Overview

When I was looking into visiting Norwich Cathedral I was absolutely blown away by the detailed accessibility information on their website. They had so much information for a wide range of access needs and it was really detailed. For example, they included the exact dimensions of their lifts so people could check in advance whether it was big enough for them. This detailed information made me feel really confident about visiting. Historical buildings are often not very accessible so being able to assess so much of the visit in advance really helped me to plan my visit. The cathedral itself is absolutely incredible. The architecture, the stained glass windows, the history, it was all really impressive. It was such a wonderful experience to walk around it. The staff greet you when you arrive and give you a map of the cathedral. There is one section of the main cathedral that isn’t level with the rest. They let me know that if I wanted to access this section I could ask a member of staff for a ramp, but I was warned that it was quite a steep ramp. I actually found that I was able to see everything I wanted to see without using that ramp too. The entire space was so peaceful and calm. I absolutely loved rolling around the cathedral and the cloister. The best thing about the visit was finding some 17th-century graffiti from the monks who lived there at the time! There was a really lovely café which had lots of natural light and was a really nice spot to sit alone or with others. On the same level as the café was also a really cool library. There was a section to your right as you came in that was downstairs and I couldn’t get to that. But the rest was all on the same level. The main area once you entered had some books on shelves and some on display too. Then there was another section with a seating area and lots of display cases. The books on display had an animal theme as there was an animal sculpture trail happening in the city at the same time. There were some shelves that were behind a barrier but it was a really cool space that really made it feel like you’d been transported back in time.

Transport & Parking

They don’t have car parking facilities here. 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. 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 accessibility of the cathedral was a lot better than I was expecting given the age of the building. Don’t get me wrong, there were some aspects that were unavoidable but I also felt if they were changed it would be removing an important part of its history. The main things I struggled with were some large gaps or dips between the large paving stones but the flooring is all historical so I wouldn’t have wanted them changed. There were some markers on the floor for people who had passed away. Some of these had murals engraved into them which I also took care to avoid as they would have been very difficult to navigate my castor wheels through and could have been tricky for someone with a walking aid. These things weren’t so much of an issue that it was inconvenient. It just meant I had to watch where my castor wheels were rolling and go at a slower pace. Once I’d reached the cloister via the lift I found it to be really calm, peaceful and quiet there. There was step-free access from the covered walkways into the central part which they called the ‘labyrinth’. This had a grass section with a flat maze built into the middle. The maze was just flat lines so I was able to get up to it and could pass through it like others. The cloister walls had sections all the way round where you could sit and pause for a moment. The entrance had step-free access and there were two lifts to navigate the site. One lift took you from the main entrance down to the cloister and the other took you from the cloister to the café and library. The dimensions of both lifts had been listed in the accessibility information on their website and seemed accurate to what I could see on the day (I didn’t measure it exactly!). The lift that went from the cloister to the café and library also took you to the corridor with the toilets. This corridor also connected to the foyer at the entrance. The lighting in the cathedral can be adjusted for those who are visually impaired, you just need to speak to a member of staff. The edges of steps were marked with contrasting colours mostly from what I could see. They offered large-print versions of the Welcome to Norwich Cathedral leaflet when you arrive. They have guided tours that take place regularly throughout the day which you don’t need to pre-book for. But they do have guides that are experienced in offering tours for those who are visually impaired or even tactile tours; these need to be booked in advance. They don’t currently have any guides that know British Sign Language but some are experienced in giving tours alongside a BSL interpreter. The cathedral is also fitted with a hearing loop, although this will only be needed during services and events. Assistance dogs are welcomed here and if you need any water for them you can ask a member of staff. The café was really bright as there was lots of natural light coming in through the glass walls. The tables and chairs were spaced throughout the area and had metal bases and wooden tops and seats. They seemed like they could all be moved around as needed. It was getting busy when I was there which meant when I was leaving I did need to ask some people to move so that I could get through to the lift again. The counters with the food displays and for ordering were lowered the whole way so everything was at a good height. The library is only open at certain times, it’s not open whenever the cathedral is, so check in advance if you’re hoping to see it. The door to get in wasn’t automatic and it opened outwards so it was slightly awkward getting in but thankfully the door wasn’t too heavy. Even though it’s right next to the café, once the door is shut it’s quiet and peaceful. There was one section that was down a few steps. I believe it had a space for people to read or work. The space you entered was a mix of office space, for the library staff, shelves and displays. There was also another space through a large doorway with more displays, a table and some cordoned off shelves with lots of old books. This space felt very old, the windows were really cool and they seemed to have retained some of the old stonework into the design of the space. If you’re planning a visit to the cathedral, their website was a really useful resource and I found the information accurate when I visited too.

Toilets

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

The staff were incredibly helpful. The staff at the front desk talked me through the map of the cathedral, letting me know about any areas that weren’t step-free and what I could do in that area. They also had volunteers that were around the cathedral too who were really helpful and would check in to make sure I was okay and knew where I was going. The guides seemed to be really knowledgeable and happy to go at the pace of the group and answer any questions.

Photos