Access Statement for Goddards House and Garden
27 Tadcaster Road, Dringhouses, York, YO24 1GG
T: 01904 771930
E: [email protected]
Introduction
Goddards is situated 1.5 miles to the south of York city centre, on the A64, just south of
York Race Course. The property has a flat, partly tarmacked approach along a short,
mixed-use pedestrian and vehicle drive.
Whilst the garden lies on a very gentle slope and has low level terracing and some stone
and gravel paths, much of it could be passable to wheelchairs users or for pushchairs.
1. Mobile phone reception is very good – if visitors have a problem whilst at the property,
they can ring reception directly on 01904 771928.
2. Assistance dogs are welcome and a bowl of water can normally be found by the side
entrance to the house. All dogs are welcome on leads in the gardens but dogs are not
normally permitted in the house apart from assistance dogs.
3. To enter Goddards, there are two low, wide steps (15cm each in height) at the front door
with a 1.5m long ramp to one side.
4. Once inside the house, there are six rooms available to visit; three of these are reached
via a wide, two-section staircase with a generously-sized return at the halfway stage. One
of the three rooms, housing exhibits a model of the Terry’s factory and documents, is
accessed by a further four carpeted steps. Unfortunately, there is no lift in this grade 1
listed building.
Arrival and Parking Facilities
1. Goddards is easy to find if travelling by bus or walking, as it is on a main bus route from
the York train station – most frequent being the number 4, alighting at the Marriott Hotel
next door to Goddards. From the road, there is no brown tourist attraction car signage to
Goddards and property signs are only available on the approach from the city centre.
Because parking space is limited, we provide parking only for disabled visitors. All other
visitors are expected to arrive on foot, by bus or on a bicycle, except for at the weekends
when parking restrictions are relaxed as the office staff are not using the office car park
on site.
2. There are 6 designated spaces for cars used by disabled visitors in the car park, which
are situated a few moments’ walk from the front door and garden. The parking areas are
deliberately kept informal, without markings and hard surfaces, to reflect the family home
feel of the property but they do have disabled parking signs to indicate them.
3. The car park surface is loose; small gravel stones and can become damp and a little
muddy after periods of rain. Grass verges surround the car parking area.
4. We will do our best to assist or advise any visitor with specific mobility needs. Please
consult a member of staff on site or contact us by phone, email or post.
5. Visitors are encouraged to make use of the various other forms of transport for reaching
Goddards, if at all possible. Our travel plan and website give up to date information. The
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City of York iTravel service also provides detailed information regarding all travel options,
timings, even calories according to your chosen method of travel!
Bus
If you are coming to Goddards by bus from York city centre, there are a number of service
routes that stop just outside the entrance gate and as advised above, the number 4 and
number 12 bus are most frequent from York train station.
Pedestrian approaches
There are standard width footways on both sides of Tadcaster Road and leading directly
to Goddards entrance. Pedestrians should be mindful of bus, taxi and cycle traffic when
entering and leaving the premises.
Taxi or private car drop off
It is recommended that visitors arrange to be dropped off inside the entrance gates; there
is usually sufficient space for a small vehicle to turn just beyond the entry archway.
WCs
1. The toilets at Goddards are those of the original house and have not proved adaptable to
modern standards for toilets meeting all disabled visitor requirements.
2. There are two separate WCs on the ground floor: one just next to the side entrance to the
house and the other just inside and to the left of the main front entrance door. The latter
has a large entry/waiting space, large enough for a wheelchair user or large pushchair to
manoeuvre. It then leads to a toilet cubicle measuring 1.2m x 1.6m. There is no grab-rail
or alarm, so it is recommended that anyone visiting the WC has assistance close-by.
3. There is a nappy-changing place for a baby/small child in the ground-floor WC.
4. The toilets have good natural light that can be supplemented by artificial traditional
lighting.
5. Paper towels and light switches are in reach for anyone using a wheelchair.
Visitor Reception and house
1. As a former family home, materials used in the building are varied and include wood, tiled
and stone surfaces, as well as some carpeted floors. A few areas of cobbled path outside
provided for decorative purposes can largely be circumnavigated. Noise levels tend to be
low, with attenuation assisted by curtains and wall coverings.
2. To enter Goddards, there are two low, wide steps (15cm each in height) at the front door
with a 1.5m long ramp to one side. An inner lobby of 2.2m length offers shelter before
entering the main house.
3. The inner entrance door is 117cm wide and opens inwards. It is necessary to give the
easy to grip latch a quarter turn. The welcoming staff are always very close-by and will
readily come to assist any visitor encountering difficulty.
4. The reception table is small and at a low level.
5. There is natural light that varies according to cloud cover and time of day. Internal lighting
is average, not fluorescent, and window blinds are sometimes used to protect furnishings
from strong sunlight.
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6. All rooms have chairs available for visitor’s comfort. Those in the drawing room have
armrests.
7. The property is working towards raising money for an induction loop, but there isn’t
currently one in the property.
8. Some members of staff have foreign language skills – please book for their assistance –
however currently there are not any British Sign language tours available. A larger print
of our Goddards Selection leaflet showing ideas for viewing and activities at the property
is available in a separate file to view.
9. There is one manual wheelchair available for loan on the property. We encourage visitors
to book if it is required.
House
1. The house main entrance stands approximately 20m from the car park.
2. Loose, but well compacted gravel paths lead to the house. After periods of rain, some
paths might temporarily become damp and a little muddy.
3. There are two shallow steps (each 15cm high) up into the building, then a level platform
through the reception area. A 1.5m length of ramp is provided to one side for wheelchair
or pushchairs to use.
4. The entrance door is 117cm wide and opens inwards. It is necessary to give the easy to
grip latch a quarter turn. The welcoming staff are always very close-by and will readily
come to assist any visitor encountering difficulty.
5. An 88cm wide door is reached via two stone steps of 15cm height from the house
reception area. From here, the formal garden can be viewed from a 2.5m wide paved
terrace. There are other routes to access the garden too.
6. Sound attenuation is helped in most rooms and corridors by the soft furnishings used
throughout the house.
7. There is natural light throughout the house, with additional light bulb ceiling and wall
fixtures in the original living quarters and display spaces.
8. A wide (1.2m), carpeted staircase provides access to the first floor of the house. Thirteen
stairs of 15cm each in height rise to a half-way landing of 2.4m length and 1.2m width,
followed by a further 7 steps of the same dimension as on the lower section. A continuous
wooden handrail is to one side of the whole staircase.
9. There is space to turn a wheelchair easily in each room.
10. There are seats for visitors in every room and those in the drawing room offer most
variety, with some having armrests.
11. There are volunteers in most rooms, keen to answer questions.
12. We offer tours on certain days – check website for details.
13. There is an access guide that includes photos and information of the upstairs rooms
which can be enjoyed in the drawing room as an alternative to visiting the top floor. Large
print menus and information can be made available on request.
14. It would generally not be appropriate to use powered wheelchairs or powered mobility
vehicles inside the house because the rooms and corridors are not large or long enough
to warrant powered movement.
15. There are quiet and pleasant areas where people can sit if they don’t want to do the same
amount of the visit as other members of their group in the drawing room.
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Catering
1. Repeat points 1. – 9. in the ‘House’ section
2. Staff will assist visitors as required. When making a reservation, please mention any
special needs and preferences.
3. There is circulation space between the tables of approximately 1200mm
4. Menus are available in large print on request
Retail
There is only very limited retail space at Goddards (on a platform above the front entrance),
for a few books, gifts, rugs, local products and preserves and puzzles etc. Our staff and
volunteers will gladly fetch or advise on any particular items required by visitors.
Garden
1. There is a map of the garden showing options for routes round the garden and
information about path surfaces which are available on request.
2. There is a route into and around much of the garden avoiding steps and following grass
and gravel paths.
3. Access to the lavender terrace and lower terraces, each paved and a minimum of 1.5m
wide, is via different sets of stone or brick steps. The steps are no more than 6 in number
and 18cm in height. There are no formal handrails, but stone or brick low level parapets
give some informal grab or rest opportunities.
4. You will find paths of gravel, paving, grass and occasional infill spaces with cobbles and
brick.
5. The gradient of the garden is very slight and slopes are gentle throughout and on the
majority of paths.
6. There are no gates to open on the main routes through the garden.
7. There are some large print interpretation panels in the garden which relate to the layout
and design of the gardens and how the Terry family used them.
8. Wooden and stone benches, some with armrests, are positioned at many points through
the garden where it is possible to rest and admire the pond, features, planting, colours
and scents of the formal and less formal garden spaces.
Contact details for more information
T: 01904 771930
E: [email protected]
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