Accessibility Guide for Rayleigh Windmill

Welcome

Come and explore this 210+ year old, Grade II listed building. You can learn how the Windmill worked and try the quiz in the museum, as well as learn more about the Castle that once stood on Rayleigh Mount! Be sure to look out for special events throughout the season.

Level access

The main entrance has level access. The ramp is permanent.

There is level access from the main entrance to:

Windmill Garden

We have a viewing area for wheelchair users.

Hearing

Some staff have disability awareness training.

General

Some staff have disability awareness training.

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

Getting here

Bellingham Lane

Rayleigh

SS6 9EF

Travel by public transport

You can get to Rayleigh Windmill by bus and train.

There is a bus stop on Rayleigh High Street. The bus stop is 0.1 miles / 0.2 km from Rayleigh Windmill.

The nearest train station is Rayleigh. The train station is 0.4 miles / 0.6 km from Rayleigh Windmill.

A main train service runs between London and Southend-on-Sea.

Parking

We have a car park. There are accessible parking spaces. The parking is less than 50 metres from the main entrance. Parking is not free.

There is a drop-off point at the main entrance. The drop-off point has a dropped kerb.

From the car park to the entrance, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp.

The path is sloped.

The route is 1100mm wide, or more.

Arrival

Path to main entrance

From the street to the main entrance, there is level access.

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.

There is a permanent ramp.

The door is 1100mm wide.

The main door is side hung and manual.

Getting around inside

Spectator/ Audience viewing areas

There are stewards to help disabled visitors.

We have a viewing area for wheelchair users.

The ground floor room, with information boards, volunteers and video/audio information.

From the main entrance to the viewing area, there is level access. The route is 800 wide, or more. The door is 800 wide.

Personal assistants and friends can sit with wheelchair users.

Personal assistants and friends can sit behind wheelchair users.

On the ground floor room all visitors are welcome to find out more about the Windmill via our knowledgeable volunteers, information boards and television which plays videos with audio telling you more about the history. There are cameras on other floors to show what is upstairs in addition via this screen.

Museum, Exhibition and National Trust floors

There is one room per floor. The first floor contains local items and articles which paint a picture of Rayleigh Life throughout the years. The second floor contains an exhibition of Rural Rayleigh, including an original sack that the flour would have been stored in. There are speakers which play recordings of local residents talking about Rayleigh, and local artists / community groups who exhibit on this floor throughout the open season. The top floor holds a model of what the Castle would have looked like, with information of the Rayleigh Mount (by National Trust). The upper floors are accessible via steep, narrow stairs.

Getting around outside

From the main entrance to the gardens, there is level access.

There is a permanent ramp.

The route is sloped.

There is step free access from the car park and the Windmill to our peaceful gardens. The centre of the garden is grass with a tree and bench underneath. There is a path that borders this grass area, with more benches and a bin.

Customer care support

There are patches of grass surrounding the Rayleigh Windmill.

Emergency evacuation procedures

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

Wheelchair users would access the ground floor only and have access to the same fire exit. Please follow volunteer advice.

Customer care support

Some staff have disability awareness training.