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Accessibility Guide for The Roman Baths & Pump Room

Contact for accessibility enquiries: Customer Service

email addressromanbaths_bookings@bathnes.gov.uk phone number01225 477785 websitewww.romanbaths.co.uk
The Roman Baths logo

Guide last updated: 18 May 2023

  • At a glance
  • Getting here
  • Arrival
  • Getting around inside
  • Getting around outside
  • Customer care support
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Welcome

The Roman Baths is one of the finest historic sites in Northern Europe, and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the UK.

At the heart of the City of Bath World Heritage Site, the Roman Baths consists of the remarkably preserved remains of one of the greatest religious spas of the ancient world. The city’s unique thermal springs rise in the site and the Baths still flow with natural hot water.

The Roman Baths and Pump Room with its elegant restaurant is located in Bath city centre next to Bath Abbey. There are numerous steps and uneven pavements, but lifts are available and 90% of the site is accessible to wheelchair users. We look forward to welcoming you.

Watch the video: Accessibility video for the Roman Baths & Pump Room
Image: The Great Bath lit by torchlight. Steam is rising up from the water.
  • Level access icon Level Access
  • Hearing icon Hearing
  • Visual icon Visual
  • General icon General

Level access

The main entrance has level access.

There is level access from the main entrance to:

Abbey Church YardReception and ticket salesToilet in the museumPump Room RestaurantThe Roman Baths Shop (accessible from Stall Street)Lower Museum ShopMuseum

Hearing

The fire alarm has flashing lights.
We have a hearing loop in Ticket desks, Shop, Main meeting rooms.
All staff have disability awareness training. Some staff have BSL training.

Visual

Some parts of the venue have low lighting.
We have display information in audio, braille, BSL and large print.
We have information in audio, braille, BSL and large print.

General

We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.
There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
All staff have disability awareness training.
We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

Getting here

Abbey Church Yard
Bath
BA1 1LZ

Travel by public transport

You can get to The Roman Baths & Pump Room by bus and train.
As the Roman Baths is in the centre of the city there are numerous bus stops nearby. The central bus station is next to the train station which is a ten minute walk away from the Roman Baths. The bus stop is 0.3 miles / 0.5 km from The Roman Baths & Pump Room.
The nearest train station is Bath Spa. The train station is 0.3 miles / 0.5 km from The Roman Baths & Pump Room.

Travel by taxi

You can get a taxi with V Cars by calling 01225 464646. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

Parking

The nearest drop-off point is Terrace Walk, BA1 1LN. It is less than five minutes' walk to the Roman Baths.

There are parking bays for Blue Badge holders in a number of locations in the city centre. Phone 01225 477133 or email parking@bathnes.gov.uk for the latest details.

Watch the video: Accessible parking in Bath

Arrival

Path to main entrance

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

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.
The door is 1320mm wide.
The main door is side hung and manual.

Doors are open when the building is open to the public and there is always a security officer on the door to offer any assistance needed.

The Roman Baths main entrance

Getting around inside

Some parts of the venue have low lighting.
Temple Courtyard with walkway East Baths area with projections

Lift

We have 4 lifts.
You can get a lift to all floors.

Ticket/ information desk

Reception and ticket sales

From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. The desk has a low section.

Each of the four till points has a lowered desk. Large print audioguide scripts, magnifying sheets or pens and paper are available for those with a hearing impairment. Braille signs and tactile models are placed throughout the museum.

Ticket desk Visitor Experience Host at the ticket desk

Things to See and Do

We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.
We have performances with: audio-described and British Sign Language interpreted.
We have display information in: audio, braille, BSL and large print.
We have a designated quiet space.

Abbey Church Yard

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

The Abbey Church Yard is a large, open public space with entrances to the Roman Baths and Pump Room Restaurant.

There are benches opposite the main entrance.

Abbey Church Yard with Roman Baths entrance

Public toilet

Toilet in the museum

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
You need a RADAR key to open the public toilet.
From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. There is a lift.
Image: The door to the toilet for disabled visitors Image: Inside the toilet for disabled visitors

Shop

The Roman Baths Shop (accessible from Stall Street)

From the main entrance to the shop, there is level access. The route through the shop is 800mm wide, or more.

Level access from the street through wide double doors. Steps up to the shop from the museum and down to the shop from the Pump Room. Wheelchair users can exit the Pump Room on to Abbey Church Yard and re-enter the shop from Stall Street (30 metres).

There is bright lighting on merchandise in the shop. All items are clearly priced and with low level displays. Staff are available to help if required. Low counter height for wheelchair users and hearing loop. There is also a smaller shop in the lower museum, accessible to wheelchair users. Both shops stock unique products to the Roman Baths.

Image: Visitors looking at products in the Roman Baths shop

Shop

Lower Museum Shop

From the main entrance to the shop, there is level access. There is a lift.
The route through the shop is 800mm wide, or more.

This is a small shop within the museum which is wheelchair accessible. A larger range of products are available in the main shop. Staff are available to help if required. Low counter height for wheelchair users and hearing loop.

Place to eat and drink

Pump Room Restaurant

From the main entrance to the dining area, there is level access. To get to a table, there are no steps.
The route through the dining area is 800mm wide, or more.
There is background music.
We cater for vegetarian, gluten free (celiacs) and vegan specific diets.

Elegant restaurant in the historic Pump Room on the ground floor, with moveable seating and most tables with central support columns, giving good access for wheelchair users. Table service is provided and staff are always willing to give advice about menus and dietary needs and we can cater for most other diets by prior arrangement. Call 01225 444477 or email events.bath@searcys.co.uk.

There is live music every day performed by the Pump Room Trio or pianist.

Inside the Pump Room Restaurant Visitors dining in the Pump Room Restaurant

Museum

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a lift.

The lift dimensions are total maximum weight 500kg and maximum length 1200mm

Exiting one of the lifts in the museum Tactile model of Minerva's head Tactile map of the Roman Baths Interacting with the display A visitor listening to the audioguide using headphones

Getting around outside

Customer care support

We have a hearing loop in Ticket desks, Shop, Main meeting rooms.

We have British Sign Language tours available on Opus Touch handsets available free of charge with your ticket. If you are a hearing aid user, we can provide you with an audioguide compatible with the "T" switch on hearing aids.These are issued beside our audioguides. We can also provide a printed copy of the audioguide text. 

We have some Braille information panels and tactile models as well as a more descriptive audioguide for people with visual impairments, which describes things in greater detail. In addition we have magnifying sheets available.

We have tripod folding walking stick seats that can be borrowed. 

For a list of more items, please go to https://www.romanbaths.co.uk/accessibility.
You can hire mobility equipment from Assured Mobility by calling 01225 831960.

Emergency evacuation procedures

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.
The fire alarm has flashing lights.

Details of evacuation and safe refuge points are listed on the plan of the site for lift users. This plan can be downloaded from the accessibility page on our website under the wheelchair access section.

Customer care support

All staff have disability awareness training.
Some staff have BSL training.
We have information in audio, braille, BSL and large print.

We offer audioguides in 12 languages as well as BSL. We also offer a children's audioguide in English, French, German and Mandarin.

We have other services for people with accessibility requirements.

We are an Autism Friendly attraction aiming to help give a smooth visit with no unexpected surprises. We provide an information sheet for neurodiverse visitors which can be downloaded from our website, to help plan a successful visit https://www.romanbaths.co.uk/accessibility

Members of staff have the opportunity to attend Dementia Friends information sessions and we are part of the local Dementia Action Alliance.

Whilst on site, please let staff know if you need help, or call 01225 477785 before your visit.

Guide info
Any information, comments and views made available to users via this Accessibility Guide are provided directly from third party business operators. VisitEngland and VisitScotland do not endorse or validate this information. Any reliance on this Accessibility Guide is at your own risk. This guide is not intended to be a substitute for users making their own checks, inquiries and investigations directly with the business operators prior to making any booking or visiting the venue.
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