Overview

The Michaelhouse Centre, in the ancient St Michael's Church, is the home of a popular cafe in the centre of Cambridge, also hosting art exhibitions, meeting rooms and occasional concerts. It has been excellently adapted to provide full wheelchair access. It also houses a chapel set aside for prayer.

Transport & Parking

Michaelhouse Centre is situated on Trinity Street in Cambridge city centre, which is largely pedestrianised. There are some Blue Badge parking bays on nearby King's Parade and Peas Hill. The nearest car park is on Park Street, 300 metres away, which also has some Blue Badge spaces. There is an unloading bay immediately outside the cafe, but vehicular access to Trinity Street is restricted during the daytime. There are regular accessible buses into Cambridge city centre; the nearest bus stop is approximately 0.4 miles away.

Access

Access has been well designed throughout. The entrance to Michaelhouse Centre is below street level, but a curved concrete ramp makes wheelchair access easily possible. There is then step-free access to the whole of the ground floor. A platform lift gives access to the balcony and first-floor meeting room, though the lift is small and may not be suited for larger wheelchairs.

Toilets

There is one accessible toilet on the ground floor. Access is via a rather narrow passageway and heavy door from the cafe, but then the door to the toilet is wide. There is a fixed rail on the right-hand side of the toilet and a drop-down rail on the left, with room for side transfer, although the toilet is not the most spacious.

Staff

Staff are generally helpful, and will help carry food to the table if requested. One star was lost because we encountered an able-bodied member of staff using the only accessible toilet!

Anything else you wish to tell us?

An excellent cafe, serving local produce, and with well-designed access.

Photos