Access Guide
Summary
- View information about opening hours.
- Amenities in this area include: exhibition rooms and parkland.
- The most accessible entrance has step-free level access and a door permanently held open.
- There is step-free access once inside.
- 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: maps.
- This site is not part of the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme.
- Toilet and changing facilities available include: an accessible toilet solely for the use of disabled people.
- The toilet with adaptations for disabled people surveyed can be found next to the café.
- This toilet with adaptations for disabled people is approximately 2m from the café entrance.
Public Transport
- There is not a bus stop within approximately 150m of the site.
- The nearest train station is Darsham.
- Darsham Station is 6.1 miles away from Dunwich Heath and Beach.
- For the latest travel options and information you can plan your travel using Traveline (opens new tab).
Parking
- This site has a car park.
- The vehicle route from the main road to the car park includes: uneven surfaces.
- This is an open air car park with a cobbled surface.
- Parking is free for National Trust members, but charges apply for all other visitors.
- There are clearly presented payment signs.
- Maps and information boards are available.
- There are 5 Blue Badge parking bays.
- The dimensions of the designated Blue Badge parking bay(s) surveyed are 241cm x 487cm.
- There is a hatched zone on both sides but not to the rear.
- The hatched zone is under 120cm wide.
- The nearest Blue Badge bay is 4m from the Visitor Reception.
- Obstacles from the car park include: bollards with low colour contrast and a visual identification band.
- There are not parent and child parking bays available.
- There is not a designated drop-off point.
Admissions
- At this location the following are free to access for all visitors: The countryside.
- At this location the following areas are free to access for National Trust members but payable for everyone else: Parking.
- At this location the following areas require payment from everyone (including National Trust members): None.
- This site does not offer companion or carer discounts.
Equipment and Resources to Borrow
- Equipment cannot be borrowed or hired.
- You can borrow or hire the following mobility vehicles: mobility scooters. It is highly recommended that these are booked in advance, where this is possible. Please check the National Trust website for details.
- You can borrow these from the visitor reception. View more information about booking and collection of equipment.
Entrance (Café)
- The entrance surveyed is located at the front of the building.
- There is step-free level access at the entrance.
- There is a single manual door which are permanently open.
- The width of the opening is 84cm.
Eating and Drinking (Café)
- This is a café which serves hot and cold meals 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: menu boards.
- Menus are not easy to read (unclear font with poorly contrasting colours).
- The following are available here: drinking straws, takeaway cups, two handled cups, easy grip cutlery and takeaway cutlery.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
- There is no (or very little) background noise here.
- 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 without a tray rail.
- The counter is 92cm 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 tables and chairs without armrests available in the seating area.
- The seating area does not have: room for a wheelchair user to manoeuvre (150cm x 150cm) and any seating available.
- Tables are at a suitable height for a wheelchair user.
- The surface height of the tables is 77cm.
- All flooring in the area is smooth and even.
Picnic Area (Café)
- The following information describes the picnic area located in front of the café.
- There is step-free level access into the area.
- No chairs have armrests on both sides.
- Adapted picnic tables are available.
- The distance between the floor and the underside of the lowest picnic table is 65cm.
- The distance between the floor and the underside of the highest picnic table is 700cm.
- The following furniture is permanently fixed: all of the chairs.
- There is step-free level access around the area.
- The surface in the picnic area is not smooth and even.
- Where the flooring is not smooth or even, this is due to uneven paving/tiles, compacted earth and grass.
Toilet with Adaptations (Left Hand Transfer)
- This toilet is located next to the café.
- There is step-free level access into the toilet.
- This toilet is approximately 2m from the café.
- There is pictorial signage on or near the door.
- The door is manual, opens outwards and has a high colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the toilet door opening is 81cm.
- The door has a locking handle (with a RADAR key to access).
- Internally the door has a high colour contrast.
- There is a small lip on the threshold of the doorway with a height of less than 1.5cm.
- The dimensions of the cubicle are 170cm x 201cm and it has a turning space of at least 150cm x 150cm.
- There is a lateral transfer space to the left of the seat.
- The lateral transfer space is 114cm from the side of the toilet pan to the wall.
- There is a pull chain flush on the 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 a vertical rail on the left side 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, wash basin and soap dispenser.
- The following fixtures cannot be reached from the toilet seat: towel dispenser and hand dryer.
- The height of the toilet seat above floor level is 50cm.
- The height of the toilet roll holder is 93cm.
- The wash basin tap type is lever mixer.
- The height of the wash basin is 77cm.
- The height of the soap dispenser is 112cm.
- The height of the towel dispenser is 124cm.
- The height of the hand dryer is 110cm.
- 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 with lid and a sanitary bin.
- The cubicle does not have a mirror.
- There are coat hooks in the toilet at 100cm and 147cm from the floor.
- The following have a high colour contrast with their surroundings: all grab rails, the toilet seat, the internal door and the floor.
- The following have a less clear colour contrast with their surroundings: the dropdown rail.
- Lighting levels are low.
Entrance (Seawatch)
- The entrance surveyed is located at the front of the building.
- There is step-free level access at the entrance.
- There is a single manual door which are permanently open.
- The width of the opening is 87cm.
Attraction / Exhibit (Seawatch)
- The majority of walkway widths are over 180cm.
- There is no (or very little) background noise here.
- Exhibit information includes the following formats: pictorial.
- The exhibits do not have hearing assistance systems.
- There is step-free level access around the area.
- There are chairs without armrests available in the area.
- All flooring in the area is smooth and even.
- Lighting levels are low.
Outdoor Spaces
- This information is for the access point located to the right of the café.
- Access into the area is via slight ramps/slopes.
- The slope is between 75cm and 150cm wide, with no handrails.
- There is open access at the surveyed access point.
- The following outdoor facilities are available: open countryside.
- The outdoor spaces include the following surfaces: cobbled, grass, gravel, compact earth and loose stones.
- Footpaths are available in all of the outdoor spaces.
- The majority of the paths are not wide enough for wheelchair users.
- There is step-free level access around the area.
- There are bench seats situated along the paths for people to rest.