Overview

This small herb garden was absolutely beautiful. It was bursting with a massive amount of plants that both looked and smelled absolutely amazing. It was originally used by Benedictine monks to grow plants to use in medicines and food but it was recreated in 2005 and is now maintained by volunteers. There was a narrow path that went through the herb garden, it started with paving stones and then switched to gravel. In some parts the plants came out into the pathway and I didn’t want to roll over them so I did my best to move around them. The pathway seems to be designed as a one-way system from the front to the back of the garden so that you can walk through without creating queues anywhere. However, it wasn’t noted anywhere that while the entrance was step-free, the end of the path had a big step! So I had to try and turn around on a narrow gravel path without rolling over any of the beautiful plants to get out. I would definitely still recommend having a look if you’re passing through! As you enter there is a wider section with a bench and a sign about some of the plants found in the garden. Even if you just take a look at that and admire the plants for a quiet moment, it’s worth it! But just don’t keep going if you’re on wheels or struggle with steps!

Transport & Parking

The garden is set inside the grounds of the cathedral so the parking is limited to what is available for the cathedral. They don’t have car parking facilities although their website did say they had a small number of accessible parking spaces available that were given on a first-come, first-served basis. Their website also mentioned they had a space for a minibus to park if it was carrying disabled passengers. This space needs to be booked in advance. There was a pay and display car park 650 metres away called Rose Lane car park and another 700 metres away called St Helen’s Wharf car park. The closest bus stops are on Tombland and the following buses are available there: 5, 10, 10A, 11, 11A, 11B, 11C, 12, 13, 21, 21A, 23, 24, 28, 29, 35, 36, 36A, 36B, 37, 37B, 38, 39, 42, 43, 43A, 44A, 45, 45A, 54, 55B, 100, 717, PR1, X29, X40, X41, X44, X55. Norwich Train Station is 850 metres away but some of the roads had steep inclines so it’s worth bearing that in mind when considering the distance.

Access

The way into the garden is step-free and the first part is paving stones which are fairly level. There’s a sign with information about all the plants that are being grown in the garden and some information about why the monks grew them. There were two spots that had wooden benches available. One was placed right at the start by the entrance and information board. The other was halfway through in between two arches that were covered in plants. They were both lovely spots to sit and admire the garden. If you’re wanting to walk through the garden then it’s worth noting that the pathway is quite narrow and some plants also reach out onto the path making it even more tricky. The path also changes from paving stones to gravel halfway through. Then at the end of the path to leave the garden there is a step! So if that’s something you might struggle with then I’d suggest staying in the entryway where you can definitely still enjoy the garden without getting stuck!

Toilets

The closest accessible toilet was the one inside the cathedral which is just 130 metres away from the herb garden. The toilet door was operated with a sensor which had a light in the middle to indicate on the outside if the toilet was free or not. When you waved your hand across the sensor on the outside, if it wasn’t locked from the inside then it would automatically open the door. The door opened inwards as there wouldn’t have been enough space for it to open outwards. Once inside and the door had closed, another swipe across the sensor then locked the door and the light turned red. The toilet had plenty of space for a right-side transfer and there was also a support at the back for those who need to lean on something. A grab rail that could be raised and lowered was fitted to the wall behind the toilet alongside a fixed grab rail that was mounted vertically. Another horizontal grab rail was fitted on the wall on the other side of the toilet. The sink was quite small and had a single tap that twisted and lifted to operate. Just above the sink a soap dispenser had been mounted which needed to be pushed to dispense. Above the soap dispenser was a mirror but this made it quite high up. There was a vertical grab rail mounted on either side of the mirror. To the left of the sink was an automatic hand dryer. Opposite the sink was a larger, full-length mirror. This toilet also had baby-changing facilities which were mounted opposite the sink. There was also a small shelf next to the baby-changing facilities where you could put items. The red emergency cord was hanging freely to the floor.

Staff

Photos