NOT manual Wheelchair friendly
1
1
Date of visit: May 2023
I have experience of challenges around: moving around
Overall Rating
Bad
We decided to visit the castle after going to the Abbey, as the website said the castle had accessible toilets. The website did say that only the ground floor was wheelchair accessible, as stairs were needed for further access. We were okay about that. What they did not mention, was the steep slope up from the car park - about a 10 minute walk for able bodied. My wheelchair is manual, and my husband was exhausted pushing me uphill. An electric wheelchair or mobility scooter might be okay. There were 'accessible' toilets about 3/4 of the way up the slope - one cubicle in the men's toilet block, one in the women's. Both were ordinary cubicle sized, with limited room to manoeuvre the wheelchair, little room for a carer. They did have grab rails on both sides of the toilet - but were so high, that I doubt even a person over 6 foot would be able to use them. No hand basin in the cubicles. We continued up to the castle, having purchased timed tickets for a tour and for the gardens (carer goes free). At the entrance to the castle, we asked about other toilets. There was one up a further COBBLED slope, which would have been usable - IF we could negotiate the slope and cobbles. We gave up.
Disabled Access In and Around
Bad
Steep slope - exhausting There were ramps into the building, but we gave up.
Parking & Transport
Bad
We drove. There is a large flat car park - but it is a long way from the castle - see above. There is also a patch of large pebbles about 4 metres wide between the car park and the tarmacked path up to the castle, which was virtually impassable in the wheelchair - and would be problematic for mobility scooters too. When we left, a staff member came down with us and opened a gate so we could avoid the pebbles.
Accessible Toilets
Bad
There were 'accessible' toilets about 3/4 of the way up the slope - one cubicle in the men's toilet block, one in the women's. Both were ordinary cubicle sized, with limited room to manoeuvre the wheelchair, little room for a carer. They did have grab rails on both sides of the toilet - but were so high, that I doubt even a person over 6 foot would be able to use them. No hand basin in the cubicles. We continued up to the castle, having purchased timed tickets for a tour and for the gardens at the gate before the slope (carer goes free). At the entrance to the castle itself, we asked about other toilets. There was one up a further COBBLED slope, which would have been usable - IF we could negotiate the slope and cobbles. We gave up.
Staff
Excellent
They were very helpful and apologetic about the toilets and slope, but there was little that they could do.
