Access Guide
Summary
- View information about opening hours.
- 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, large print information, a clearly signed hearing assistance system, facilities for assistance dogs, maps, mountain trikes and sensory packs.
- The sensory pack includes: ear defenders, fidget toys, sunglasses, binoculars, magnifying glass, activity sheets, soft toy and communication cards. For more information about reserving a pack, and any charges, please contact the venue before your visit.
- There are QR code signs linking devices to information using BSL.
- 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: an accessible toilet solely for the use of disabled people and step free standard toilets.
- The toilet with adaptations for disabled people surveyed can be found in the courtyard at the rear of the visitor reception.
- This toilet with adaptations for disabled people is approximately 10m from the Visitor Reception entrance.
- The standard toilets surveyed can be found in the courtyard at the rear of the visitor reception.
- There is a separate exit.
- The exit has step-free level access and an automatic door.
Public Transport
- There is not a bus stop within approximately 150m of the site.
- The nearest train station is Poole.
- Poole station is approximately 4.5 miles from Sandbanks Yacht Club, the embarkation point for the accessible ferry to Brownsea Island.
- For the latest travel options and information you can plan your travel using Traveline (opens new tab).
Admissions
- At this location the following areas are free to access for National Trust members but payable for everyone else: All.
- This site offers companion or carer discounts.
- The Seahorse landing ferry must be booked in advance for wheelchair users.
A Seahorse ferry calendar is available on the Brownsea Island website.
Equipment and Resources to Borrow
- You can borrow or hire the following equipment: manual wheelchairs and mountain trikes. 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: ear defenders, fidget toys, sunglasses, binoculars, magnifying glass, activity sheets and soft toy.
- You can borrow these from the visitor centre. View more information about booking and collection of equipment.
- Powered mobility vehicles cannot be borrowed or hired.
Route to (Sandbanks Yacht Club)
- There is a ferry located at Sandbanks Yacht Club for wheelchair users, located on Panorama Road.
There is a dropped kerb leading into the yacht club.
Access onto and off the ferry is via a short steep ramp and ferry staff are willing to assist passengers.
The ramp on and off the ferry is 244cm wide.
There are no seats on the ferry and the journey is approximately 10 minutes long.
Upon leaving the ferry at the island, there is a step-free level concrete pathway to the visitor reception. - The route to the area is step-free via a very steep ramp/slope.
- Path surfaces along the route are tarmac, concrete and metal.
- The majority of the paths are wide enough for wheelchair users.
- There is no accessible shuttle to this area.
- As of April 2025, there is no parking or public boat service operating from Sandbanks, apart from the Seahorse route, due to the collapse of the Sandbanks Jetty.
Parking
- This site does not have a car park.
- Nearby parking includes: standard on-street parking.
- There is not a designated drop-off point.
Entrance (Visitor Reception)
- The entrance surveyed is located at the front of the building.
- There is step-free access via ramp at the entrance.
- The slight ramp is over 150cm wide, with no handrails.
- There are double manual doors which are permanently open.
- The width of the opening is 299cm.
- The entrance opening has a minimum height of 200cm.
- There is a second automatic door which opens by sliding.
- The width of the opening is 199cm.
- There is a small lip on the threshold of the entrance with a height of more than 1.5cm.
Visitor Reception
- Internally the door has a low colour contrast.
- There is a small lip on the threshold of the doorway with a height of more than 1.5cm.
- There is step-free level access around the area.
- The majority of aisle widths are over 150cm.
- There is room for wheelchair users to manoeuvre (150cm x 150cm) throughout the area.
- Some of the flooring is smooth and even.
- Where the flooring is not smooth or even, this is due to carpet and uneven floorboards.
- There is step-free level access to the counter.
- The height of the counter is 90cm.
- There is a low level section at a suitable height for a wheelchair user.
- The counter has a clearly signed hearing assistance system.
- The hearing assistance system was tested and working at the time of the survey.
- There are tables and a mixture of chairs with and without armrests 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 background noise here which varies, depending on the time of day.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
- The exit door is automatic, opens outwards and has a high colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the exit door opening is 124cm.
Toilet with Adaptations (Left Hand Transfer)
- This toilet is located in the courtyard near to the café.
- There is step-free level access into the toilet.
- This toilet is approximately 40m from the café entrance.
- There is pictorial and written text signage on or near the door.
- The door is manual, opens outwards and has a medium colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the toilet door opening is 86cm.
- The door has a locking handle.
- Internally the door has a low colour contrast.
- There is a small lip on the threshold of the doorway with a height of more than 1.5cm.
- The dimensions of the cubicle are 153cm x 240cm 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 80cm from the side of the toilet pan to the wall.
- There is a lever 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 vertical grab rails on both sides 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 and wash basin.
- The following fixtures cannot be reached from the toilet seat: soap dispenser and hand dryer.
- The height of the toilet seat above floor level is 48cm.
- The height of the toilet roll holder is 97cm.
- The wash basin tap type is lever mixer.
- The height of the wash basin is 70cm.
- The height of the soap dispenser is 93cm.
- The height of the hand dryer is 98cm.
- There is a pull cord emergency alarm 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 not 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 waste bin without lid and a sanitary bin.
- There are coat hooks in the toilet at 139cm and 160cm from the floor.
- The following have a high colour contrast with their surroundings: all grab rails, the dropdown rail, 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
- There is step-free level access into the toilet.
- The door is manual, permanently held open and has a medium colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the door opening is 78cm.
- Internally the door has a low colour contrast.
- There is a small lip on the threshold of the doorway with a height of more than 1.5cm.
- The male and female standard toilets were surveyed.
- The width of the widest cubicle door opening is 55cm.
- The wash basin tap type is twist/turn.
- 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 door at the entrance of the female toilet, which is 82cm wide and is permanently open.