Category: Uncategorized

Greenwich for an accessible day trip

woman wheelchair user looking at river next to heritage building looking at new buidings across the water
Greenwich along the river

We have many friends who come visit us in Greenwich. Some of these friends are disabled and, quite a few of them, are wheelchair users.

We thought it would be useful to write up some information for visitors – especially those who are here for a day trip to Greenwich.

Arrival

By DLR /Cutty Sark Station Cutty Sark DLR station has step-free access. It is a light metro station on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Bank-Lewisham Line in Greenwich Town Centre.
By train there is a train service (from London Bridge station). From the station bus 177 will take you into the town centre. However, it is within walking distance but the pavements are not too even with some cobblestones and sometimes blocked by dustbins. The station itself is accessible.
By the underground/North Greenwich station is on the accessible Jubilee Line. From the station, there are many buses, you can take the bus 129 or bus 188 (you can take this bus from Waterloo or Russell Square all the way from London) towards Greenwich centre.
By boat Thames Clippers is another way of getting to Greenwich from the city of London. They are accessible by ramps. (but they are not always easily negotiable. You might require some help.)

the DLR station at Cutty Sark
the DLR station at Cutty Sark

Sites to visit

Greenwich landscape from the Observatory with tall buildings in the back with historical buildings in the foreground
Greenwich landscape from the Observatory with tall buildings in the background and historical buildings in the foreground

These are the sites we would recommend as places not to be missed in a visit to Greenwich:

The National Maritime Museum / Greenwich Park

The National Maritime Museum is a free museum good for the whole family and it has Greenwich Park

  • Information on the museum
  • way to park out from the museum
  • easy accessible paths
  • London view from outside the Observatory

The Observatory

The Observatory is worth a walk up even if you dont go in (price £14 – £16}. It has a great view. There are two routes up, a steep path or a more gradual but longer route).

Cutty Sark

Here are some videos we took of the accessibility of the Cutty Sark a few years go.

The open space near the Cutty Sark is usually bustling with stalls, buskers etc and often music to entertain the tourists and residents.

Entrance Prices

The 02 area/ Greenwich Peninsula

The 02 is adjacent to the North Greenwich Tube station. There are also buses (188) connecting to Russell Square and (108) to Stratford International as well as to neighbourhood areas like Woolwich and Lewisham. There is also parking free for those with Blus Badges.

See the Tides Festival if you re coming for that event.

Alongside it the Emirates airline/ cable car .

Accessible toilets

There is an accessible toilet (needs a radar key) by the exit of the N Greenwich station. And at the 02 with the restaurants too, many of them have accessible toilets. And a Changing Places toilet.

portaloo

At the city centre, near the Cutty Sark, there is a portable loo.

All along there are restaurants and pubs, some of which have accessible toilets although it must be said that they are not so easy to locate.

There is another Changing Places toilets at IKEA.

Accessible restarants in Greenwich

At the Tides Festival, Greenwich Peninsula

For part of two last weekends ( 5-7th and 12-14th July) , I happened to be at Greenwich Peninsula when the the official opening was celebrated – of The Tide, “the elevated riverside park on Greenwich Peninsula, reported as created by the co-designers of the High Line in NYC.

The lift from the front next to the 02 is not working as yet so the ramp has to be used for access to the walkway.

  • view from ramp
    view from the ramp
  • view from the ramp
  • view from the ramp
    view from the ramp
  • view of walkway
  • view of walkway
  • view from the ramp

While it was well attended, the festival was not over crowded. The festival goers enjoyed the music.

Edited
Part of the musical events

Access

Normally for that area, it is all level access. However, some of the higher cable casings which were used to keep the electricity cables protected were barriers for wheelchair users and those with mobility issues. It is curious that while many of the raised strips were low and accessible, some were not, especially those near the street food stalls.

I will revisit and write more on this area – more events have been announced for the present future.

  • accessible
  • not accessible
  • lift not working yet

Hello, Culture Access!

Culture Access was created in our enthusiasm for an access to activities which we roughly categorise under culture – with a small ‘c’ – that which is not sports, campaigning or cuts. We are focusing on disabled access but not exclusively so. We would include financial access -so we would not be featuring the top of the art equipment which many of us cannot afford anyway. We would focus on access to culture not just as consumers but also as practitioners.

So we are excited to tell you that we are considering cuisine/cooking, conservation/gardening, photography, video making, travelling, cultural visits etc

Watch this space, we will keep you posted.

people standing at a museum setting with a wide wooden floor
at Whitney Museum