Access Statement …
ACCESS STATEMENT FOR THE ROYAL OAK, BROOKLAND, ROMNEY MARSH, KENT. TN29 9QR
Introduction:
THE ROYAL OAK, BROOKLAND OFFERS FOOD, DRINK AND ACCOMMODATION TO MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND THIS STATEMENT AIMS TO GIVE A CLEAR INDICATION OF THE ACCESS FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE PREMISES.
The Royal Oak inn welcomes people with disabilities and has developed this Access Statement to address some of the more common issues that disabled people face. This access statement is intended to provide additional information for all guests who wish to stay in our bed and breakfast rooms, or use our general restaurant and bar facilities. Recognition has been given to include guests with an impairment, which could include: Mobility, Sight, Hearing, Learning Disabilities or any other hidden impairment.
The Royal Oak inn aims to ensure all employees, guests and others who use, or assist in, the provision of our services – whether they have a mobility difficulty, a visual impairment, are deaf or hard of hearing, are deaf blind, have a speech impairment or difficulty, have a learning difficulty or mental health disability, use a wheelchair, cane, walking frame or crutches, or have any other disability – are treated equally and according to their needs. We do request that anyone wishing to make and enquiry or booking informs us of any special needs or disabilities that they may have in order for us to meet any personal requirements. All our staff is are encouraged and trained to assist disabled guests with empathy.
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Pre-Arrival • Contact us by telephone 01797 – 344215, by email: info@royaloakbrookland.co.uk
• Public Transport – nearest bus stops in Brookland village High Street, outside the church, 50 metres from he Royal Oak. The train stops at Appledore Railway Station, distance 2.9 miles (7 minutes drive), alternatively Ashford International Railway Station 11.5 miles (17 minutes drive) • Nearest Town: Rye distance 7.5 miles (14 minutes drive) • Nearest shop mobility scheme: Ashford 12.4 miles (20 minutes drive) • Our premises are only suitable for guests with severe disabilities who are accompanied to ensure their personal safety.
• There is very little regular public transport in our area; we can arrange an appropriate taxi service from a list of our recommended companies if sufficient notice is given. Due to the remoteness of Brookland from local towns it is not always possible to arrange taxi’s without giving prior notice. Taxi’s, especially at weekends, can be in very short supply if not pre-booked, with long arrival times being common. �
• We would suggest all guests contact us prior to visiting to ensure we can discuss any specific requirements and ensure we are prepared for the guests’ arrival.
Arrival & Car Parking Facilities
• Car parking immediately in front of the inn for 15 cars. There is an adjacent car park to the far side of the inn on approaching it from the village high street, for a further 7 cars. Car parking space can be reserved on request. • Assistance from car park to entrance available on request. Drop off point to inn main entrance is 5 m. Car park surface in front of the inn is tarmac. The side car park surface is road planings and gravel. There are no car park barriers. Path to the inn front entrances are tarmac and at least 5ft wide. It is uncovered but lit at night. There are no steps or ramps, but a lip of no more than 1.5cm in to the front porch. The car park and approach to the inn is level. If approaching from the side car park sensible caution should be used with the very shallow water gully running in front of the inn. • Contact phone number is displayed externally and clear visual signage displayed externally. • Access to rooms via front lobby with pre-arranged assistance and porterage available on request. • Dog water bowls are located in the rear garden and front bar. Should they be required for the accommodation rooms, dog bowls are available on request.
Main Entrance
• Drinking/Dining Areas can be accessed without the use of stairs, when using the nearest possible access point. • There are no downstairs bedrooms. Exterior rear access to the bedrooms which is used out of normal operational hours has 2 steps of 24cm in height across the terrace. Alternatively, access by be gained by walking around the wall boarding the terrace to the rear bed and breakfast guests access door. There is one step of 14cm to be negotiated giving access to the bottom of the bed and breakfast stairs to the rooms on the first floor. Most doors are 30 cm wide. • Please ask for any assistance you require. • Lighting in the inn bar and restaurant area is low. Lighting in the bedrooms is of medium level • Doors to the accommodation area do not have automatic fire door closing hinges but they fully comply with all current insurance and fire, and health & safety regulations. • The main inn doors are open 12 -3 pm and 6 – 11 pm. Access to rooms is available outside these times. • Owners are expected to make all provision for service dogs. • The building is Grade 2 listed 16th Century: However it has been recently renovated and does not have narrow upstairs corridors, or uneven floor or low head room. The building is suitable for the visually impaired if accompanied by a companion.
Public Areas – Hall, Stairs, Landing, Corridors etc
• All bedrooms are upstairs, on the first floor. These stairs are carpeted as is all corridors and bedrooms. The bathrooms have tiled flooring. • The lighting throughout the inn uses 40w G10 bulbs. • No baby changing facilities are available upstairs; however during normal opening hours there are baby changing facilities in the downstairs disabled lavatory. • Dog Water Bowls are provided in garden for members of the general public. • There is one stone step internally in the inn which is negotiated when accessing the public lavatory facilities. (10cm high) • There are 2 female WC’s, a male WC withtwo urinals of adult height, plus one fully disabled toilet. There is direct access to the disabled toilet through a wheelchair friendly door (105cm wide), direct from the front of the inn. • There are no grab rails in the female or male WC’s. The access width to these WC facilities are 75cm. Externally in the garden there are 2 outside WC’s. There is a one step of 18cm, followed by another step of 16cm. These outside WC’s are not wheelchair friendly.
Public Areas – lounges, lobbies
• The floor covering in the inn area is a mix of wooden boards, brick, and flagstones, all of level siting. The porch is of matting. The inn Entrance is of quarry stone and as such can be slightly uneven. • The Lighting throughout the building is of variable intensity • The drinking and dining areas are all on the same ground floor with no steps or split levels. There is a flight of stairs with a banister rail from the restaurant area to the first floor accommodation area (13 steps, each 18cm high) • The public areas for eating and drinking are full of tables and chairs. • Clear pictorial fire emergency exit signs are displayed.
Public WC’s
• The public conveniences are situated just off the main inn bar area. The corridor and the toilets themselves have a quarry stone surface which can be uneven. • In spite of the age of the building, whilst the Men’s & Ladies toilets cannot accommodate wheelchairs, they are fully accessible to those without wheelchairs. A grab rail is will shortly be fixed in the male WC and one of the female WC’s. • There are baby changing facilities in the disabled toilet. • Coat hooks are provided on the rear of toilet doors. • Taps on the basins have push operation levers. • The fire alarm has an audible emergency tone.
Restaurant / Dining Room, Bar & Bar Area
• The Lighting throughout is low. • The flooring is a mixture of quarried stone and wooden floorboards. • All tables and chairs are moveable. None of the chairs have arms. Some instability of tables/chairs on wooden/stone floors. • Menus can be provided in large text if requested when pre-booking. • All our staff can read the menu out to those who require it. We cater for all dietary requirements if requested when booking. • The premises are non-smoking throughout. There is no designated, covered smoking area externally. • We provide waiting service as standard.
Outdoor Facilities
• There is a garden outside. Part of this is level lawn, part is a raised flagstone terrace. • It can be approached via a level pathway of flagstone from the outside, via flagstone steps. The terrace is accessed immediately on leaving the restaurant area through the external French doors, both of which fully open if required • There is night time lighting in the garden and in the car park, which is only in operation in the event of the inn having guests staying in the accommodation.
Bedrooms & Sleeping Areas
• All on first floor. The stairs to the first floor have a fully banister, but does not have any form of automated lift.
Bathroom, Shower-room & WC [En suite or Shared]
• King Room En suite has a bath; the Twin Room has a shower. When booking a particular room, we can give you further information on the access. • The shape and dimensions of each bathroom vary. Please contact us is you want exact measurements and layout of a particular room • The floor surface is carpet in the bedrooms and tiles in the bath, shower rooms. • Doors are single leaf and no less then 65cm wide, withthe majority being 70-75cm in width.
Additional Information
• We ask you to make us aware on checking in, that you require extra evacuation assistance should the need arise. • Fire alarms are audible and are located throughout the building in all public areas, along with fully serviced fire extinguishers. The Assembly Point is at the far end of the front car park by the cherry tree in front of the church • There is a no smoking policy throughout the interior of the building. • Mobile networks are sometimes restricted due to location of the building. • No inter-connecting rooms are available. • Staff/Owners are available 24 hrs a day by phone connection – details in rooms.
General Information:
Conference & Meeting Rooms, Banqueting • Not available
Clubs & Entertainment • Not available
Self-Catering Kitchen • not available
Caravans, Holiday Homes & Twin Units • not available
Grounds and Gardens • See outdoor facilities
Laundry • Not available – a laundry service is available on request.
Village Shop • Not available. The nearest outlet for petrol, daily papers and basic hygiene items, along with a cash point is at the Brenzett Total service station, located 1.2 miles (5 minutes drive) east from The Royal Oak, on the intersection of the A259 and A2070.
Treatment room/s • Not available
Leisure Facilities • Not available
Contact Telephone and Email Address
Address: THE ROYAL OAK, HIGH STREET, BROOKLAND, ROMNEY MARSH, KENT. TN29 9QR
Telephone: 01797 – 344215
Email: @royaloakbrookland.co.ukinfo
Website: www.royaloakbrookland.co.uk
Hours of operation: The inn opening hours are 12 – 3 and 6 – 11 (The inn is closed for drink and food to staying guests and the general public on Sunday evenings and Monday evenings)
Mobile Emergency number: 07931 – 283111 will be able to connect to us.
Local equipment hire companies: British Red Cross Medical Equipment Service. www.redcross.org.uk
Ashford 01622-625105, or Tenterden 01580-763359
Local public transport numbers: Stagecoach East Kent, St George’s Lane, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2SY
Tel: 01227 472082
National Rail Enquiries 0871 200 49 50
Local taxi number: New Romney Cars 0797-329292, or 07852-233922
Summary:
We have tried to be as accurate and provide as much detail as possible as we can in our Access Statement. We are always willing to to give further information on any specific aspect of The Royal Oak if this Statement does not answer your particular requirement.
Please do inform us by telephone, email, or letter of any specific requirements you have, so we can make your visit as comfortable as possible.
We welcome your feedback to help us continually improve, if you have any comments please phone 01797 – 344215 or email us.
January 2010