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.
- 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: a toilet with some adaptations, step free standard toilets and a parent and baby room.
- The toilet with adaptations for disabled people surveyed can be found to the left of the welcome desk.
- This toilet with adaptations for disabled people is approximately 6m from the welcome desk.
- The standard toilets surveyed can be found to the left of the welcome desk.
Admissions
- At this location the following are free to access for all visitors: the estate grounds.
- At this location the following areas are free to access for National Trust members but payable for everyone else: all areas of the site.
- This site offers companion or carer discounts.
Public Transport
- There is a bus stop within approximately 150m of the site.
- Castle Drogo Drive bus stop is just outside the gates to the site; however, the driveway gates are approximately 0.7 miles from the visitor centre.
There is a shuttle bus to and from the bus stop twice a day. Times will vary depending on the time of year. - The nearest train station is Yeoford.
- Yeoford Station is approximately 9 miles from Castle Drogo.
There is not a regular bus service from the station to Castle Drogo. - 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: potholes.
- This is an open air car park with a tarmac and gravel 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 6 Blue Badge parking bays.
- There is no hatched zone.
- The nearest Blue Badge bay is 60m from the visitor centre.
- 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 without a dropped kerb.
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.
- You can borrow these from the visitor centre. View more information about booking and collection of equipment.
- You can borrow or hire the following mobility vehicles: a tramper. It is highly recommended that these are booked in advance.
- You can borrow these from the visitor centre. View more information about booking and collection of equipment.
- There are charges to borrow a tramper.
- A volunteer driven buggy shuttle is available to transport between the visitor centre and castle.
Wheelchair users will need to transfer from their chair.
Visitor Centre
- Access into the area is via a slight ramp/slope.
- The slope is over 150cm wide.
- The door is automatic, opens by sliding and has a low colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the door opening is 146cm.
- Internally the door has a low colour contrast.
- There is step-free level access around the visitor centre.
- The majority of aisle widths are over 150cm.
- There is room for wheelchair users to manoeuvre (150cm x 150cm) throughout the visitor centre.
- All flooring is smooth and even.
- The majority of the flooring has a very shiny finish, which could cause issues with glare or look slippery to some people.
- There is step-free level access to the counter.
- The height of the counter is 85cm.
- The counter has windows, TVs, glazed screens or mirrors which could adversely affect the ability of someone to lip read.
- 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 bench seats and a mixture of chairs with and without armrests available in the visitor centre.
- 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.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
- The exit door is automatic, opens by sliding and has a low colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the exit door opening is 150cm.
Toilet with Adaptations (Visitor Centre - Ambulant - Left Hand Transfer)
- This toilet is located to the left of the welcome desk.
- There is step-free level access into the toilet.
- This toilet is approximately 6m from the welcome desk.
- There is pictorial signage on or near the door.
- The door is manual, opens outwards and has a low colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the toilet door opening is 92cm.
- The door has a lever twist lock.
- The dimensions of the cubicle are 143cm x 221cm and it does not have a 150cm x 150cm turning space.
- There is a lateral transfer space to the left of the seat.
- The lateral transfer space is 78cm from the side of the toilet pan to the wall.
- There is a spatula 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.
- The following fixtures cannot be reached from the toilet seat: wash basin and hand dryer.
- The height of the toilet seat above floor level is 47cm.
- The height of the toilet roll holder is 102cm.
- The wash basin tap type is lever mixer.
- The height of the wash basin is 74cm.
- The height of the hand dryer is 99cm.
- There is a pull cord emergency alarm at a recommended height (within 10cm from the floor).
- There is not a shelf.
- The cubicle has: a waste bin without lid, a nappy/incontinence items bin and a sanitary bin.
- The cubicle does not have a full length mirror.
- The height of the coat hook is 127cm from the floor.
- The following have a high colour contrast with their surroundings: all grab rails, the internal door and the dropdown rail.
- The following have a less clear colour contrast with their surroundings: the floor and the toilet seat.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
Standard Toilet (Visitor Centre)
- There is step-free level access into the toilet.
- The door is manual, opens inwards and has a low colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the door opening is 83cm.
- Internally the door has a low colour contrast.
- The male and female standard toilets were surveyed.
- The width of the widest cubicle door opening is 65cm.
- The wash basin tap type is sensor.
- Lighting levels are bright.
- There are hand dryers.
Parent and Baby Room / Baby Feeding Room (Visitor Centre)
- There is step-free level access into the room.
- The door is manual, opens outwards and has a low colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the door opening is 83cm.
- Internally the door has a low colour contrast.
- The height of the baby change table is 92cm.
- The wash basin tap type is sensor.
- There is no seating available in the room.
- There is a toilet in the parent and baby room.
- Waste bins include: a nappy bin and a sanitary bin.