Access Guide
Summary
- View information about opening hours.
- The most accessible entrance has a slight ramp/slope and a gate.
- This entrance is the accessible entrance to the left of visitor reception.
- 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, Braille information and a clearly signed hearing assistance system.
- At the time of our visit the hearing assistance system was working.
- This site is not part of the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme.
- Toilet and changing facilities available include: an accessible toilet for the use of everyone, a step free standard toilet, step free standard toilets and a standard toilet.
- The toilet with adaptations for disabled people surveyed can be found to the right after you enter the garden via the main entrance by visitor reception.
- This toilet with adaptations for disabled people is approximately 32m from the main entrance.
- The standard toilets surveyed can be found to the right after you enter the garden via the main entrance by visitor reception.
Admissions
- At this location the following areas are free to access for National Trust members but payable for everyone else: all areas of the site.
- Parking is free for National Trust members and Blue Badge holders but chargeable for all other visitors.
- This site offers companion or carer discounts.
Public Transport
- There is not a bus stop within approximately 150m of the site.
- The nearest train station is Ivybridge.
- Ivybridge Station is approximately 17 miles away.
- For the latest travel options and information you can plan your travel using Traveline (opens new tab).
Parking
- This site has a car park.
- This is an open air car park with a tarmac surface.
- Parking is free for National Trust members and Blue Badge holders, but charges apply for all other visitors.
- There are clearly presented payment signs.
- Maps and information boards are not available.
- There are 2 Blue Badge parking bays.
- The dimensions of the designated Blue Badge parking bay(s) surveyed are 359cm x 404cm.
- There is no hatched zone.
- The nearest Blue Badge bay is 56m from the visitor reception.
- Obstacles from the car park include: uneven surfaces, slopes/ramps and a lack of pedestrian walkways to cross the car park.
- There are not parent and child parking bays available.
- There is a designated drop-off point without a dropped kerb.
Equipment and Resources to Borrow
- You can borrow or hire the following equipment: a manual wheelchair. 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 visitor reception. View more information about booking and collection of equipment.
- Powered mobility vehicles cannot be borrowed or hired.
Visitor Reception (Hut)
- There is step-free level access around the area.
- Some of the flooring is smooth and even.
- Where the flooring is not smooth or even, this is due to gravel.
- There are tables available in the visitor reception.
- Services/facilities available include: a portable card machine for payment and a member of staff to provide assistance.
- There is no (or very little) background noise here.
- The visitor hut is used by staff only. Staff will come outside to assist visitors.
A clearly signed hearing assistance system is available.
The main garden entrance is to the right as you face the hut, accessed via 2 steps. There are then 14 steps with handrails on both sides down to the garden.
Route to (Garden Accessible Entrance)
- From visitor reception, follow the path back down the slope to the road entrance.
The gate to the garden, which needs to be opened by a member of staff is on the right. - The route to the area is step-free via a slight ramp/slope.
- Path surfaces along the route are tarmac and concrete.
- The majority of the paths are wide enough for wheelchair users.
- There is no accessible shuttle to this area.
Outdoor Spaces
- Access into the area is via a slight ramp/slope.
- The slope is between 75cm and 150cm wide.
- The access points to the area are located down the slope next to visitor reception for the accessible entrance and next to the visitor reception for the stepped entrance.
- There is a gate at the surveyed access point which opens away from you (push).
- The gate is not self-closing.
- The width of the gap is 118cm.
- The gate must be unlocked by a member of staff to gain access to the garden via the accessible entrance.
- The outdoor spaces include the following surfaces: concrete or tarmac, cobbled, gravel and loose stones.
- Footpaths are available in all of the outdoor space.
- The majority of the paths are wide enough for wheelchair users.
- There is step-free level access around some of the area.
- There are steep ramps/slopes without handrails and more than 3 steps without handrails in the main areas.
- The garden area is on the side of a hill, therefore the slopes and steps are in various locations throughout.
- There are bench seats situated along the paths for people to rest.
Toilet with Adaptations (Garden - Accessible - Transfer Both Sides)
- This toilet is located to the right after you enter the garden via the main entrance.
- There is step-free level access into the toilet.
- This toilet is approximately 32m from the main entrance.
- There is pictorial and written text 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 84cm.
- The door has a locking handle.
- 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 300cm x 224cm and it has a turning space of at least 150cm x 150cm.
- There are lateral transfer spaces on both sides of the seat but the right side is obstructed.
- The transfer space on the left as you face the toilet is 99cm.
- The transfer space on the right as you face the toilet is 150cm.
- There is a spatula flush on the right transfer side.
- The following grab rails are available: a horizontal grab rail on the door, a vertical grab rail on the transfer side and vertical grab rails on both sides of the wash basin.
- There is a dropdown rail on both sides of the seat.
- The following fixtures cannot be reached from the toilet seat: wash basin and towel dispenser.
- The height of the toilet seat above floor level is 49cm.
- The height of the toilet roll holder is 54cm.
- The wash basin tap type is lever mixer.
- The height of the wash basin is 71cm.
- The height of the soap dispenser is 88cm.
- The height of the towel dispenser is 87cm.
- There is a pull cord emergency alarm at a recommended height (within 10cm from the floor).
- There is a shelf located where it is not 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 full length mirror, a sanitary bin and a pedal bin.
- The cubicle does not have coat hooks.
- The following have a high colour contrast with their surroundings: all grab rails, all dropdown rails, the floor and the toilet seat.
- The following have a less clear colour contrast with their surroundings: the internal door.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
Standard Toilet (Garden - Female)
- There is step-free level access into the toilet.
- The door is manual, permanently held open and has a high colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the door opening is 85cm.
- Internally the door has a low colour contrast.
- There is a small lip on the threshold of the doorway with a height of less than 1.5cm.
- The width of the widest cubicle door opening is 85cm.
- The wash basin tap type is lever mixer.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
- There are no hand dryers.
- There is a baby change facility which is not at a suitable height for a wheelchair user.
Standard Toilet (Garden - Male)
- Access into the toilet is via a step.
- There is 1 step, which is unmarked, with handrails on both sides.
- The door is manual, permanently held open and has a high colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the door opening is 69cm.
- Internally the door has a low colour contrast.
- There is a small lip on the threshold of the doorway with a height of less than 1.5cm.
- The width of the widest cubicle door opening is 64cm.
- The wash basin tap type is lever mixer.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
- There are no hand dryers.
- There is a baby change facility which is not at a suitable height for a wheelchair user.