Find out about disabled access

The Site

The Old Royal Naval College buildings were completed between the dates 1664 - 1751, with the exception of the Discover Greenwich Visitor Centre building which was completed in 1870; the whole site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade I listed, making it difficult to alter the fabric to accommodate special access requirements. Every effort has been made, however, to ensure that the site is open to visitors with disabilities.

Access to the site is at street level. There are 11 steps to climb from College Way (which runs east-west through the site) to Upper Grand Square where the entrances to the Painted Hall and Chapel are situated. There is a stair-free route, going around the buildings, and the main body of the Painted Hall can be reached via a lift from College Way. The Visitor Centre is at street level.

Permanent seating is available throughout the site; benches are located at various points around the grounds and visitors are welcome to sit on the pews and chairs in the Chapel and Painted Hall.

Wheelchair Access
There is a lift from College Way which provides access to the main floor of the Painted Hall (level 1) and to the King William Restaurant (level -1). The lift can be self-operated and there is an alarm to alert staff in the case of difficulty.

There is a stair-free route to the Chapel and the vestibule can be accessed by ramp from the colonnade - if the doors are closed there is an assistance bell to alert staff inside. There are 13 stairs from the Chapel vestibule to the Chapel proper and access is through use of a Stairmate machine which carries a person up and down stairs in their own wheelchair. The Stairmate is manually operated and must be used by a qualified operator. The wheelchair and the wheelchair user are strapped in and the whole machine is tilted to a 45° angle. Though not suitable for electric scooters, the Stairmate can be used with electric wheelchairs which are no wider than a manual chair. The maximum person-wheelchair weight which can be carried is 440lbs or 200kg.

There are 15 stairs from the Painted Hall vestibule to the main Hall; the Stairmate can be used if preferred to the lift.

Visual Impairment
There are guide sheets in braille and large print in both the Painted Hall and Chapel, please speak to one of the Yeoman guides if you require assistance. Assistance dogs are welcome into the buildings.

Please inform us of your visit on 020 8269 4799 (or 020 8269 4767 at weekends) and we can ensure trained staff are available to help you. We can also send out one of our Access leaflets which includes a map of the site.

Alternatively you can download the leaflet here: Access leaflet (3.7 MB)

Getting here and away

By DLR/ Tube
Cutty Sark on the Docklands Light Railway [DLR] is the nearest station (of both overground and underground) to the site. Take the Jubilee Line to Canary Wharf and change to the DLR, or board the DLR direct from Bank, Tower Gateway, Stratford, Beckton or Lewisham, exiting at Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich. The majority of the Jubilee line is accessible but please check this applies to the station you are boarding from before your journey. Canary Wharf Underground, along with the whole of the DLR, is fully accessible. There is a lift to street level at Cutty Sark; exiting the lift lobby turn right, past Waterstones and straight ahead towards the ORNC. Please click here for TFL Accessible tube maps

By Mainline Rail Services
The nearest train station is Greenwich (Zone 2) which has connections to Charing Cross, Waterloo East, Cannon Street, London Bridge and Dartford; it is approximately 0.5 miles from the site, through the town, or you can take the DLR one stop from Greenwich Station to Cutty Sark which is just 3 minutes from the site. Greenwich Station has full step-free access; platforms are accessed via ramp and lifts and the Ticket Office and car park are also step-free. Southeastern trains run to the station and they request that you book in advance when requiring a ramp to access the train; please call the Assistance Booking line on 0800 783 4524, who can also give detail on what alternative stations can be used if access/assistance is not available for any reason. Adapted toilets are available when the booking hall is open. Southeastern trains textphone number: 0800 783 4548. Select the following link for further information: Greenwich Station access page

By River
Greenwich is just four miles downstream from Tower Bridge. Regular riverboat services are now available from Westminster, Embankment and Tower Piers to Greenwich, the timetable is seasonal so please check times careful before you set off. All of these piers are wheelchair accessible and City Cruises (who run a regular service to Greenwich) boats are accessible.

By Bus
Routes 177, 180, 188 and 386 are operated by low floor buses and can take wheelchairs. Wheelchair users are entitled to free travel on London buses and do not need to show any ticket or pass but anyone accompanying them must hold a valid ticket or pay the appropriate fare. All types of Assistance Dogs are welcome on London buses.

For further information on how to reach the ORNC by public transport visit the TFL Accessibility page

By Taxi
Greenwich does not have a taxi rank. Advance booking of taxis is essential. Consider using the following taxi operators:
Lewisham on 020 8297 2974 or Radio Taxis on 020 7272 0272.
All or some of the vehicles used by these operators are understood to be wheelchair accessible. We recommend that you call to check availability and suitability before travelling. Taxis can drop off within the ORNC site if they are booked in beforehand, please call 0208 269 4799 to book in.

By Car
Greenwich Council's policy is to provide free parking to any person displaying a Blue Badge at the following places:
-Disabled parking spaces ('Blue Badge Displayed')
-Pay & Display street parking (three-hour limit)
-Car parks (three-hour limit)
-Meter parking spaces (three-hour limit).
Note that Blue Badge holders cannot park in residents' parking bays or where loading and unloading restrictions apply.

The nearest car parks to the ORNC site are on Park Row and Cutty Sark Gardens. There is also limited disabled parking available for restaurant and event customers only on the site, please call 0208 2694799 to book this in advance of your visit.

Guided Tours

Unfortunately the Jacobean Undercroft is not accessible to visitors with disabilities, the only access is down a steep flight of stairs.

Dedicated assistants to visitors who are Deaf or hard of hearing go free on tours as do dedicated wheelchair assistants and sighted guides for visually impaired visitors.