Norwich has plenty of accessible attractions and accommodation suitable for taking an elderly parent out for the day. With the help of VisitNorwich, we take a tour of a few:
- The Assembly House has an illustrious past, which includes visits from Franz Liszt, Niccolo Paganini, Madame Tussaud and the famous Noverre dance family. The Grand Hall, with its leather arm chairs, is a good meeting place for coffee and cake. It also has 11 new luxury bedrooms – six with their own secret gardens.
The Assembly House, Theatre Street, Norwich
Call 01603 626402
Email admin@assemblyhousenorwich.co.uk
Visit www.assemblyhousenorwich.co.uk
- The Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts is one of Britain’s leading galleries and home to works by Picasso, Bacon and Henry Moore. The galleries are fully accessible, with lifts installed lifts to all floors; disabled parking available and an easy-to-access café area. The Fiji: Art & Life in the Pacific exhibition starts in October.
Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia, Norwich
Call 01603 593199
Visit www.scva.ac.uk
- The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell, which has made a real effort to make its medieval building accessible for everyone: they’ve installed a platform lift from the main entrance and another lift within the museum, plus various multi-sensory displays with listening points, various hearing loops and companion notes for blind and visually impaired visitors.
The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell, Bridewell Alley, Norwich
Call 01603 629127
Email museums@norfolk.gov.uk
Visit www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk
- Norwich Cathedral is another must-visit and offers disabled access to the Cathedral and disabled parking spaces in The Close. Moreover, it offers more than 900 years of history, has the largest Cathedral Close and monastic Cloisters in the land, and the Refectory café serves up light lunches or coffee and cake. Plus there are Herb and Japanese Gardens to explore.
Norwich Cathedral, The Close, Norwich
Call 01603 218300 Email: reception@cathedral.org.uk
Visit www.cathedral.org.uk
- There’s always something happening at Norwich Castle – a missing piece of a once lost work by René Magritte has just been discovered beneath another of his works in the collection at the Museum and Art Gallery. The Castle has ramped access and plenty of space inside most of the building for wheelchair users.
Norwich Castle, Museum & Art Gallery, Castle Meadow, Norwich
Call: 01603 493625 Email: museums@norfolk.gov.uk
Visit: www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk
- The city’s two big shopping centres, intu Chapelfield and Castle Mall, both offer disabled parking spaces, whilst intu Chapelfield also houses a dedicated shop mobility centre, which can be accessed on Level -1 of the car park, adjacent to the disabled parking area.
Intu Chapelfield, St Stephens Street, Norwich
Call 01603 753344
Email chapelfield.information@intu.co.uk
Visit www.intu.co.uk/chapelfield
Castle Mall Shopping Centre, Castle Mall, Norwich
Call 01603 766430 Email: info@castlemallnorwich.co.uk
Visit www.castlemallnorwich.co.uk
- The Forum has been designed with accessibility in mind for all. It houses the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library – the most popular public library in the UK. The Norwich Time Travellers group – a new group for older people to come together and share memories of Norwich’s past over a cup of tea – meets fortnightly in the Norfolk Heritage Centre.
The Forum, Millennium Plain, Norwich
Call 01603 727950
Visit www.theforumnorwich.co.uk
- Norwich Theatre Royal features an extensive programme catering for all tastes, and offers a range of accessibility facilities, including excellent wheelchair access, signed, captioned and audio described performances. The Playhouse is also committed to making the theatre an accessible experience.
Norwich Theatre Royal, Theatre Street, Norwich
Call 01603 630000
Email: info@theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk
Visit www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk
Norwich Playhouse
Call: 01603 612 580
Email: info@norwichplayhouse.co.uk
Visit www.norwichplayhouse.co.uk
