Tintinhull Garden Access Statement
Tintinhull Garden
Farm Street
Tintinhull
Somerset
TA14 6RL
T: 01935 823289
E: [email protected]
Introduction
Tintinhull Garden is a small garden made up of individual rooms including mixed borders,
lawns, ponds, a kitchen garden and a woodland area. Dr Price began the layout of the
garden with the path leading away from the house lined with box domes in the early 1900’s.
Phyllis and Captain Reiss moved into the house from Gloucestershire in 1933 and continued
to develop and extend the garden. They had been inspired by the layout at Hidcote which
can be seen in the layout today. Phyllis Reiss was an amateur plants woman of her time and
had a good eye for design. Penelope Hobhouse lived here throughout the 1980’s and
developed the colour schemes further and introduced many of the pots. Her books are an
important source of information for the garden team today.
NB: Mobile phone reception is adequate across the site. If you encounter any difficulties
please call the office number above as soon as you are able to.
In case of an emergency call 999.
NB: Assistance dogs only are welcome in the garden. All dogs are welcome in the orchards
and front courtyard. There is no shaded car parking available. Please be aware there are
occasionally sheep in the orchards; please keep all dogs on leads if this is the case.
NB: Most of the paths are uneven around the site and there are steps. It is not possible to
get a wheelchair throughout the entire site but you can access the majority of it. There are
ramps available where we are able to provide them.
Arrival & Parking Facilities
Tintinhull Gardens is not well signposted outside of the village including from the A303 so
follow signs for the village of Tintinhull, there are brown signs for the garden once you are in
the village. We are just up the road from the Crown and Victoria pub.
The main car park has a grass surface and does not have any designated spaces for
disabled persons to use. However, we have 2 designated car park spaces for disabled
visitors and blue badge holders outside of the courtyard, next to the wall by the black metal
gates. Whilst this is on the road, the road ends in the farmyard next door so is infrequently
used and there is plenty of room to park here. Instead of turning right towards the main car
park, continue straight on and park on the left hand side next to the wall, not in front of the
gates. If all spaces are occupied passengers can be dropped off in this area while the driver
parks in the main carpark.
WCs
There is a wheelchair accessible toilet inside the garden; the door opens to the right. There
is a shallow ramp into the room and sufficient space to turn a wheelchair within. The floor is
resin covered concrete. The other toilet contains baby changing facilities. There are ceiling
mounted motion sensor activated lights in both toilets plus natural window light. Both toilet
facilities have automatic hand dryers. There are no adult changing facilities.
Visitor Reception & Retail
The Reception and Shop area is wheelchair accessible; the floor surface is red stone tiles.
Staff/volunteers are on hand to help with admission tickets, memberships, shop items etc.
The Reception/retail counter is 1m high. We have one wheelchair available for our visitors to
use which is stored in the museum. There is a hearing induction loop available at the visitor
reception/retail till and in the tea room.
House
The entrance to the manor and disabled car park spaces are 20m from reception across the
front courtyard. The route is over uneven cobbles and there is a 10 cm step up a curb to get
to the reception door. There is a small, 3cm lip on the door into the reception; the public part
of the house is accessed through this route. There are no handrails. Staff/volunteers are on
hand to help or can come out to meet you in the courtyard if you have trouble getting into the
reception room. A large print and Braille guide is available. There is an induction loop in the
reception. There are two rooms available for viewing for the public and both of these can be
accessed on a wheel chair.
Catering
The tea-room is 20 m from the reception through the courtyard. The courtyard is constructed
of uneven cobbles and York stone paving, if you have a carer helping with the wheelchair
please be aware of low hanging branches of Wisteria. It can be a little dark in the tearoom
but there is natural and electric light. If you do find it too dark and the weather is OK, there
are plenty of tables in the courtyard which a wheelchair can be pushed right up to. Catering
staff can offer table service or can carry trays for less able customers. There is an induction
loop at the till. The tea room has hard surfaces, which can make this room quite noisy.
Garden
Visitors will receive a property map at reception and we have maps available indicating the
accessible routes. There are benches with arm rests in the garden.
Contact details for more information
T: 01935 823389
E: [email protected]
Date: May 2016
Map
Wheelchair accessible paths around the garden
It is not possible to get wheelchairs around the whole garden due to the width of the paths in
Eagle Court and the layout of the garden in the kitchen garden.
The paths are uneven and can be slippery in wet weather so please take care around the
property.