Prince Albert Inn

Accessibility Rating 

Physical 

Two out of five 

Sensory 

Four out of five 

Location: Prince Albert Inn
Rodborough Hill
Stroud
GL5 3SS

Parking and entrance

There is no allocated parking for the Prince Albert, however this is a dropped kerb at the side of the building that is often used as a drop off point. This is on double yellow lines so can also be used as a parking space for a maximum of 3 hours for blue badge holders. The closest car park is at Rodborough Community Hall which is approximately 200 metres away. There is also on road parking on Walkley and Rodborough Hill.

The front door has an opening of 890mm. There is a small step at the main entrance, which is too high for a wheelchair user, however there is step free access at the side of the building that enters into the courtyard. There is a doorway into the pub on the right of the courtyard. This is 740mm wide and may cause difficulty for a larger wheelchair.

Bar and live music area

The bar and live music area are in a large space with all furniture being moveable. This means that tables and chairs can be removed accordingly to allow for more space for movement if it is required. A lot of the tables are small round tables with stools, these are quite low and would be likely be uncomfortable for a wheelchair user to dine at. There are a selection of larger, higher rectangle and square tables which would comfortably accommodate a wheelchair user.
All of the lighting is on dimmer switches so can be changed according to visitor’s needs. There are also ear plugs and ear defenders available upon request for individuals with sensory issues.

There is no lowered bar for wheelchair users or people of a smaller stature, however there is an opening at the bar that the bar staff are trained to serve from when communicating with wheelchair users.
Family staff members at the Prince Albert have received dementia awareness training and there is always a family member present.

During live performances there is a stage erected in the bar area. This is 8 inches high which is great for wheelchair users anywhere in the bar to be able to get a clear view of the stage. There is currently no ability for a ramp to be attached to the stage so wheelchair users can perform on the stage, this is due to a lack of space, but is something that the owners are attempting to resolve.

Courtyard

At the back of the pub is a sheltered courtyard with outdoor heating mounted on the walls. The furniture is all moveable and large tables and benches are removed during busy periods to aid ease of movement. There is a kitchen area in the courtyard that is rented out to independent businesses. This has a low counter which is suitable for wheelchair users and people of smaller stature to communicate with the kitchen staff comfortably.

There are no disabled toilet facilities at the Prince Albert, however there is a large unused space in the courtyard, and we were informed on our visit that there are plans for a disabled toilet to be installed here in the future.

Toilets

As stated above there are no accessible toilets and the standard toilets would be difficult to get to for a wheelchair user. The corridor to the toilets is quite narrow, measuring 840mm at the corner. The doorway to the men’s toilet is 670mm wide.
There are no handrails in any of the toilets however we were advised that this would be something that could be rectified in the future. There are two cubicles in the ladies toilet and one in the men’s.