Access Guide
Summary
- View information about opening hours.
- The most accessible entrance has a slight ramp/slope and a manual door.
- This entrance is at the front of the cottage.
- 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 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.
- This site is not part of the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme.
- The nearest toilet with adaptations for disabled people is in the visitor centre, to the left after you enter the café.. View information about this toilet (new tab)
Admissions
- At this location the following are free to access for all visitors: the car park.
- At this location the following areas are free to access for National Trust members but payable for everyone else: the exhibitions and the cottage.
- This site offers companion or carer discounts.
Equipment and Resources to Borrow
- 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.
- 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.
Public Transport
- There is not a bus stop within approximately 150m of the site.
- The nearest train station is Worcester.
- Worcester Station is approximately 4 miles away.
There is no regular bus service to The Firs from the station. - For the latest travel options and information you can plan your travel using Traveline (opens new tab).
Parking
- This site has a car park.
- This is an open air car park with a tarmac, loose chippings and compacted gravel surface.
- Parking is free for all users.
- Maps and information boards are available.
- There are 4 Blue Badge parking bays.
- The dimensions of the designated Blue Badge parking bay(s) surveyed are 234cm x 478cm.
- There is a hatched zone on one side but not to the rear.
- The nearest Blue Badge bay is 18m from the visitor centre 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 not a designated drop-off point.
Entrance
- The entrance surveyed is located at the front of the cottage.
- There is step-free access via slope at the entrance.
- The slight slope is between 75cm and 150cm wide, with no handrails.
- There is a single manual door which opens away from you.
- The width of the opening is 80cm.
Tour
- The tour is self-guided but volunteers/staff are available to provide additional information.
- The tour takes approximately 30 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 a virtual tour and an information booklet.
- There is background noise along the tour route.
- The tour does not have a hearing assistance system.
- There are chairs without armrests at regular intervals along the tour.
- Flooring along the tour route is not smooth and even.
- Where the flooring is not smooth or even, this is due to carpet and uneven paving/tiles.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good throughout the tour route.
Stairs
- The floors which are accessible by stairs are G and 1.
- There are 11 steps between floors.
- The steps are not clearly marked with a handrail on the left going up.
- The highest step is 20cm high.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
Outdoor Spaces (Cottage Garden)
- This information is for the access point located on the bridle path, opposite the visitor centre.
- There is step-free level access into the area.
- There is a gate at the surveyed access point which opens away from you (push).
- The gate is not self-closing.
- The gate has a latch lock.
- The width of the gap is 86cm.
- The outdoor spaces include the following surfaces: grass, block paving and gravel.
- Footpaths are available in some of the outdoor space.
- The majority of the paths are wide enough for wheelchair users.
- There is step-free level access around some of the area.
- There are slight ramps/slopes without handrails in the main areas .
- Some of the paths around the garden have slight slopes.
- There are bench seats situated along the paths for people to rest.