Access Guide

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Introduction

This route is from Portland Square to the Cookworthy Building.
The route is approximately 420m long.
It takes approximately 7 minutes to complete the route.
The route crosses North Hill, up Gibbon Lane, left down Gibbon Street, crosses Regent Street, left down Hampton Street and across to the Cookworthy Building.
The pavements in this area are tarmac in poor repair with numerous uneven patches and potholes.
There are a few dropped kerbs and in some places a dropped kerb on one side of the road only.
The route has a number of sections on gradients.
There is extensive building work taking place which has closed Tavistock Place to vehicles and pedestrians for a considerable period of time.
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.

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.

Cross North Hill at the traffic light controlled crossing directly in front of Portland Square.
This crossing is shown in photographs 1, 2 and 3.
This is a traffic light controlled crossing with a level central island.
There are dropped kerbs and tactile paving on both sides of the crossing.
Once having crossed North Hill turn right to cross Gibbon Lane.
The surface here is concrete slabs.
There are dropped kerbs either side of Gibbon Lane with tactile paving as shown in photographs 4 and 5.
Having crossed Gibbon Lane turn left.
This area has a tarmac surface with an easy gradient.
Head up the slope to the junction with Tavistock Place. Cross outside the pub, The Skiving Scholar.
The kerb is low on both sides of the road but is not dropped and does not have tactile warnings, this crossing is shown in photographs 6, 7 and 8.
The far side of Tavistock Place has a narrow, very uneven pavement.
Tavistock Place is currently closed due to a large construction project thus there is very little traffic at this crossing.
Once having crossed Tavistock Street turn left and follow the pavement round to the right for approximately 50m until you reach Gibbon Street.
This stretch of pavement, shown in photographs 8, 9 and 10, is uneven with a tarmac surface, halfway along the street there is a parking ticket machine, as shown in photograph 9, that narrows the pavement to 140cm.

Turn right onto Gibbon Street.
At the start of Gibbon Street there are green electrical boxes which narrow the pavement to 135cm, this is shown in photograph 1.
The pavement, shown in photographs 1, 3, 4 and 5, has a tarmac surface with a steep gradient.
After approximately 45m there is a dropped kerb entrance to a car parking area.
The kerbs are level but there is no tactile warning, as shown in photographs 2 and 3.
Continue down Gibbon Street for approximately another 60m and pass the Robbins Conference Centre on your left, shown in photographs 5 and 6.
Continue beyond the Robins Conference Centre along the pavement for approximately another 60m to Regent Street.
Photographs 7 and 8 show the pavement beyond the Robins Conference Centre.

Upon reaching the Regent Street junction turn left to cross Gibbon Street.
This crossing has dropped kerbs on both sides with no tactile paving.
This crossing is shown in photographs 1, 2 and 3.
Walk straight along Regent Street.
This pavement is shown in photograph 4 and has a tarmac surface with infrequent manhole covers.
Turn right after approximately 20m to cross Regent Street.
This crossing is shown in photographs 5 and 6 and is level with tactile paving on both sides.
After crossing Regent Street turn left and continue towards Hampton Street.
This area of pavement is shown in photograph 6 and is even with a concrete slab surface.
Upon reaching Hampton Street continue straight and cross Hampton Street.
This cross has dropped kerbs and tactile paving on both sides with a level central island which also has tactile paving.
This crossing is shown in photographs 7 and 8.
After crossing Hampton Street turn right and the Cookworthy building is on your left approximately 60m down the street.
Hampton Street has an even tarmac surface with a steep gradient and is shown in photographs 9 and 10.