Access Guide

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Summary

View information about opening hours.
The most accessible entrance has steps, a slight ramp/slope (which bypasses any steps) and doors permanently held open.
This entrance is at the front of the building.
There are 2 floors once inside.
Other floors can be accessed via: stairs.
There is step-free access to the ground floor only once inside.
There is a member of staff available for help and assistance.
The following are also available: seating and a clearly signed hearing assistance system.
At the time of our visit the hearing assistance system was working.
This site is part of the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme.
The nearest toilet with adaptations for disabled people is located in the courtyard of the Old Battery. View information about this toilet (new tab).

At this location the following are free to access for all visitors: the New Battery.
At this location the following areas are free to access for National Trust members but payable for everyone else: all of the site.
This site offers companion or carer discounts.

There is not a bus stop within approximately 150m of the site.
A bus service operates to the New Battery, which is approximately 670 metres from the Old Battery.
The nearest train station is Shanklin.
Shanklin Station is approximately 23 miles away.
There is not a bus service from the station to the Old Battery.
For the latest travel options and information you can plan your travel using Traveline (opens new tab).

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 tarmac surface.
Parking is free for Blue Badge holders only.
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 320cm x 600cm.
There is no hatched zone.
The nearest Blue Badge bay is 20m from the Old Battery entrance.
Obstacles from the car park include: 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 which is flush to the footpath.

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.
Sensory packs can be borrowed which include: binoculars, magnifying glass and torch.
You can borrow these from visitor reception. View more information about booking and collection of equipment.
Powered mobility vehicles cannot be borrowed or hired.

From visitor reception, walk into the main courtyard of the Old Battery.
Follow the path ahead and to the left.
The tea-room is straight ahead.
The route to the area is step-free level.
Path surfaces along the route are gravel and paving stones.
The majority of the paths are not wide enough for wheelchair users.
There is no accessible shuttle to this area.

The following information describes the picnic area located in the main courtyard of the Old Battery.
There is step-free level access into the area.
There are picnic tables.
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 68cm.
The distance between the floor and the underside of the highest picnic table is 69cm.
The following furniture is permanently fixed: all of the chairs and all of the tables.
There is step-free level access around some of 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 gravel.

The entrance surveyed is located at the front of the building.
There is step-free access via ramp at the entrance.
The slight portable ramp is under 75cm wide, with no handrails.
The ramp overcomes the steps.
Please contact a member of staff for use of the portable ramp.
There are 2 steps, which are unmarked, with a handrail on the left going up.
The handrail covers all steps.
Some of the steps are not at the recommended height (between 15cm - 18cm).
There are double manual doors which are permanently open.
The width of the opening is 106cm.
There is a second set of manual doors which are permanently open.
The width of the opening is 116cm.
There is a small lip on the threshold of the entrance with a height of more than 1.5cm.

This is a tea room which serves hot and cold snacks.
There is a counter where food and drink can be ordered.
Staff can provide assistance and offer service to tables.
Menu types include: written wall menus and counter menus.
Menus are not easy to read (unclear font with poorly contrasting colours).
The following are available here: drinking straws, two handled cups, easy grip cutlery, a portable card machine for payment and large-handled 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 90cm 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, bench seats and a mixture of chairs with and without armrests available in the seating area.
The seating area does not have: room for a wheelchair user to manoeuvre (150cm x 150cm) and a priority table.
Tables are at a suitable height for a wheelchair user.
The surface height of the tables is 75cm.
The following furniture is permanently fixed: some of the chairs.
All flooring in the area is smooth and even.
Seating is also available on the ground floor.