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St. Albans Cathedral

Overall rating

4.5

2 reviews

Review this place

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St Albans Cathedral is the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain. It stands over the place where Alban, the first martyr, was buried after giving his life for his faith over 1700 years ago. The building itself is a blend of architectural styles spanning a millennia and contains recycled Roman bricks from Verulamium. Of special interest are the 13th century wall paintings, a rare watching loft and the fully restored medieval shrines of St Alban and St Amphibalus, the priest who converted Alban to Christianity.

reviewsSectionText

Overall rating

4.5

(2 reviews)

Overall rating breakdown

5 1
4 1
3 0
2 0
1 0

Access (avg.)

4.5

Parking (avg.)

Toilets (avg.)

3.5

Staff (avg.)

squirrelpot

Sept 2022

An awe-inspiringly beautiful cathedral, superbly adapted for wheelchair users

A flawlessly beautiful experience of a stunning cathedral, with all areas accessible to wheelchair users, thanks to a vast proliferation of excellent ramps and two platform lifts. Step-free access here has been thought through very thoroughly and implemented with superb skill. Winchester Cathedral could learn a lot from the team at St Albans Cathedral.

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laurenbenge

Sept 2014

Review of St. Albans Cathedral

The main entrance to St. Albans Cathedral is not wheelchair compatible but disabled access is provided around the corner adjacent to the two disabled parking spaces. This entrance leads directly into the cathedral and all of the chambers can be access due to ramps installed. The cafe however is not wheelchair accessible from the main chapel, so wheelchair users would have to exit the main chapel and enter the cafe from the outside entrance. All entrances have handrails and there is adequate signage around the grounds. However, there is no braille for the visually impairment.

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disabledAccessInformationSectionText St. Albans Cathedral

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Cathedral Entrances Their are two step free entrances to the Cathedral: The Welcome Centre Entrance or the West End Entrance. Lifts and ramps The main Cathedral is mostly based on one level although in some areas wheelchair access requires the use of lifts or ramps. The lifts are self operating, though they feature instructions on how to attract attention if you require further help. Volunteers are on hand to advise on access and can summon help from virgers to provide access ramps. There is one lift located at the West End to enable access to the Nave of the Cathedral, and another located in the Lady Chapel, to enable access to the Shrine Chapel. The lifts are self-operating. The Cathedral has several built in ramps and several portable ramps. If you require help with the lifts or a portable ramp, please make contact with a virger or one of our Welcome Desk volunteers, who will be happy to assist you. Accessible Toilets The main wheelchair accessible toilet is located in the Welcome Centre. For further information, please download the full access statement. Borrow a wheelchair There are a limited number of wheelchairs available near the West End entrances to borrow for a visit. These are usually available on a first come first served basis, but please contact the Cathedral Office on mail@stalbanscathedral.org or 01727 890210. Unfortunately we cannot provide assistance around the Cathedral for wheelchair users. Guide and Assistance Dogs Guide and assistance dogs are welcome in the Cathedral. Seating There is seating available in the Nave, Crossing and Lady Chapel Concerts and events Entry to the Cathedral is free The Cathedral offers free tickets to carers for some concerts and events. For more information, contact the Cathedral Box Office on 01727 890290 or boxoffice@stalbanscathedral.org. Hearing loop system There is a hearing loop system for services and concerts. Large Print Guides There are large print booklets available for Cathedral services.

Seating at regular intervals

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There are three dedicated disabled parking spaces in Sumpter Yard (opposite the Chapel of Transfiguration) which are available for staff, volunteers and visitors with blue badges. These spaces can be pre booked through the Cathedral office on 01727 890210 (except Sundays where they will be used on a first come first served basis. Visitors will need to use the intercom on the gate in Sumpter Yard to gain access to the space on Sunday). Pre- booked disabled visitors will be issued with a pin code that will work for that day only. Disabled visitors may still be dropped off in Sumpter Yard.

Dedicated parking

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Toilets features at St. Albans Cathedral

There is a public access male/female disabled toilet in the Welcome Centre. Entry is through a door 90cm wide, wash basin, soap dispenser and sensor hand dryer at low level. The light switch is low level with good fluorescent lighting. Horizontal and vertical grab-rails are provided at the rear and to the right (facing the toilet). The toilets have alarm to call for assistance. If concerned inform a virger to check after a period of time. In an emergency an alarm horn is sounded around the Cathedral and public buildings. There are no specific alarms or warning lights in the toilet.

Accessible toilet

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