Barnett Hill Access Statement

Transcription

1 Barnett Hill Access Statement Introduction Barnett Hill is situated in a semi-rural location on the outskirts of Guildford a short distance from the Villages of Blackheath and Wonersh in the Surrey Hills designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Set amidst 26 acres of private landscaped grounds and woodland Barnett Hill sits on a hill accessed up a steep driveway of approximately 0.25 miles in length There are 60 en-suite bedrooms located in four buildings, 27 rooms in the Main House, 27 rooms in the Courtyard, 4 bedrooms in the Gardener s Cottage and 2 apartments in the Gate Keeper s Lodge at the foot of the main driveway. There are 6 ground floor rooms in the main house accessible via a limited number of stairs (6 to 9) and 12 ground floor rooms in the Courtyard including 1 accessible room (room 40) all with level access and car parking in close proximity. Pre-Arrival The nearest mainline railway station is Guildford which is approximately 5 miles away. An accessible taxi service is available from Guildford station and may be booked by prior arrangement through our designated taxi contractor Unfortunately due to our semi-rural location bus services are extremely limited and we would not recommend travelling to Barnett Hill by this means if you have any accessibility needs Barnett Hill is accessed up a steep single track country lane with passing places leading to our own steep driveway which levels out at the top where the Main House is located. The surrounding area is made up of narrow country lanes without designated footpaths. Car Parking & Arrival Ample free private parking is available on site with 6 reserved parking places available adjacent to the front entrance of the Main House on request. In addition there is a dedicated accessible (blue badge) parking space provided directly outside the accessible bedroom in the Courtyard accommodation. The main car park is dressed with light shingle over a solid tarmac base leading to a tarmac driveway and drop-off point in front of the main house and should not cause too much difficulty for wheelchair users. The lighting in the main car park is relatively discreet in keeping with the surroundings with illuminated access gained to the Main House along a slate chipping covered pathway edged by tall grasses. However, alternative parking is available for those with accessibility needs as previously advised. Guests can be dropped off directly at the main entrance with entry through the main double doors which remain unlocked at all times. There are no steps to the main entrance but there is a small ramp with an extremely shallow gradient leading to the entrance porch. The entrance doors are traditional style solid mahogany that open inwards into the main hallway with a manually operated handle. Generally one of the two doors is bolted shut but can easily be opened if required to provide a maximum width of 50 (1270mm) Assistance with luggage and car parking can be provided on arrival by prior arrangement and/or on request.

2 Main Entrance/Reception Reception is situated on the ground floor to the left of the main entrance approximately 2.5m directly along the main hallway which is level throughout. The floor surface is marble ceramic tiles and the area is well lit with few obstructions. There is no seating in the Reception area however staff are able to assist guest with check-in in areas other than Reception such as the Bar or Dining Room which are close by, easily accessible and where seating is available. Maps of the buildings and grounds are available. Bedrooms Barnett Hill has 12 ground floor rooms in the Main House which are accessible by a limited number of stairs internally although 6 of these rooms can be accessed externally without the use of stairs and car parking is available very close by. There are 14 ground floor rooms in the Courtyard building adjacent to the Main House all of which have level access. One of these rooms has been designated as an accessible bedroom. All bedrooms are numbered using solid brass door numbers. The standard clear door openings for all bedrooms with the exception of the designated accessible bedroom is a minimum of 28.5 (720mm) The majority of bedroom furniture is free standing and therefore can be re-arranged and/or removed if required upon request. We also have several bedrooms with showers only as well as other rooms that have either baths with showers over or a combination of a bath and separate shower. We have a number of bedrooms configurations including 7 singles, 7 zip-link twin/doubles, 44 doubles and 2 apartments. The accessible bedroom has a clear door opening of 35.5 (900mm). All furniture is free standing and may be re-arranged or removed as necessary with the exception of the wardrobe which is a double door fixed unit. The bed is a zip-link and can be configured as a twin or double bedded room. The maximum available space along one side of the bed is 37.5 (950mm) and the bed height to the top of the mattress is 22 (560mm) The lighting in the accessible bedroom consists of two ceiling mounted three arm chandeliers, two bedside table lamps and a desk lamp. The walls are decorated in a light cream and blue colour scheme and the room is carpeted with a mid-blue short pile carpet. Non-allergenic pillows, and a vibrating pillow for guests with hearing impairment are available. The private en-suite bathroom has a clear door opening of 31.5 (800mm) with level entry to a wet room equipped with thermostatically controlled shower, basin with a lever type mixer tap and wheelchair accessible toilet. The height of the toilet from floor to seat is 20.0 (510mm). The basin height is 30.5 (770mm) with clear space underneath and a curved front for easier wheelchair access. Grab rails are fitted adjacent to the shower, basin and toilet and there is a collapsible shower seat in the shower with a seat height of 20.0 (510mm). The floor tiles are anti-slip and are of a darker contrasting colour to the wall tiles to provide improved definition. The bathroom lighting is standard with one fluorescent tube ceiling light and a fluorescent shaving light above the basin.

3 Public Areas Halls, Stairs, Landings, Corridors The corridors are lit with a variety of standard lighting including ceiling mounted chandeliers, wall lights and ceiling down lighters. Corridor widths vary throughout the property due to its style and age with the minimum corridor width in the Main House being 45 (1150mm) and in the Courtyard 35 (890mm). On the second floor in the Main House and the first floor in the Courtyard the corridors also have restricted head height due to bedrooms on these floors being situated in the eaves. Floor surfaces in the public areas vary and include, carpet, solid wood, and marble ceramic tiles. There is no lift provided at Barnett Hill and access is gained to the higher floors of the property by a number of carpeted stairways of varying width and length but all are equipped with hand rails Restaurant/Dining Room, Bar & Bar Area The restaurant/dining room and bar are all situated on the ground floor of the main house with level access throughout. The clear door opening width to the bar is 33 (840mm). The clear door opening width to the dining room is 36 (915mm). The clear door opening width to the Oak Hall (dining area) is a maximum of 49 (1245mm) Butler s Brasserie our secondary informal dining area is situated on the first floor accessed along a corridor from Reception with one step (height 7 / 180mm) and a door opening width of 30 (765mm) All furniture within the dining and bar areas is free standing and can therefore be arranged with sufficient space to accept wheelchairs and pushchairs. We are also able to provide highchairs and booster seats for smaller guests on request. The majority of seating in the dining areas consists of upright chairs without arms with some tub chairs and sofa style seating in both the Bar and Butler s Brasserie. Dining tables are all solid wood and may be covered with white table linen. The minimum clear height underneath dining tables is (640mm) The lighting in these areas consists of a variety of styles including ceiling mounted chandeliers (Oak Hall); recessed fluorescent tube and wall lights (Dining Room); ceiling down lighters and wall lights (Bar and Butlers Brasserie) Flooring in the Oak Hall is short pile carpet and in all other areas is solid wood flooring. We are able to cater for a wide range of dietary requirements on request including vegetarian, celiac, lactose intolerant and nut allergies. We have been accredited by the Vegetarian Society and all our menus include vegetarian options as standard. The service offered at breakfast is self-service buffet style with limited service available for tea/coffee and toast. Evening service in the main dining areas is table service with the option of room service also available on request. Although our menus are printed in standard format, staff are trained to read out menus and accurately describe menu items if required and we have facilities on site to produce menus in large print format if needed. All our crockery is white and therefore does not contrast with table linen when used as this is also white. The nearest ladies and gent s toilets and a unisex accessible toilet are situated on the ground floor. The accessible toilet and gent s toilet has level access and the ladies is accessed down three steps each with a height of 6 (150mm) The unisex accessible toilet has level entry on the ground floor. The door is an automatic sliding door operated by a wall mounted, low level push switch. The door will close automatically after entry and can be locked/unlocked by a wall mounted push switch inside the toilet cubicle. The clear door opening width to the accessible toilet is 33.5 (850mm). To the left when facing the WC there is 17.5 (440mm) clear space for a wheelchair. The height of the WC from the floor to the seat is (500mm).

4 There are two horizontal grab bars either side of the WC one of which is hinged so that it can be lifted to vertical. There is an additional vertical grab bar to the left of the WC on the rear wall and two vertical grab bars above and either side of the wash basin. The basis has a lever style mixer tap There is a red alarm pull cord adjacent to the WC which will activate an audible alarm to summon assistance. The flooring is marble ceramic tiles and the cubicle is well lit with recessed ceiling down-lighters. Leisure Facilities There is a small gym, sauna and games room situated on the lower ground floor. These facilities can only be accessed by an internal staircase consisting of 12 steps with a half landing turning through 90 degrees before the bottom step. The gym and sauna are situated at the end of the lower ground floor corridor with level access throughout. The games room is situated at the beginning of the lower ground floor corridor and is one step lower than the corridor itself. The minimum clear door opening along the corridor are 30 (760mm) The gym is open from 6.30 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. equipped with 2 x upright cycle machines, 1 x recumbent cycle machine, 1 x rowing machine, 6 x weights machines, 1 x incline exercise bench, a set of free weights, 1 x Swiss ball and an adjustable step. Ladies and Gentlemen s changing facilities are located to the rear of the gym with a shower and toilet facilities in each. Towels and lockers are provided free of charge. The minimum clear door opening in the gym area is 24 (610mm) and due to the limited space available the location of the gym equipment limits clear access in and around this facility making it unsuitable for wheelchair access. The gym is lit with double LED wall mounted up-lighters providing an average level of lighting. The floor surface in the gym is a dark blue short pile carpet and in the changing rooms and wet area it is mid blue ceramic tiling. The sauna is equipped with emergency cord/buttons to summon assistance if required as the area is un-manned. For further information regarding specific use of the leisure facilities please contact hotel Reception/Reservations in the first instance. The games room is equipped with a table tennis table, table football, pool table, dart board, satellite TV and various traditional board games. The clear door opening to the games room is 30 (765mm) and there is one step down at the entrance. Grounds & Gardens The grounds and gardens are a combination of lawns, landscaped, planted borders and woodland. Due to the location of Barnett Hill on top of a hill a significant proportion of the grounds, in particular the woodland areas are set on an incline with the landscaped areas consisting of a mixture of flat and stepped sections. Access to the rear terrace and lawns can be gained via an external ramped walkway to the right of the Main House entrance. Access to other areas of the grounds and gardens would involve the use of a limited number of steps. There are a number of signed paths and trails through the woodland which are set on undulating firm ground and inclines of varying degrees. There are a number of outdoor seating areas situated around the grounds. Conference & Meeting Rooms Three of the eleven meeting rooms are situated on the ground floor of the Main House accessed directly from the main hallway. The Drawing room and the Library have level access with the Dunant room accessed by three steps down from the main hallway. All other meeting rooms are on the 1st and 2nd floors of the main house accessed by using the main staircase which has 22 stairs and two half landings turning through 90 degrees.

5 The clear door opening width of all meeting rooms is a minimum of (730mm) with the majority of door openings being in excess of 34 (860mm) and all rooms are level throughout with free standing moveable furniture which can be positioned to allow sufficient space between fixtures to accommodate a wheelchair or pushchair. The table height of all meeting room tables is 27.5 (700mm) and we have a range of seating including 8 hour, adjustable height swivel chairs and fixed leg seating. All meeting rooms have fluorescent lighting and/or LED down lighters with the exception of the Drawing Room and Dunant room which both have ceiling mounted chandeliers and wall lights and the Library which has ceiling mounted chandeliers only. All meeting rooms are well lit and have high levels of natural daylight. All meeting rooms are carpeted with short pile carpet There are two portable hearing loops available on request one of which is an individual hearing loop for use by one person and the other a large hearing loop capable of being installed in any of our meeting rooms if required. There are toilet facilities on the ground floor, first floor and second floor of the Main House and the accessible toilet is located on the ground floor along with the main ladies and gentlemen s toilets. If you have specific requirement regarding the use of our conference and meeting rooms a member of Barnett Hill s on site sales team will be pleased to assist you with any queries you may have and may be contacted via the main Barnett Hill telephone number or directly on the sales office number Additional Information Barnett Hill has a fully integrated fire alarm system which when activated consists of a continuous sounding of sirens. The fire alarm is tested every Wednesday at 1.30 p.m. To assist you in the unlikely event of an evacuation there are visual and written fire instructions provided on the rear of every bedroom door and at the entrance/exit to all meeting rooms. Should you require additional assistance please inform a member of the Reception team upon your arrival and we will make any appropriate arrangements on your behalf. The fire assembly point is directly opposite the front entrance of the Main House adjacent to the croquet lawn which is clearly sign posted We are pleased to accept assistance dogs and due to our semi-rural location we are able to provide adequate dog runs/toilet areas as well as water bowls if required. Room service is available between and 2.00 p.m. and from 6.30 to 9.30 p.m. with limited items available 24 hours. Low energy LED light bulbs are used within several areas of the property where appropriate and where lighting levels are sufficient so as not to present a hazard. Signage around the building is limited but where used it is traditional in style with black lettering on a gold/brass background in keeping with the age and style of the property. Complimentary WiFi internet access is available through the property without the need of a password to log on. There is a local doctor s surgery in the village of Wonersh and should you require the assistance of a doctor we request that you contact a member of the Reception team in the first instance who will be able to assist you with making an appointment or arranging for a doctor to visit. The nearest main hospital with full A&E services is the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford which is approximately 5 miles away and 15 minutes by car/taxi. The nearest pharmacy is attached to the doctor s surgery in Wonersh which is within walking distance or a couple of minutes away by car or Boots in the village of Shalford approximately 2 miles away and 5 minutes by car. Local attractions include Loseley House, Polesden Lacey, Denbies Vinyard, RHS Wisley, The Watts Gallery, Mercedez Benz World, the market town of Godalming and the county town of Guildford with its excellent range of shops, restaurants and bars.

6 Future Plans With all future planned improvements and refurbishments the issue of accessibility for all will be fully considered. We are currently in the process of obtaining quotes for the provision of a wheelchair ramp to improve access around the ground floor of the Main House. We recognise the need to provide additional accessible bedrooms and where reasonably practicable and when permitted under our grade 2* listing we will forward proposals to all relevant authorities when planning major structural refurbishments that may allow for this. We will be investigating the option of improving the existing levels of lighting around the external perimeter of the building and car parking areas to increase levels of guest safety and security. Sundial Group Ltd is registered in the UK no: and its registered office is Highgate House, Creaton, Northampton, NN6 8NN This policy also applies to Sundial Group s subsidiary companies. Issue 15.1 Mar 2015 Further information may be obtained by calling +44 (0) , ing info@sundialgroup.com or visiting