Our tours of London
can be from two hours to ten hours - clearly the shorter
tours will be mainly panoramic, with opportunities for
photostops and a stroll in one of the parks, or a visit to
an attraction. The longer tours will allow you to spend more
time going inside the historic attractions with your guide:
typically Westminster Abbey or St Paul's .
BUCKINGHAM PALACE
accessibilty-very good
Open during the summer only, the London Residence of Her
Majesty the Queen stands at the west end of St James Park.
Throughout the year, visitors flock to the gates of the
palace and line the surrounding streets to watch the
Changing of the Guards.
The Palace is excellent when it comes to recognising the
needs of the disabled, hard of hearing and the visually
impaired, and they have a department dedicated to disability
and access issues, including parking arrangements.
Buckingham Palace
London
www.the-royal-collection.org.uk
ST
PAULS CATHEDRAL
accessibilty- good
Built after the
Great Fire of 1666 by the architect Sir Christopher Wren,
much of St Pauls Cathedral is accessible to those in
wheelchairs, including the Crypt, where Lord Nelson is
buried. The only part that is not accessible is the
Whispering Gallery.
St Paul's Cathedral
www.stpauls.co.uk
THE TOWER OF
LONDON
accessibilty- not very good
This formidable
fortress, synonymous with executions and imprisonment
including those of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard (wives
number two and five respectively of Henry VIII), Lady Jane
Grey (the nine-day Queen), and the Little Princes, who were
rumoured to have died at the hands of their uncle, Richard
III. The Crown Jewels, which includes the Imperial State
Crown which the Queen wears when opening Parliament. are
housed in the Jewel House. The Tower would not be complete
without its most famous residents, the elaborately dressed
Yeoman Warders (or Beefeaters as they are most commonly
called), and the black ravens, that must stay within the
Towers grounds, otherwise, according to Legend, the Tower
will fall.
Access to the Jewel Tower is possible with a lift, and the
Crown Jewels are displayed at ground level, which makes
accessibility easier for those who use a wheelchair. However
the rest of the tower has many stairs so wheelchair users
cannot see individual towers & medieval palaces.
The Tower of London
www.hrp.org.uk/
WESTMINSTER ABBEY
accessibilty: good
Since William I, nearly all English Monarchs have been
buried at Westminster, including Edward the Confessor,
Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, Charles II and Queen Mary.
Westminster Abbey also set the scene for numerous Royal
Coronations, weddings and funerals, including the funeral of
Diana, Princess of Wales which was broadcasted live to
countries worldwide.
The access to the Abbey is wide enough to allow wheelchairs
through, and there are Marshals on hand to assist. There is
also a audio guide which the visually impaired can use, but
there are currently no facilities for the hard of
hearing.
Westminster Abbey
London
www.westminster-abbey.org.uk
HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT
accessibilty- very good
The heart of
politics and law-making in England, the Houses of Parliament
seats both the House of Lords and the House of Commons, and
is also the home of the trademark clock tower, Big Ben.
Parliament is, at times, open to the public, allowing you to
sit on Parliamentary debates and wrangles. As there are some
disabled Members of Parliament (MPs), accessibility is very
good.
Houses of Parliament
www.parliament.uk
KENSINGTON PALACE
accessibilty-good
Birthplace of Queen Victoria and home of Diana, Princess
of Wales after her separation with Prince Charles,
Kensington Palace was remodelled by famous architect Sir
Christopher Wren. Here you can see a unique collection of
Queen Victorias clothes and her bedroom, where she
discovered she had succeeded to the throne.
Wheelchair users will find that they are limited to the
ground floor of the Palace. Those that are more mobile can
use the rear stairs which are more accessible than the main
ones. There is a printed handout that the hard of hearing
can use, and the visually impaired can use the standard
audio tour, or call ahead to arrange Braille guides.
Kensington Palace
www.hrp.org.uk/
TATE MODERN
accessibilty - very good
This converted power station, opened in 2000, houses
international modern art from 1900 to the current day, in a
thematic approach.
Accessibility in the Tate Modern is very good, with level
access, designated car park spaces which can be reserved,
wheelchairs and walking frames, and lifts that provide
access to all levels. Touch tours are available for the
visually impaired (pre book), as is a raised plan of the
layout, large prints of the guide and display text and an
audio tour.There are reading facilities in the study room
including audio text and zoom text computers. There is also
an induction loop available for the heard of hearing. On the
first Friday of every month at 6.30pm there are sign
interpreting tours available, and on the first Sunday of
every month from 11:30 until 5 pm there are signed
interpreting sessions for children.
The Tate Modern
London
www.tate.org.uk
London Zoo
accessibility: good
This top London attraction is up to 90% accessible to
wheelchair users, with a few areas needing help from members
of staff.
Madame Tussaud's
accessibility: good
Wax
portraits of famous and infamous world figures on display in
such settings as The Garden Party and the Grand Hall. An
exciting new addition is the 'Spirit of London' where you
travel in a 'time taxi' to experience the capital's
fascinating history. Nearly all areas are accessible for
people with disabilities, although timed tickets need to be
booked in advance. James Bond waxwork pictured left.
Madame Tussaud's
London
madame-tussauds.com
The British Museum
accessibility: good
with collections of archaeology, prints, drawings, coins and
medals and special temporary exhibitions. Good access, with
lifts.
British Museum
London
thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
LONDON EYE
accessibilty- good
Commanding
unrivalled views across London, the London Eye is an
impressive 453 ft rotation observation wheel, that takes 30
minutes to complete the smooth journey. On a
clear day, visitors can see for over 25 miles in every
direction, and on an overcast day they can still make out
the citys' principles sights. The 'Wheel', as is more
commonly known as, stops momentarily to allow the elderly,
and disabled to embark into their capsule.
British Airways London Eye,
London
www.ba-londoneye.com
KENWOOD
accessibilty- good
Popular with those who have seen Londons most popular
sights, Kenwood House is beautifully situated between the
villages of Highgate and Hampstead. There are limited car
parking spaces but cars and coaches are allowed to drop off
closer to the house. The house itself has good
accessibility.
Kenwood
Hampstead, London
english-heritage.org.uk
THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, QUEENS HOUSE,
NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM and THE CUTTY SARK
accessibilty - varied
The various attractions in Greenwich offer varying
degrees of accessibility. The Royal Observatory is not
accessible to wheelchair users, whereas the National
Maritime Museum is fully equipped with lifts, making it 100%
accessible. Like the National Maritime Museum, the Queens
House is fully accessible. The only part of the Cutty Sark
that is accessible is the middle deck, as only steep
staircases lead to the other decks. An audio cassette is
available from the duty office.
National Maritime Museum
Greenwich
www.nmm.ac.uk
Cutty Sark
Greenwich
www.cuttysark.org.uk
The National Gallery
accessibilty - very good
The gallery with an unrivalled collection of Western
painting from 13th to 20th centuries has very good
access.
The National Gallery
London
nationalgallery.org.uk
The National Portrait Gallery
accessibilty - very good
With a fascinating collection of portraits and photographs
which show British history through its many subjects. Good
access and helpful staff.
The National Portrait Gallery
London
npg.org.uk
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