the north side of Pall Mall, there are further junctions without controlled crossings at Suffolk Street and Whitcomb Street (photographs 7 and 8).
    Each junction has one-way traffic turning in from Pall Mall, but there is no painted floor signage to show the direction.
    The road is raised level with the pavement, but there is no tactile paving at the crossings.
  • On the north side of Piccadilly there are two-way vehicle access points into Albany Courtyard and to the forecourt of the Royal Academy (photographs 5 and 6).
    The roads are raised flush with the pavement and there is no tactile paving.
  • The are 2 roads connecting with St James's Square, 1 joining and 1 leaving Pall Mall (photographs 7 and 8).
    There is no floor signage to indicate the traffic direction.
    Kerbs are shallow (about 3cm) but not fully dropped.
  • On the south side of Pall Mall, the junction with Carlton Gardens has two-way traffic (photograph 9).
    The dropped kerbs are not marked with tactile paving.
  • The junction with Marlborough Road has two-way traffic.
    There is a zebra crossing with dropped kerbs and tactile paving (photograph 10).

General Accessibility (Crown Passage)

  • Paths and Pavements View
    • Crown Passage is a narrow alley connecting King Street and Pall Mall.
      There are arched openings with no doors or gates at each end.
      There are historic inns, along with restaurants and takeaway food outlets.
      The area may be congested with cyclists and pedestrians.
      Most premises have at least 1 step at their entrance.
    • Floor surfaces are tarmac or asphalt and generally even.
  • Street Furniture and Features View
    • There are some potential obstructions from signs and planters outside premises.

General Accessibility (Trafalgar Square West Side and Cockspur Street)

  • Paths and Pavements View
    • The central area of Trafalgar Square is a pedestrian area, often used for entertainment and events.
      The road on the west side of Trafalgar Square has wide and even flagstone pavements on both sides (photographs 1 and 2).
      The road has a steep uphill slope towards the north.
      This could be bypassed using the lifts in Trafalgar Square if needed.
    • Cockspur Street connects the south-west corner of Trafalgar Square with Pall Mall, near to Haymarket by a long uphill slope.
      Its flagstone pavements are wide and even (photographs 3 and 4).
    • The crossings of the roads around Trafalgar Square and of Cockspur Street are all pedestrian controlled.
      The side road junctions on the south side of Cockspur Street are not controlled.
  • Street Furniture and Features View
    • Where the east end of Pall Mall meets the pedestrianised route on Trafalgar Square there are a row of black bollards, with good contrast and large concrete blocks.
      All have clear space between (photographs 5 and 6).
    • There is no public seating on the roads but some seats are available in the pedestrianised areas of Trafalgar Square.
      There are some waste disposal bins along both sides of Cockspur Street.
      There are potential obstructions from shop/restaurant signage boards and kiosks (photograph 7).
  • Maps and Signage View
    • There are Legible London wayfinding sign on Pall Mall and the north side of Cockspur Street, near the junctions with Trafalgar Square (photograph 8).
  • Public Transport View
    • There are 2 bus stops on the north side of Cockspur Street, but only 1 of the stops has a shelter (photograph 9).
      Both bus stops on the south side of Cockspur Street have shelters (photograph 10).
      All bus shelters have perch seating available and displays of the services due.

Main Pedestrian Crossing(s) (Trafalgar Square West Side and Cockspur Street)

  • There are pedestrian controlled crossings on both Trafalgar Square West Side and Cockspur Street, near to their junction (photographs 1 and 2). The Cockspur Street crossing has a central refuge, but is timed to be crossed in 1 phase.
    The pedestrian crossing at the junction of Cockspur Street and Pall Mall is in 2 stages, with a large triangular island between them (photographs 3 and 4).
  • All the crossing points have dropped kerbs with tactile paving.
  • The road surface is tarmac.
  • The crossing of Cockspur Street has two-way traffic.
    The other crossings have one-way traffic.
    All the crossings have painted floor signage to show the direction of the traffic.

Side Street Crossings (Cockspur Street)

  • There are 2 side roads off the south side of Cockspur Street.
    The junction with Spring Gardens is raised flush with the pavement but there is no tactile paving (photographs 1 and 2).
    This road usually has one-way traffic entering Spring Gardens, but may have temporary two-way traffic due to construction work in the area.
  • The junction with Warwick House Street has two-way traffic.
    The road is also raised level with the pavement but there is no tactile paving (photographs 3 and 4).
    There are some uneven surfaces at the crossing point.

General Accessibility (Spring Gardens, Warwick House Street and Cockspur Court)

  • Paths and Pavements View
    • There is construction work in the area between Cockspur Street and The Mall (2022 onwards) that may lead to temporary closures of some roads or pavements.
      Spring Gardens connects Cockspur Street and The Mall, including a ramp or steps near to The Mall.
      Near to Cockspur Street, the road is level with the pavement (photographs 1 and 2).
      There are black bollards in a line along the kerb.
      The road has an uneven cobbled surface.
      There is tactile paving to mark a crossing point with a smooth paved surface.
      Near to The Mall, the area opens into a wide paved area with large trees.
      There are some uneven areas near the trees.
      At the edge of this area there are stone bench seats with armrests that are reached by a single step (photographs 3 and 4).
      There are steps from this area to connect with Carlton House Terrace.
    • Warwick House Street is a narrow cul-de-sac off Cockspur Street.
      It connects by steps only to Cockspur Court, near to the Q-Park Trafalgar Car Park (temporarily closed from 2022 onwards due to construction works).
      Pavements are very narrow and there are some access points with no dropped kerbs.
    • There are very narrow pavements and a lack of dropped kerbs to cross in Cockspur Court (photographs 5 and 6).

General Accessibility (Carlton House Terrace, Carlton Gardens and Waterloo Place South)

  • Paths and Pavements View
    • Carlton House Terrace is south of Pall Mall and at the same level.
      The large, historic villas are now mainly offices or embassies.
      The flagstone pavements are generally level.
      There are some vehicle access points that do not have dropped kerbs.
      On the north side, some pavements are narrow and may be obstructed by parked vehicles overhanging the kerb (photographs 1-4).
      There are connections by steps only between Carlton House Terrace and The Mall, Spring Gardens and Cockspur Court.
    • Waterloo Place South connects Carlton House Terrace to Pall Mall.
      There are roads with one-way traffic on each side of a large paved island that has historic monuments.
      The flagstone pavements are wide and level.
      There are Blue Badge parking bays on each side of Waterloo Place.
      The junction of Waterloo Place and Carlton House Terrace has dropped kerbs with no tactile paving (photographs 5-8).
    • Carlton Gardens also connects Carlton House Terrace and Pall Mall.
      At the junction of Carlton Gardens and Carlton House Terrace there is no dropped kerb on 1 side of the road to cross in either direction.
      There are 2 Blue Badge parking bays near to the junction (photographs 9-12).
  • Maps and Signage View
    • There is a Legible London sign on the west side of Waterloo Place, near to a bank of cycle racks.
      There is also an information board with details of the historic buildings and monuments on Carlton House Terrace, near to the Duke of York Monument, but the sign is hard to read (photographs 13-14).

General Accessibility (The Mall - Spring Gardens to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Monuments)

  • Paths and Pavements View
    • The Mall connects Trafalgar Square with Buckingham Palace.
      Only a short section of it is covered in this guide, but The Mall is similar along its length.
      On the north side there are historic monuments and steps to connect with Carlton House Terrace.
      The Institute of Contemporary Arts and Mall Galleries are also here.
      On the south side are Horse Guards Road and St James's Park.
    • The Mall is often used for ceremonial parades and other events.
      It may be closed to general traffic and there may be barriers to control pedestrian movements. Pedestrians also walk on the grass or earth beneath the trees (photographs 1-4).
  • Street Furniture and Features View
    • There are some large metal barriers across the pedestrian route to close the area to vehicles.
      Some of the narrow gaps between them are blocked (photograph 5).
      There are also some shallow steps and raised kerbs immediately outside the galleries (photographs 6 and 7).
    • There are 2 stone bench seats near the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Monument (photograph 8).
      The nearest alternative seating is in St James's Park.

Main Pedestrian Crossing(s) (The Mall)

  • There are push-button controlled pedestrian crossings at the junction of The Mall and Horse Guards Road.
  • The crossings have dropped kerbs with tactile paving.
  • The road surface is tarmac.
  • There is usually two-way traffic, but this may change during events.

Access To (Carlton House Terrace from The Mall - Duke of York Steps)

  • There is a long flight of wide, ceremonial steps between The Mall, and Carlton House Terrace.
    The Duke of York Monument is at the top of the steps.
    The nearest step-free routes to bypass the steps are using Spring Gardens or Trafalgar Square.
  • There are 29 steps .
  • The height of the step(s) is/are not between the recommended 15cm and 18cm.
  • The height of the step(s) is/are 14cm.
  • The depth of the step(s) is/are between the recommended 30cm and 45cm.
  • The steps are not clearly marked.
  • There is a/are handrail(s) at the step(s).
  • The steps have a handrail on both sides.
  • Handrails are at the recommended height (90cm-100cm).
  • Handrails do cover the flight of stairs throughout its length.
  • Handrails are easy to grip.
  • Handrails do extend horizontally beyond the first and last steps.
  • There is a landing.
  • Comments View
    • There is a row of black bollards across the route at the top and bottom of the steps.

Access To (Carlton Gardens from The Mall - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Steps)

  • There are a series of steps between The Mall and Carlton Gardens that leads to Carlton House Terrace.
    The steps include monuments to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
    There are stone bench seats at the top and bottom of the steps (photographs 1 and 2). The step-free alternative routes are by Marlborough Road, to the west, or Spring Gardens to the east.
  • There are ramps to the left and right that bypass the first 3 steps only.
    These give access to 2 tactile relief panels depicting the life of Queen Elizabeth (photographs 3-5).
  • The gradient of the ramp/slope is slight.
  • There is a/are handrail(s) at the ramp.
  • There are steps in 4 flights with landings, connecting The Mall with a terrace and monument at the top.
    From this level, there are further steps up to Carlton Gardens (photographs 6-10).
  • There are 33 steps .
  • The height of the step(s) is/are between the recommended 15cm and 18cm.
  • The depth of the step(s) is/are between the recommended 30cm and 45cm.
  • The steps are not clearly marked.
  • The steps have tactile paving at the top and bottom.
  • There is a/are handrail(s) at the step(s).
  • The steps have a handrail on both sides.
  • Handrails are at the recommended height (90cm-100cm).
  • Handrails do cover the flight of stairs throughout its length.
  • Handrails are not easy to grip.
  • Handrails do extend horizontally beyond the first and last steps.
  • There is a landing.
  • Comments View
    • The first and last flights of steps have central handrails.

Access To (Spring Gardens from The Mall)

  • There is a temporary ramp to overcome the steps in this area (Summer 2022).
    A new permanent ramp will be constructed as part of redevelopment of the area.
    The steps may also be altered.
    The route is a shortcut between The Mall and Cockspur Street, bypassing Trafalgar Square.
  • The temporary ramp overcomes the steps up to Spring Gardens from The Mall (photographs 1 and 2).
  • The gradient of the ramp/slope is slight.
  • There is a/are handrail(s) at the ramp.
  • The ramp/slope does bypass the step(s).
  • There are 2 sets of wide, curved steps between The Mall and Spring Gardens.
    1 set of steps is partly closed by the temporary ramp.
    The steps are generally shallow (12cm) but the bottom step is up to 20cm (photographs 3 and 4).
  • There are 5 steps .
  • The depth of the step(s) is/are between the recommended 30cm and 45cm.
  • The steps are not clearly marked.
  • There is not a/are not handrail(s) at the step(s).

Access To (Carlton House Terrace from Spring Gardens)

  • These steps connect Carlton House Terrace and Spring Gardens.
    The nearest alternative step-free route would be by using Cockspur Street and Pall Mall.
  • The steps connect the terrace at Spring Gardens to the east end of Carlton House Terrace.
  • There are 24 steps .
  • The height of the step(s) is/are between the recommended 15cm and 18cm.
  • The depth of the step(s) is/are between the recommended 30cm and 45cm.
  • The steps are not clearly marked.
  • There is a/are handrail(s) at the step(s).
  • The steps have a handrail on the right going up.
  • Handrails are at the recommended height (90cm-100cm).
  • Handrails do not cover the flight of stairs throughout its length.
  • Handrails are easy to grip.
  • Handrails do extend horizontally beyond the first and last steps.
  • There is a landing.
  • Comments View
    • At the time of our visit (May 2022) a section of handrail near the top of the stairs was missing.
    • Photograph 5 shows the route to the steps at the end of Carlton House Terrace.
    • There is a gate in this location, but it is not known if the gate is ever locked.

Access To (Cockspur Court from Carlton House Terrace)

  • These steps connect Carlton House Terrace with Cockspur Court, near to the Q-Park Trafalgar car park (temporarily closed from Summer 2022).
    The alternative step-free route would be by using Waterloo Place and Pall Mall.
  • The stairs are in the north east corner of Carlton House Terrace (photographs 1-4).
  • There are 20 steps .
  • The height of the step(s) is/are between the recommended 15cm and 18cm.
  • The depth of the step(s) is/are between the recommended 30cm and 45cm.
  • The steps are not clearly marked.
  • There is a/are handrail(s) at the step(s).
  • The steps have a handrail on the right going up.
  • Handrails are at the recommended height (90cm-100cm).
  • Handrails do cover the flight of stairs throughout its length.
  • Handrails are easy to grip.
  • Handrails do not extend horizontally beyond the first and last steps.
  • There is a landing.
  • Comments View
    • There are gates or chains at the top and bottom of the steps.
    • It is not known if the stairs are closed at regular times.
    • At the foot of the stairs, in Cockspur Court, there are 3 shallow steps down towards the car park entrance (photographs 5 and 6).
    • The steps are not clearly marked and have a barrier with a handrail to the left-hand side only going up that is not easy to grip.
    • There are 7 similar steps on the opposite side of Cockspur Court to connect with Warwick House Street.
    • These steps are also not clearly marked and have a handrail to the right-hand side only.