Let down by very poor toilet access
3.5
3.5
Date of visit: August 2017
I have experience of challenges around: moving around
Overall Rating
Good
The Rare Breeds Centre is run by a charity that supports people with learning difficulties. They also have on site an events and training centre. With this in mind you might think access would be pretty good with good toilet facilities. Sadly, no. The farm has varying degrees of access, varied surfaces and viewing. I've visited other farm parks with much better access/viewing. The toilets meet no building standards and were perhaps the most inaccessible we have tried to use. The food and space in the restaurant was good.
Disabled Access In and Around
Average
I was able to get around ok in my powerchair (I didn't go up towards the woods which they say is not very accessible). The terrain is variable with some hard surfaces, some loose shingle, fields and compact earth. The viewing of animals are variable according to the structure of the pens. E.g. The pig pens with baby pigs and their mums were high brick wall structure where you needed to be at standing height. The design probably can't be helped but visitors of a small height need to be prepared to not see all the baby pigs and chics. Numerous chicken and duck breeds with mesh viewing. The petting area rotate small animals to come out onto low hay bails to interact with. There is a small step at the end of the entrance ramp into the farm. Bird,, butterfly and creepy crawly house have heavy doors. Some inclusive play equipment.
Parking & Transport
Excellent
Several marked accessible bays near the entrance on a hard surface.
Accessible Toilets
Bad
A big let down. No unisex accessible toilets. Cubicles in the men's and women's (outside the restaurant) . A large cubicle in the inside restaurant women's toilet but this was not clean and had wrongly placed support rails which made it unusable. I knew of another one on site in the events centre so had to ask staff to open it. This one is only in the men's toilet (a room within the men's urinal area). The door wouldn't close without taking off foot plates, no clear space under the sink, no sanitary or continence pad bins. They state no hoists on site. Really poor.
Staff
Average
Staff kindly left the door open to the conference centre so I could use the loo. Staff were friendly on site.
Additional Information
Carers go in free. There is a small step at the end of the entrance ramp! Little things like this could be resolved to improve access. Good access around the restaurant and menus had good visibility.
