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, a large map in the car park and an information board in the car park.
- This site is not part of the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme.
- Toilet and changing facilities available include: a toilet with some adaptations for disabled people and standard toilets.
- The toilet with adaptations for disabled people surveyed can be found in the porter's lodge, which is on the left as you enter the property via the main entrance. .
- This toilet with adaptations for disabled people is approximately 12m from the main entrance.
- The standard toilets can be found on the ground floor.
- The standard toilets surveyed can be found on the left hand side of the courtyard.
Admissions
- At this location the following are free to access for all visitors: The Orangery, Conservation Studio, the Courtyards and the Brewhouse Café.
- At this location the following areas are free to access for National Trust members but payable for everyone else: All areas.
- At this location the following areas require payment from everyone (including National Trust members): All tours.
- This site offers companion or carer discounts.
Public Transport
- There is not a bus stop within approximately 150m of the property.
- Sevenoaks School bus stop is just outside the gates to the site on High Street, however, the gates are approximately 0.4 miles from the Visitor Centre entrance and there are steep slopes along the route.
- The nearest train station is Sevenoaks.
- Sevenoaks Train Station is approximately 1.6 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.
- The vehicle route from the main road to the car park includes: uneven surfaces.
- This is an open air car park with a grass, loose chippings and compacted earth surface.
- Parking is free for National Trust members and Blue Badge holders, but charges apply for all other visitors.
- There are not clearly presented payment signs.
- Maps and information boards are available.
- There are more than 10 Blue Badge parking bays.
- The dimensions of the designated Blue Badge parking bay(s) surveyed are 240cm x 480cm.
- There is no hatched zone.
- The nearest Blue Badge bay is 140m from the Visitor Centre entrance.
- Obstacles from the car park include: uneven surfaces, grass, slopes/ramps, a road crossing and bollards with low colour contrast and no visual identification band.
- There are not parent and child parking bays available.
- There is a designated drop-off point which is flush to the footpath.
- There are low wooden barriers with a low colour contrast and no identification bands around the car parks.
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.
- Sensory packs can be borrowed which include: ear defenders and fidget toys.
- 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: an off-road/all-terrain mobility scooter. 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.
- Visitors should call 01732 462 100 to book the powered mobility vehicle at least 23 hours in advance. The rollator can be borrowed for use in the upper showrooms.
Entrance (Main Entrance)
- The entrance surveyed is located at the front of the building beneath the tower.
- There is step-free level access at the entrance.
- This entrance has a bell.
- Features not positioned at a suitable height for a wheelchair user include: the bell.
- There are double manual doors which are permanently open.
- The width of the opening is 330cm.
Visitor Reception
- Access into the area is via a slight ramp/slope.
- The ramp is between 75cm and 150cm wide, with no handrails.
- The door is manual, permanently held open and has a high colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the door opening is 123cm.
- Internally the door has a high 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.
- All flooring is smooth and even.
- There is step-free level access to the counter.
- The height of the counter is 95cm.
- There is a low level section at a suitable height for a wheelchair user.
- 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 tables, long 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 no (or very little) background noise here.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
Toilet with Adaptations (Left Hand Transfer)
- This toilet is located in the porter's lodge, which is on the left as you enter the property via the main entrance.
- Access into the toilet is via a slight ramp/slope.
- The ramp is between 75cm and 150cm wide, with no handrails.
- This toilet is approximately 12m 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 low colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the toilet door opening is 93cm.
- The door has a twist lock.
- Internally the door has a low colour contrast.
- The dimensions of the cubicle are 148cm x 206cm 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 80cm 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 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 49cm.
- The height of the toilet roll holder is 86cm.
- The wash basin tap type is lever mixer.
- The height of the wash basin is 70cm.
- The height of the soap dispenser is 90cm.
- The height of the hand dryer is 94cm.
- The height of the baby change is 106cm.
- 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 nappy/incontinence items bin and a sanitary bin.
- The cubicle does not have a full length mirror.
- The height of the coat hook is 122cm from the floor.
- The following have a high colour contrast with their surroundings: all grab rails, the dropdown rail and the toilet seat.
- The following have a less clear colour contrast with their surroundings: the floor and the internal door.
- Lighting levels are bright.
Standard Toilet
- Access into the toilet is via steps and a slight ramp/slope.
- The slope is over 150cm wide, with a handrail on the left going down.
- There are 7 steps, which are unmarked, with a handrail on the left going down.
- The door is manual, opens inwards and has a high colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the door opening is 84cm.
- 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 55cm.
- The wash basin tap type is lever mixer.
- Lighting levels are bright.
- There are hand dryers.
- There are three unmarked steps going down as you enter, followed by a slight slope with a handrail on the left and then four unmarked steps going up with a handrail on the left.