Access Statement

Entrance to the site is off the Main Synod Inn to New Quay road down a single track road. The main car park is at the bottom of the hill up to the buildings, however there is also an easy access car park on the same level as the buildings themselves.

The main car park is surfaced with loose chippings, and is suitable for pushchair and wheelchairs with care. The easy access car park is tarmac. The main path from the main car park to the buildings goes up a set of steps. The pedestrian area of the site is covered with loose chippings, additional care should therefore be taken by the elderly and young children as the surface is loose in places. During peak times, such as the summer months, the easy access car park is reserved for disabled use only.

The main entrance to the shop has a wide access door. There is a small incline inside, and although a lot of stock is placed on high shelves, staff will be happy to help. The tea room is adjacent to the shop and access is gained via the shop. The staff will again be happy to move chairs to allow access to wheelchairs. Care should be taken by the elderly and young children when walking around the shop due to the undulations in the floor.

The exhibition is up a flight of stairs, and at the moment no provision has been made to get wheelchair users to the exhibition.

The meadery has two accesses, one using steps, and another ramp which meet at the same entrance.

The entire site is well lit by natural lighting, however where needed this is supplemented by artificial light.

The site is easily accessible by car and private coach parties. The nearest bus stop is a 15 minute walk away from the site. The nearest train stations are at Carmarthen and Aberystwyth, these are both around 20 miles away.

Site Description

The site is based around an old chapel. There are new buildings on site as well. There are numerous elevation changes as well as three flights of stairs. The site is easily accessible by car and for coach parties. The service bus route passes a quarter of a mile away form the site. The nearest train stations are at Carmarthen and Aberystwyth, which are both situated around 20miles away from the site.

Access by

Pedestrian
Access is by walking from the main Synod Inn to New Quay road. The walk to get to the entrance road from the main road is around 20 minutes. The road through the site itself has two steep hills as well as 2 flights of steps that a pedestrian would have to negotiate.

Car / Private vehicle
Access is gained to the site by turning from the main Synod Inn to New Quay road. The farm is a quarter of a mile down a single-track road that has passing places. The site has 2 car parks, one large with steps entering the main site from it, and the other smaller easy access car park on the same level as the attraction. There is a 10mph speed limit on the site, which is enforced using sleeping policemen.

Rail
The nearest railway stations are at Carmarthen and Aberystwyth. As such any visit by a rail passenger would depend on another mode of transport to get to the site itself.

Bus
A service bus route uses the main road, which is about a 20 minute walk away from the site. There is room for private bus trips to park on site.

Safe accessible access route and outdoor public spaces

There is a route that takes any vehicles to the easy access car park. From here accessibility to the site is safe and easy. There are two main outdoor public spaces, the area in front of the tea room has tables which can be used to consume food purchased on the premises, and there is a picnic area with a duck pond which is at the bottom of the valley and is accessible down a flight of steps, and is on the same level as the main car park.

Main and alternate entrance

Door and Lobby Style. The main entrance door to the shop and the tearoom is wide enough for easy access with wheelchairs. The floor closest to the door has a small slope. The tearoom is accessed through an open doorway from the shop. The meadery has an access ramp to lead up to the doorway that is wide.

Exterior Signage is clear and gives directions to the various areas of the site that have been especially set aside for disabled access.

Colour, tone and contrast. All of the site is coloured in natural colours.

Accessible toilet

There is a disabled toilet on site, which has wheelchair access.

Horizontal circulation

Routes are defined using signs. As the site is small, there is no dedicated route for any one activity.

Vertical circulation

The staircases are wide and have handrails on both sides.

Hearing and other aids

Communication is done by staff who take time to assist members of the public to the best of their ability

Emergency provisions

Emergency / Fire Philosophy
There are multiple signs around the site informing the members of the public about the fire evacuation procedure. These are bi-lingual. Staff are trained to ensure that all members of the public are safe.

Alarm Systems
The alarm used is a standard fire alarm. The alarm is activated using glass faced panels.

Routes and Refuges
The routes from the exhibition are well signposted and lit. There are posters at each emergency exit informing the public where the assembly point is.

Stairs and Lifts
There are no lifts on site. Only one interior staircase is for public access. In the case of a fire there are two alternative exit routes from the area where the stair leads.

Signage and Notices
There are bi-lingual notices about the fire safety procedure in every room.

Evacuation Planning and Provision
Employee: Each employee is instructed in which fire extinguisher to use for different fire types. They are told only to attempt to fight a fire if it is safe to do so.
Visitor: Every visitor is told to leave the premises when a fire or emergency situation is discovered. They are directed towards the assembly point

Equipment
There are walkie-talkies available for staff. There are fire extinguishers in all high-risk areas.

Specific Limitations
Due to the site being rural and as such the use of natural materials is prolific in building, there is no possibility to use colours and contrast to guide visitors around the site. Visually impaired visitors should use the easy access car park in order to avoid low contrast steps. Where computer equipment is used in the exhibition it is controlled using a large trackball and uses purpose made software.