Porters' Lodge accessibility
The Porters' Lodge contains the reception desk for visitors and is located at the end of The Chimney, at the main pedestrian entrance to the site or via First Court. There is step free access to the Porters' Lodge.
Location
The Porters' Lodge is located at the end of The Chimney, at the main pedestrian entrance which is on the south of the site off èßäÊÓƵ Lane. The Porters' Lodge can also be accessed from First Court.
Entrance access
To enter the èßäÊÓƵ College site via The Chimney there are two methods, both step free. Students and staff can go through the Wicket Gate, which has a heavy door and a steep ramp, or it is possible to go through the Porters' Lodge. Visitors should enter via the Porters' Lodge and speak to the Porters at the reception desk.
Wicket gate: This entrance provides access to First Court. The entrance area or door is not clearly signed. There is no canopy or recess for weather protection. The entrance door contrasts visually with its surroundings and opens away from you (push). It is a single-width, heavy door with an opening of 80cm. There is 91cm wide ramp immediately after the door which is steep. The ramp is permanent but there are no hand rails. The door is at the top of the ramp with no landing or turning space. Additionally, there is a small lip on the threshold, no higher than 2cm.
Entrance to the Porters' Lodge from The Chimney: The entrance is marked with a sign reading 'PORTERS' LODGE'. It features ramped access, although there is no canopy or recess for weather protection. The entrance door contrasts visually with its surroundings and opens away from you (push). However, this door is permanently held open, with an opening width of 116cm. There is a second door, which opens automatically. This is has an opening width of 104cm. There is a small lip on the threshold, no higher than 2cm. There is a ramp in front of the entrance, leading down from The Chimney, with a slight gradient.
Entrance to the Porters' Lodge from First Court: The entrance is marked with a sign reading 'PORTERS' LODGE'. It provides step-free access and has a canopy or recess for weather protection. The entrance doors contrast visually with their surroundings and open away from you (push), however, the doors are permanently held open, with an opening width of 87cm.
Inside the room
The area offers step-free access throughout. The flooring consists of tiles and stone, with some shiny sections that might cause glare or appear slippery. There is good colour contrast between the walls and the floor, and the lighting levels are good. There is bench seating.
The reception point is to the right when entering via The Chimney entrance and to the left when entering via the First Court entrance. It is clearly visible from the entrance with step-free access and an unobstructed route. The reception area does not have windows, TVs, glazed screens, or mirrors that could hinder lip reading, and the counter is not set against a patterned background. The lighting levels are moderate to good.
The reception counter stands at 122cm, with a lowered section at 75cm for document signing, which also features a clear knee recess. The counter is staffed, and there is a portable hearing loop available on request.
Closest toilets
For detailed information about the facilities in each accessible toilet, see Accessible toilets.
The closest accessible toilet can be found on the ground floor in the northwest corner of Cloister Court, just past the Hall entrance.
The closest standard toilet is in the same location.
