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Ham House and Garden - House

Ham Street, Ham, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 7RS

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Access Guide

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Summary

  • View information about opening hours.
  • Amenities in this building include: exhibition rooms, a museum, a historic house and historic interiors.
  • The most accessible entrance has steps, a steep ramp/slope (which bypasses any steps), a manual door and a door permanently held open.
  • This entrance is The main entrance located at the front of the house.
  • There are 3 floors once inside.
  • Other floors can be accessed via: stairs.
  • There is step-free access to the ground floor only once inside.
  • There is stepped access to the first floor and to the basement of the house.
    There are a few level changes on the ground floor that can be overcome with a portable ramp.
  • There is restricted headroom and restricted room to manoeuvre at this property.
  • 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 and facilities for assistance dogs.
  • This site is not part of the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme.
  • The nearest toilet with adaptations for disabled people is in the West Courtyard, opposite the Gift Shop. View information about this toilet (new tab)
  • There is a separate exit.
  • The exit has steps, a manual door and a door permanently held open.
  • The entrance can be used to exit by visitors with limited mobility.

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 or hire the following mobility vehicles: a mobility scooter. It is highly recommended that these are booked in advance, where this is possible. Please check the National Trust website for details.

Route to (Ham House)

  • From the rear of the blue badge car park, turn left and follow the path round to the right.
    At the junction turn left and continue towards the courtyard which is located to the right side of the house.
    Once at the courtyard, take a left through the door into the Fountain Garden.
    There is a steep ramp in the threshold of the doorway into the garden.
    Follow the slight sloped path towards the front of the house. The path becomes narrow at the top and is 57cm wide.
  • The route to the area is step-free via a slight ramp/slope and is step-free via a steep ramp/slope.
  • Path surfaces along the route are tarmac, concrete, gravel and cobbles.
  • The majority of the paths are wide enough for wheelchair users.
  • There is no accessible shuttle to this area.
  • View information about Ham House -Fountain Garden (opens in new tab).
  • This is the most accessible route and overcomes the 4 unmarked steps leading up to the house from the Visitor Reception.
    There are maps available at the Visitor Reception showing this route.

Entrance

  • The entrance surveyed is located at the front of the house.
  • There is step-free access via ramp at the entrance.
  • The steep portable ramp is between 75cm and 150cm wide, with handrails on both sides.
  • The ramp overcomes the steps.
  • There are 9 steps, which are unmarkedno handrails.
  • Steps are split with a resting area.
  • The handrails do not cover all steps.
  • All of the steps are not at the recommended height (between 15cm - 18cm).
  • There is a single manual door which is permanently open.
  • The width of the opening is 149cm.
  • There is also a steep portable ramp immediately at the entrance doorway.
    The ramp is 119cm wide.

Tour

  • The tour is self-guided but volunteers/staff are available to provide additional information.
  • The tour takes approximately 40 minutes.
  • There is stepped access along the tour route.
  • There are doorways or openings used on the tour which are under 75cm wide.
  • The majority of walkway widths are between 120cm and 180cm.
  • The tour can be adapted to avoid inaccessible areas.
  • Areas with stepped access only can be experienced by visitors via an information booklet.
  • The tour route may vary depending on the time of day.
  • There is background noise which varies, depending on the time of day.
  • Tour information includes the following formats: information booklets, pictorial and information board.
  • The tour does not have a hearing assistance system.
  • There are bench seats and chairs without armrests at regular intervals along the tour.
  • The following furniture is permanently fixed: some of the chairs.
  • All flooring along the tour route is smooth and even.
  • Some of the flooring includes large repeating patterns in bold colours, which may look like steps or holes to some people.
  • Some of the flooring has a very shiny finish, which could cause issues with glare or look slippery to some people.
  • Lighting levels are low throughout the tour route.
  • There is stepped access to the first floor and basement of Ham House so wheelchair users are only able to experience the tour via the ground floor.
    There is a medium step from the entrance foyer to the ground floor areas of the tour including the chapel and inner hall that can be overcome with a portable ramp.
    The ramp is steep, 75cm wide and has no handrails.
    On the ground floor, both walkways accessing the south front of the house are under 75cm wide.
    The width of the narrowest walkway is 63cm.
    There is a 3cm step to access the marble dining room on the ground floor.
    There are 4 deep steps without handrails to access the Victorian toilet on the ground floor.
    There is 1 step into the Queen's Closet on the first floor.
    There are 2 steps to access the beer cellar and 4 steps within the Duchesses Bathroom on the basement floor.

Stairs (The Great Stairs)

  • The floors which are accessible by stairs are G, 1.
  • There are more than 20 steps between floors.
  • The steps are not clearly marked with a handrail on the right going up.
  • The highest step is 17cm high.
  • Lighting levels are varied.

Stairs (The Buttery Stairs)

  • The floors which are accessible by stairs are G, B.
  • There are 13 steps between floors.
  • The steps are not clearly marked with a handrail on the left going down.
  • The highest step is 21cm high.
  • Lighting levels are moderate to good.

Exit

  • The exit is located on the basement floor, after the kitchen room.
  • There is not step-free access at the exit.
  • There are 7 steps, which are unmarked, with no handrails.
  • Steps are split with a resting area.
  • The handrails do not cover all steps.
  • Some of the steps are not at the recommended height (between 15cm - 18cm) .
  • There is a single manual door which is permanently open.
  • The width of the opening is 89cm.