Access Guide
Summary
- View information about opening hours.
- Amenities in this area include: exhibition rooms and historic interiors.
- The most accessible entrance has a steep ramp/slope (which bypasses any steps) and a manual door.
- This entrance is located at the front of the house.
- There are 2 floors once inside.
- Other floors can be accessed via: platform lift.
- There is step-free access once inside with lift access to other floors.
- The exhibition in the Lower Servants' Hall is accessed via steps only; with an information booklet provided at the bottom of the steps for visitors who are unable to overcome them.
- There is a member of staff available for help and assistance.
- Staff/volunteers can describe the layout and access around the site.
- The following are also available: seating and facilities for assistance dogs.
- 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: step free standard toilets and an accessible toilet for the use of everyone.
- The toilet with adaptations for disabled people surveyed can be found in the basement, to the right as you exit the lift.
- This toilet with adaptations for disabled people is approximately 12m from the lift.
- The standard toilets can be found on the basement floor.
- The standard toilets surveyed can be found to the left as you enter the tunnels.
- There is a separate exit.
- The exit has doors permanently held open, manual doors and steps.
- The entrance can be used to exit by visitors with limited mobility.
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: accessible maps.
- You can borrow these from visitor recepetion. View more information about booking and collection of equipment.
- Powered mobility vehicles cannot be borrowed or hired.
Route to (the House)
- From the visitor reception, turn right and go straight ahead along the path leading away from the car park.
Cross the service road and enter the garden through the gate.
Continue straight ahead along the main tree-lined pathway as it slopes downhill. The house is straight ahead. - The route to the area is step-free via a steep ramp/slope and is step-free via a slight ramp/slope.
- Path surfaces along the route are tarmac, bonded gravel and gravel.
- The majority of the paths are wide enough for wheelchair users.
- There is no accessible shuttle to this area.
Entrance
- The entrance surveyed is located at the front of the house.
- There is step-free access via ramp at the entrance.
- The steep portable ramp is between 75cm and 150cm wide, with no handrails.
- The ramp overcomes the steps.
- Please contact a member of staff/volunteer for use of the portable ramp.
- There are 2 steps, which are unmarked, with no handrails.
- There is a single manual door which opens away from you.
- The width of the opening is 126cm.
- There is a small lip on the threshold of the entrance with a height of more than 1.5cm.
Tour
- The tour is guided.
- The tour takes approximately 45 minutes.
- There is step-free access via lift throughout the tour.
- The majority of walkway widths are between 120cm and 180cm.
- The tour can be adapted to avoid inaccessible areas.
- Areas with stepped access only can be experienced by visitors via an information booklet and a photo album.
- There is background noise which varies, depending on the time of day.
- Tour information includes the following formats: information board and information booklets.
- Floor plans/maps are available for the tour route.
- The tour has a hearing assistance system which is not signed.
- The hearing assistance system was tested and working at the time of the survey.
- There are chairs without armrests at regular intervals along the tour.
- Some flooring along the tour route is smooth and even.
- Where the flooring is not smooth or even, this is due to uneven paving/tiles and carpet (deep pile).
- Some of the flooring includes large repeating patterns in bold colours, which may look like steps or holes to some people.
- Some of the flooring has a very shiny finish, which could cause issues with glare or look slippery to some people.
- Lighting levels are varied throughout the tour route.
- The tour is split over the ground floor and the basement, with the enclosed platform lift providing step-free level access between them.
The only exception is a small exhibition room accessed via a separate staircase from the basement, to which the lift gives no access.
Lift
- A member of staff needs to be notified for use of the lift.
- The floors which are accessible by this lift are the ground and basement.
- Externally the lift has: buttons with a medium colour contrast to the surroundings, controls at a suitable height for a wheelchair user and a door with a low colour contrast to the surroundings.
- The lift does have a recommended turning space (150cm x 150cm) in front of it.
- The lift door opening width is 79cm.
- The dimensions of the lift are 89cm x 118cm.
- Internally the lift has: an audible announcer, a visual floor indicator, buttons with a low colour contrast to the surroundings and controls that are not at a suitable height for a wheelchair user.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
- The lift door on the basement floor has a high colour contrast.
Stairs (Ground Floor to Basement)
- The floors which are accessible by stairs are the ground and basement.
- There are 18 steps between floors.
- The steps are not clearly marked with handrails on both sides.
- The highest step is 17cm high.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
- The handrail on the left is partial.
Stairs (Basement to Exhibition Room)
- The floors which are accessible by stairs are the basement and exhibition room (on its own mezzanine level).
- There are 11 steps between floors.
- The steps are not clearly marked with handrails on both sides.
- The highest step is 15cm high.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
Toilet with Adaptations (Basement - Right Hand Transfer)
- This toilet is located on the basement floor, to the right as you exit the lift.
- There is step-free level access into the toilet.
- This toilet is approximately 12m from the lift.
- There is no signage on or near the door.
- The door is manual, opens inwards and has a high colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the toilet door opening is 82cm.
- The door has a lever twist lock.
- The dimensions of the cubicle are 216cm x 216cm and it has a turning space of at least 150cm x 150cm.
- There is a lateral transfer space to the right of the seat.
- The lateral transfer space is 146cm from the side of the toilet pan to the wall.
- There is a lever flush on the non transfer side.
- The following grab rails are available: a vertical grab rail on the transfer side, a vertical rail on the right side of the wash basin and a horizontal grab rail on the non transfer side.
- There is a dropdown rail on the transfer side.
- The following fixtures can be reached from the toilet seat: soap dispenser, toilet roll holder and wash basin.
- The following fixtures cannot be reached from the toilet seat: towel dispenser.
- The height of the toilet seat above floor level is 44cm.
- The height of the toilet roll holder is 102cm.
- The wash basin tap type is lever mixer.
- The height of the wash basin is 76cm.
- The height of the soap dispenser is 88cm.
- The height of the towel dispenser is 104cm.
- The height of the baby change is 95cm.
- There is a pull cord emergency alarm but it is not at a recommended height (within 10cm from the floor).
- There is a shelf located where it is reachable for seated and standing users.
- The shelf does meet the criteria for Stoma Friendly Toilets. For the Stoma Friendly Toilets criteria click here and select the Stoma Friendly tab in the right hand pane.
- The cubicle has: a padded back rest for seat, a waste bin with lid, a sanitary bin and a nappy/incontinence items bin.
- The cubicle does not have a full length mirror.
- There are coat hooks in the toilet at 120cm and 128cm from the floor.
- The following have a high colour contrast with their surroundings: the internal door and the floor.
- The following have a less clear colour contrast with their surroundings: all grab rails, the dropdown rail and the toilet seat.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
Standard Toilet (Basement)
- Basement.
- There is step-free level access into the toilet.
- The door is manual, opens inwards and has a high colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the door opening is 89cm.
- Internally the door has a high colour contrast.
- The male and female standard toilets were surveyed.
- The width of the widest cubicle door opening is 64cm.
- The wash basin tap type is sensor.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
- There are hand dryers.
- There is a baby change facility which is not at a suitable height for a wheelchair user.
- There is a second set of doors to enter the standard female toilets with an opening width of 70cm. There is a slight ramp with no handrails between the first and second sets of doors, with a width of 79cm.
Exit (House to Café)
- The exit is located at the end of the tunnel leading from the basement of the house to the East Pavilion, into the café.
- There is not step-free access at the exit.
- The steep ramp is between 75cm and 150cm wide, with no handrails.
- There are 10 steps, which are unmarked, with handrails on both sides.
- The handrails do not cover all steps.
- There are double manual doors which are permanently open.
- The width of the opening is 137cm.