Sandringham Accessibility Guide

At Sandringham we welcome visitors with disabilities by ensuring all areas of Sandringham are fully accessible for wheelchair users.

This guide gives detailed information of the facilities we offer and is also intended to alert visitors to any areas of potential difficulty. It is written in the order in which most people see and use the various facilities at Sandringham; we hope it will be helpful.

Wheelchair users and people who have difficulty walking should be aware that there are quite long distances to cover between the Car Park and the Gardens entrance, and from the entrance to Sandringham House. There is a regular shuttle service between the Gardens entrance area and the House (see section 8); the shuttle can carry one wheelchair user and 4 other people. The distances in metres are:

  • Disabled car park/coach park to Sandringham Café & Coffee Shop entrance 130m
  • Disabled car park/coach park to Gardens entrance 255m
  • Gardens entrance to Sandringham House entrance on foot 450m
  • Sandringham House to Sandringham Exhibition & Transport Museum 325m
  • Sandringham House to Sandringham Church 425m

Registered assistance dogs are welcome in the Sandringham Café & Coffee Shop, Stables Tea Room, Gift Shop and in the House, Gardens, Sandringham Exhibition & Transport Museum and Sandringham Church; they should be kept on the lead at all times, and we ask owners to remove any mess that the dogs make. Other dogs are not permitted except in the Country Park, where they are welcome.

Contents

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Car Parking; Wheelchair Loan

Car parking at Sandringham is free and the disabled car park is clearly signed. We have wheelchairs available to borrow against a deposit of £20 which is refunded when the wheelchair is returned. Wheelchairs are kept at the Ticket Office. The car park has a tarmac surface in some places and shallow gravel in others. There is no entry fee for the Country Park.

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Sandringham Café & Coffee Shop

Sandringham Café & Coffee Shop is just a short walk from the car parks. Sandringham Café & Coffee Shop offers home-cooked lunches and offers hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, cakes and biscuits. Sandringham Café & Coffee Shop is fully accessible for wheelchair users and has movable furniture, but please ask a member of staff if you require assistance. There are picnic benches outside with fixed seating. Beyond the Sandringham Café & Coffee Shop is the Ice Cream Kiosk which offers ice creams, hot and cold drinks, sandwiches and biscuits for people who prefer to sit outside.

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Gift Shop

The Gift Shop is close to the car park, opposite the Sandringham Café & Coffee Shop. It is fully accessible for wheelchair users, with wide gangways, but please ask a member of staff for assistance with large items and items from higher shelves. In addition, please be aware that the Gift Shop can become very crowded on busy days. The Gift Shop offers a wide range of Sandringham souvenirs and other gifts as well as a comprehensive selection of jams and preserves, pickles and chutneys, biscuits and sweets. There is also a wide selection of plants, seeds, bulbs and horticultural sundries available to buy. It is also where Sandringham pressed apple juice is available by the bottle or case.

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Toilets

There are two sets of toilets near the car parks. Just inside the Sandringham Café & Coffee Shop entrance there are toilets including two unisex adapted toilets, one of which also contains baby changing facilities, and beyond the Ticket Office is another set of toilets which includes a unisex adapted toilet requiring a Radar key for access (users need to have their own Radar key). For those with mobility difficulties but not requiring an adapted toilet, the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s toilets in this set are roomier than those inside the Sandringham Café & Coffee Shop.

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Admission Tickets & Concessions

Admission tickets may be purchased at the Ticket Office. Please be aware that there is a public road to cross to get to the entrance. Please cross with care. Please ensure ticketing staff are aware of people with disabilities and their carers when you buy your tickets; staff cannot always be aware and do not want to cause offence. There is no discount from the normal prices for people with disabilities, but the carer or companion of a disabled person is given free entry.

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Gardens & Shuttle

There are 60 acres of gardens at Sandringham. There is a network of paths around the gardens, both tarmac and shallow gravel, and there are many benches. Most parts of the Gardens are fully accessible for all visitors, but a few areas may present difficulties, as follows:

  1. The Dell; there is a short slope down to the stream crossing and up again on the other side. The path here is tarmac.
  2. There is a shallow but long slope down from the West Terrace towards the Lower Lake. The path here is tarmac.
  3. There is a short slope, marked by a signpost, to the left of the main path near the House which avoids a short flight of steps.
  4. The Stream Walk is entirely on grass (normally mown short but uneven underfoot).
  5. Queen Alexandra’s summerhouse, the Nest, which overlooks the Upper Lake, is reached by a narrow path and several steps.
  6. Some paths are adjacent to the Upper Lake, so please take extra care in these areas.
  7. The exit gate shown at number 16 on the map is a turnstile gate which is not usable by people using wheelchairs or scooters. Please leave the Gardens by the gates shown at number 7. View the map here

There is a regular shuttle service from the turnaround near the Gardens entrance to the front of Sandringham House (but see distance chart in section 1 above). The trip takes 10-15 minutes each way, so there may be a wait of up to half an hour. The shuttle can carry one passenger in a wheelchair and up to 4 other people. There is no charge for this service.

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Guided Garden Tours

The guided garden tour normally takes 60 – 90 minutes and does not necessarily stick to paths and drives, so we would advise that it is not suitable for people with mobility difficulties or users of wheelchairs or scooters.

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Sandringham House

The rooms of Sandringham House open to the public are all on the ground floor and all fully accessible. There is a short ramp up to the front door, a short ramp covering three steps inside the house, and a third, longer ramp down at the exit. Visitors are welcome to use electric wheelchairs and scooters inside the House, as well as baby buggies and pushchairs.

We offer a Braille transcription of our guidebook – please ask at the front door. We also offer Multimedia Tours.

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Sandringham Exhibition & Transport Museum

The Sandringham Exhibition & Transport Museum is all on ground floor level and is fully accessible throughout. There are guides available to offer assistance and to answer questions.

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Stables Tea Room

The Stables Tea Room is next to the Sandringham Exhibition & Transport Museum and is fully accessible, with large benches in the courtyard in front. It can become quite congested at busy times, so please ask staff for assistance with furniture if necessary.

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Sandringham Exhibition & Transport Museum Toilets

The Sandringham Exhibition & Transport Museum toilets are adjacent to the Stables Tea Room, with one adapted unisex toilet, which also contains baby changing facilities. These are the only toilets inside the Gardens.

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Sandringham Church

Sandringham Church is open whenever the House and Gardens are open to the public. There is a flight of 7 steps under the lych gate into the churchyard; to the left of the lych gate is another path which avoids the steps and goes up a gentle slope. The Church itself is fully accessible.

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Advice for Groups

We welcome visits from groups with disabled members, but as noted above the shuttle can only carry a limited number of wheelchair users at one time. Group organisers should also be aware that people with mobility difficulties do find it tiring to cover the long distances involved in visiting Sandringham.

Our normal group rates apply; a group of 20 or more paying visitors (not including carers who go free of charge) would be eligible for group rate. Organisers bringing groups of people with learning difficulties should contact the Public Enterprises Office (contact details in section 15 below) to discuss the charges applicable. It is most helpful if the organiser of any group visiting Sandringham with disabled members contacts the same office to advise the date and time of their intended visit; we can then ensure that staff in all areas are briefed and ready to assist where necessary.

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Evacuation & First Aid

All Sandringham staff are trained in emergency evacuation procedures. In the event of an alarm sounding, please follow the instructions of Sandringham staff. There are always trained first aiders available. If help is required, please ask the nearest member of staff.

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Contact Information

The address of the Public Enterprises Office, which handles all bookings and queries relating to visiting Sandringham, is:

Public Enterprises Department, Estate Office, Sandringham, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE35 6EN

Telephone: 01485 545408

Fax: 01485 541571

www.sandringhamestate.co.uk

visits@sandringhamestate.co.uk