Gloucester Cathedral 

Location: 
12 College Green, 
Gloucester, 
GL1 2LX. 

The below report documents the experiences of the Accessible Gloucestershire team at the time of visiting.

Parking and entrance

The road to the cathedral is pedestrianised and restricted to pass holders and blue badge holders only. There are 6 accessible bays for blue badge holders outside the cathedral which are available on a first come first served basis.

The pathway to the cathedral from the highstreet is cobbled which can be uncomfortable for wheelchair users.

The entrance to the Cathedral is step free with glass automatic doors. There is a small queuing area that leads to the welcome desk where you can make a voluntary contribution to the cathedral. The receptionists are very friendly and there is no pressure to make a contribution if you aren’t able to.

General access

General access around the cathedral is really good and it is clear that every effort has been made to make it an accessible and inclusive experience. The left hand side as you enter the cathedral has multiple lifts installed so that every level is accessible without the use of steps. The lifts have glass walls which may be difficult to see for somebody with a visual impairment. They are self operated and the directional button needs to be held down for the duration. Often there are employees nearby who will offer assistance such as controlling the lift. The right hand side of the cathedral doesn’t have any lifts but can be accessed and viewed from the other side.

There is a hearing loop throughout the cathedral and the cathedral has a free to borrow sensory resources box which includes tactile, olfactory and audio objects. These can be requested at the welcome desk. There can also be BSL tours arranged with notice, these may be charged. There is a Gloucester Cathedral app available to download that contains a cathedral guide.

The seating in the cathedral is all easily moveable so differing needs can be catered for. There are four touchscreen information hubs around the cathedral, three of these are wheelchair accessible. The information hub in the cloisters is not wheelchair accessible however the information can be accessed at the other hubs.

The cathedral is dog friendly, apart from the Lady Chapel at the back of the cathedral, accessed by the lifts, which is a dog free space for people who may feel uncomfortable around dogs. Assistance dogs are still permitted here.  

There are two level emergency exits at either end of the cathedral.

The Monks Kitchen

There is plenty of moveable chairs and seating in the café. This can be accessed from outside on the left of the cathedral. There is limited signage to the café but there are tables and chairs nearby that make it’s location clear. This can also be accessed from the cloisters via a platform lift. The lift is quite loud which could be uncomfortable or startling for people noise sensitivity. To operate the lift the directional button must be held down for the duration of the journey.

The Monk’s Kitchen’s opening times (at the time of writing) are:
Monday – Friday: 10am – 4.30pm
Saturday: 10am – 4pm
Sunday: Closed

The menu can be found online and in the Kitchen.

Accessible toilet

There is a platform lift from the café to the accessible toilet. There is also level access to the same toilet from the cloisters in the cathedral.

The toilet is a decent size with slip resistant flooring and good natural light. The door opens outwards and does obstruct the entrance to the gentlemans toilet when it is open. The lock is quite small and may be difficult to operate for somebody with limited dexterity.

There is an emergency pull cord next to the toilet with one ring pull on the floor.

The handrails are a contrasting colour to the walls making them easily identifiable and are well located around the toilet and sink and on the inside of the door. The sink is lowered and can be reached from a seated position on the toilet.

There is a toilet roll holder fixed to the wall on the left of the toilet. There aren’t any coat hooks.