Situated in the centre of Brighton the Royal Pavilion was built as a pleasure palace for the Prince Regent, later King George IV, and is a distinctive landmark in Brighton & Hove with it’s exotic oriental appearance both inside and out. It is on level ground, close to the Lanes and North Laine and only 5 minutes walk from the sea.
The Royal Pavilion has two floors, the ground floor is accessible to wheelchair users, but access to the first floor is via a staircase only. There is an accessible toilet on the ground floor, and wheelchairs are available to use on request.
On the ground floor there is an audio-visual room with a video presentation about all aspects of the Royal Pavilion. Audio tours are available with British Sign Language and also for visitors with a visual impairment. The audioguides are suitable for those with a ‘T’ switch on their hearing aid. The audio guide also includes a video tour of the first floor for visitors that are unable to use the stairs. Tactile tours of the palace can be booked for groups of visually impaired visitors and sign language interpreted group tours can be booked for the hard of hearing.
Disabled visitors receive discounts on admission prices and companions can enter free.
Visitor Services Officers are positioned around the building should you require any assistance and are happy to answer any queries.
The Royal Pavilion has recently become a member of the Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance scheme.
Pre-Arrival
- For full details and maps of how to reach us please see the How to get heresection of our website. Alternatively you can plan your journey by car or public transport using www.traveline.info; simply enter your postcode and ours, which is BN1 1EE to get directions.
- The nearest railway station is Brighton, which is a 15-20 minute walk. Taxis are available at the station. If you require an accessible taxi you can book this in advance.
- See contact information section for details for taxi companies in Brighton & Hove.
- The Fed Centre for Independent Living also provides helpful information on the various Wheelchair Accessible Taxis on the road to help you find the taxi that’s right for you. www.thefedonline.org.uk Montague House, Montague Place Brighton BN2 1JE 01273 296747 info@thefedonline.org.uk.
- Buses stop at either North Street or the Old Steine. See contact information section for more details of bus services.
- Access to the Royal pavilion is through the garden via level paths.
- Public toilets are situated in the garden, including an accessible toilet.
- Visitors using mobility scooters are asked to leave them at the front entrance or in the museum and transfer to one of our manual wheelchairs. If you do this, please bring along a companion to push the wheelchair or if you need a member of staff to assist you phone 03000 290900 or email visitor.services@brighton-hove.gov.uk in advance to book someone to help.
- If you have a powered wheelchair please note that some of the doorways in the building are narrow or have tight turns so you may not be able to access some areas.
- There is a concessionary price for disabled visitors and a companion can enter free.
Blue Badge disabled bays
- Church Street, BN1 1UF which is near St. Giles Language School, has 4 disabled bays and there is no time limit for these bays. There is also an NCP Car Park with Disabled Bays which is located on the ground floor these are not free.
- New Road, BN1 1UF has 3 bays and three hour limit.
- Jubilee Street, BN1 1GE has a set of bays and three hour time limit.
- In Brighton & Hove, providing the badge and time disc are displayed correctly, you can park in a disabled bay, a pay & display bay and a shared use bay but not in ‘resident permit only’ bays.
- Additionally Blue Badge holders with a clock are allowed to park on yellow lines for up to 3 hours provided they are not causing an obstruction and there are no loading restrictions.
- Visitors can be dropped off in Church Street near the William IV gate, or in North Street near the India gate entrance to the garden.
- The entrance to the Royal Pavilion is level and the main entrance double doors (1220mm or 4ft wide) are kept open during opening hours. There is a further set of double doors of the same width before entering the ticketing area.
Main Entrance, Reception and Ticketing Area
- The main entrance and ticket area is situated on the ground floor with step free, level access throughout.
- There are some bench seats in this area.
- The entrance has coir matting and the ticketing area is carpeted.
- The ticketing area is well lit.
- There is a hearing loop installed at the counter.
- Wheelchair and Walker loans are available from this area on request.
- Pen and paper are available on request.
- Our mini-guides are available in large print on request.
- A transcript of the multi-media guide is available on request.
- A magnifying glass is available on request.
Public Toilets
- A public accessible toilet is located on the ground floor near the ticketing desk with a door opening 98cm 38.5″ wide.
- There is a clear space for a wheelchair on the right side of the toilet.
- The toilet height is 45cm 17.5″.
- There is a door bar to aid closure of the door on both sides and a flip over style ‘N & C’ door lock.
- There is an emergency alarm cord.
- Handrails are positioned on the left of the toilet in contrast to the wall
- There is colour contrast with critical surfaces, tiles are navy blue and the toilet and washbasin are white.
- Flooring is non-slip.
- There are lever taps on the sink.
- A clinical waste bin is provided.
- A lowered mirror is available.
- There are further toilets in the basement accessed via 15 steps with highlighted nosings and a central handrail.
- On the first floor there are toilets situated near the tearoom, accessed via 2 sets of 3 steps, and further toilets near the William IV function room.
Shop
- There is a shop with a wide range of gifts and books located on the ground floor at the end of the tour. It can also be entered direct from the street via a level entrance. The entrance door is 83cm wide, and is push pad operated from the inside.
- The shop is level throughout and has clear access to the exit, although there is limited space between display units in some areas.
- There are some tall display units and some lower units accessible from a wheelchair.
- Staff can offer assistance if required.
- The counter has a hearing loop installed.
Grounds and Gardens
- The Royal Pavilion is situated within the Royal Pavilion garden.
- There are wide tarmac paths through the garden with gradual inclines.
- The lawns are mostly flat, but there are some small inclines.
- Some benches are placed along the paths.
Additional Information
- All of the staff have undertaken disability awareness training.
- We have a set of evacuation procedures and should you require it someone will assist you with evacuation. We have evac. chairs to assist.
- All information brochures are produced in a minimum of 12 point font, and some are available in large print.
- Assistance dogs are welcome in the building.
- Clear signage is used throughout the building with a clear font of black lettering on a white background.
