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Route from Portland Square to Mast House - Faculty of Business

University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA

Access Guide

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Introduction

  • This is a route from the Portland Square Building to Mast House.
  • The route is approximately 1.2km long.
  • It takes approximately 20 minutes to complete the route.
  • The route runs from Portland Square down North Hill, along Charles Street, through the underpass and down Exeter Street then down Sutton Road and Mast House.
  • The paving from Portland Square through to Sutton Road is slabbed.
  • Sutton Road is tarmac with several vehicle crossing points to premises along the route.
  • There is extensive building work taking place in the area with hoardings alongside the footway.
  • All the University buildings are clearly named and there are some wall and finger signs.
  • The campus is situated on a hillside and there are sections of the route with moderately steep gradients.

Portland Square

Portland Square to North Hill

  • Exit Portland Square and bear right slightly to walk down the path at a diagonal in front of you, shown in photographs 1 and 2.
  • This area is surfaced with brick block paving and has an easy gradient.
  • Approximately 10m down the diagonal path where it joins Sherwell Lane there is an unmarked dipped gutter running across the path, as shown in photograph 3.
  • Bear right and continue along Sherwell Lane to North Hill.
  • Sherwell lane has an easy gradient and an even brick block surface.
  • There is infrequent use of this part of Sherwell Lane by vehicles for the Sherwell Church car park. This area is shown in photographs 4 and 5.
  • As Sherwell Lane reaches North Hill there is a row of bollards along the left side of the junction, the bollards have high visibility stripes at the top. These bollards are shown in photographs 5 and 6.

North Hill to Charles Street

  • North Hill has even concrete slab paving with an easy downhill slope, shown in photograph 1.
  • Head along North Hill for approximately 100m.
  • After approximately 25m there are a series of 4 bus stops at 20m intervals as shown in photographs 2 and 3.
  • The bus stops leave plenty of room on the right-hand side of the pavement but may cause congested pavements at peak times due to people waiting for buses.
  • 10m beyond the last bus stop there is a line of yellow corduroy tactile paving across the pavement, shown in photograph 4. This marks the start of the traffic light-controlled crossing opposite the Roland Levinsky Building and a widening of the pavement.
  • Cross North Hill at this traffic light controlled crossing point. There is a line of red blister tactile paving leading from this crossing across the pavement, shown in photograph 6.
  • This crossing has tactile paving and dropped kerbs on both sides and is split by a central island which has level concrete slab paving between the two crossing points and tactile paving and dropped kerbs on both sides of the island. This crossing and central island are shown in photographs 5, 6, 7 and 8.
  • The control boxes at this crossing point are approximately 100cm high and there is no audible warning.
  • Once you have crossed North Hill at the traffic lights turn right and continue along North Hill.
  • Along this stretch of pavement there is uneven flagstone paving with an easy gradient. There are hoardings along the left of the pavement due to long term building work, shown in photograph 9.
  • Approximately 20m along North Hill from the crossing is a sign post which narrows the pavement to 120cm on the left, shown in photograph 10.
  • Continue to Charles Street.

Charles Street to Pedestrian Subway

  • Continue for approximately 60m around the bend on to Charles Street as the pavement opens up.
  • This area of pavement, as shown in photograph 1, has an even concrete slab surface.
  • The left side of the pavement has advertising boards and seating areas from the restaurants and shops on the left.
  • Where the pavement meets the start of Tavistock Place, bear right as the pavement splits. There is a line of corduroy tactile paving just beyond the split, as shown in photograph 2.
  • Beyond the junction with Tavistock Place proceed along Charles Street, as shown in photograph 3.
  • The pavement is wide and even with a concrete slab surface and an easy gradient.
  • After approximately 80m there is a bus stop outside the Plymouth College of Art, as shown in photographs 4 and 5. This narrows the pavement slightly but still leaves plenty of room, although there may be congestion on the pavement around peak times.
  • There are multiple road signs along this stretch of pavement at irregular intervals, which obstruct the pavement.
  • An example of these are shown in photographs 6 and 7.
  • Approximately 50m past the bus stop there are steps up to Charles Cross Police Station on your left, as shown in photograph 8.
  • There is a telephone box ahead, near the centre of the pathway.
  • Just beyond it is the clearly signposted entrance to the Charles Street Pedestrian Subway as shown in photographs 9 and 10.

Pedestrian Subway

  • The subway is wide and well lit, as shown in photographs 1 and 2.
  • At the bottom of the slight entrance ramp the underpass is on your right.
  • The surface is even and concrete.
  • On exiting the tunnel section bear right up the easy exit ramp as shown in photograph 3, to the Charles Cross Roundabout leading onto Exeter Street.
  • Photograph 4 shows the tarmac surfaced area at the top of the exit ramp and the line of corduroy tactile paving signifying the end of the pedestrian subway.

Exeter Street Pedestrian Subway to Exeter Street/Bretonside Crossing

  • At the top of the subway ramp continue ahead and bear left around the corner.
  • Walk approximately 230m along Exeter Street.
  • The pavement here is even and level tarmac, this is shown in photographs 1, 2 and 3.
  • There is a controlled crossing with corduroy tactile paving across the pavement.
  • Approximately 110m down Exeter Street there is a bus stop, shown in photograph 4, which narrows the pavement and may cause congestion at peak times.
  • Approximately 60m beyond the bus stop the pavement surface changes to concrete slabs but is still even and level. This is shown in photograph 5.
  • After approximately another 50m there is a controlled crossing with an advance corduroy tactile warning followed by the standard crossing tactile paving, as shown in photograph 6.
  • Turn right to cross Exeter Street, as shown in photograph 7.
  • This is a staggered crossing with a central reservation shown in photographs 8 and 9.
  • There are tactile warnings both sides and on the reservation with indicator lights and rotating cones but no audible warning.
  • The second half of the road crossing is shown in photograph 10.
  • Having crossed the road, turn left to another controlled crossing, in order to cross Bretonside.
  • This crossing is also staggered with a central reservation, tactile warnings and rotating cones and no audible warning, this crossing is shown in photographs 11, 12, 13 and 14.

Exeter Street/Bretonside Crossing to Sutton Road

  • After crossing Bretonside turn left along Exeter Street.
  • Walk approximately 120m to Sutton Road.
  • The foot path has a level and even tarmac surface.
  • Approximately 80m down Exeter Street there is an unmarked carpark entrance, this is shown in photograph 4.
  • Beyond this crossing the surface changes to concrete slab, shown in photograph 5.
  • Bear right on to Sutton Road, shown in photograph 6.

Sutton Road to Mast House

  • Walk approximately 200m along Sutton Road.
  • The pavement here is even tarmac.
  • There are several businesses along Sutton Road which have vehicle crossings into the premises, these are shown in photographs 1 and 2.
  • The vehicle crossings do not have tactile warnings but the curved kerb stones are wide and contrast with the tarmac.
  • Vehicles may be parked on the inside edge of the pavement, alongside the buildings.
  • The length of the pavement is still for pedestrian use only.
  • The road bears right and is crossed by North East Quay which is the vehicle entrance to Jewsons, shown in photograph 3.
  • On the far side of the crossing there is an extensive building site with hoardings along the inner pavement edge as shown in photographs 4 and 5.
  • Continue for 30m and then cross Marrowbone Slip, shown in photographs 6 and 7, which is the car park access to one of the harbourside businesses.
  • The vehicle entrance to the car park serves as the dropped kerb to cross Marrowbone Slip and continue on Sutton Road for 20m.
  • Bear right into the roadway, shown in photographs 8, 9 and 10, which leads directly to Mast House and the restaurant, China House, beyond it.
  • This roadway also serves the harbourside parking in this area.
  • The roadway has speed humps so traffic speeds are low.
  • At the end of the pavement there is a dropped kerb to allow access onto the road, as shown in photograph 11.
  • The road in front of Mast House must be crossed to reach the building, as shown in photograph 12.
  • The main entrance to Mast House is at the front of the building as you approach.

Mast House - Faculty of Business