Accessible Britain

THE SOUTHWEST
buggies to transport people who have mobility difficulties to the entrance. Ticket staff
are fully briefed on access and most are TypeTalk trained. Hearing loops are available
at three of the ticket booths. Accessible toilets are plentiful throughout the park. There
is also an expansive Changing Places toilet near the entrance, which includes a height
adjustable changing bench, a hoist system and shower.
There are two routes down to the Biomes – the one that goes over the bridge and
down in the lift is the shortest, but to avoid any walking at all you can take the land
train there and back instead. There are slopes throughout the site, but these are
mostly manageable and most of the few steps and steep gradients have alternative
routes. For powered scooter users, the majority of Eden is a breeze. Eden’s on-site
powered wheelchairs should be booked two weeks in advance during peak holiday
times. Manual wheelchair users can get help from one of Eden’s trained volunteers,
who can also be booked in advance to assist visitors with sensory disabilities around
the site. Easy English, large print and Widgit (symbols for those with learning and
communication difficulties) guidebooks are available – for further information see the
Eden Project’s comprehensive access guide (www.edenproject.com/access-guide). You
can also get a Braille version of the guidebook sent to you (contact Nicola Hawkins on
01726 818895), and there is a Braille exhibit in the Core where visitors can explore the
carbon footprint of everyday items.
FOOD & DRINK aa There’s excellent food at Eden’s numerous accessible restaurants and
cafés, where the bulk of the produce is local and organic.
058 Trengwainton Garden, Cornwall
Address: Trengwainton Garden, Madron, Penzance, Cornwall, TR20 8RZ Web: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
trengwainton-garden Tel: 01736 363148 Hours: Mid -Feb to Oct Mon–Thu & Sun 10:30am–5pm; last
entry at 4:30pm Dates: Closed Fri & Sat, plus Nov to mid-Feb except 4, 6, 11 & 13 Dec Entry: [D]£8 [C]Up
to 2 carers free [A]£8 [under 5s]free [5–15s]£4 [Fam]£20. Free carers can be pre-booked on 0344 800 1895
With a spectacular view from the lawns in front of a stately home, Trengwainton Garden
is a hidden gem in the countryside near Penzance. This stunning garden is stocked
with plants from around the world, some of which have flowered here for the first time
in the British Isles.
The long gentle hill into the garden leads past a stunning display of mature trees
and shrubs. To the right are the walled gardens where a wide selection of year-round
fruit and vegetables are on display – much of the produce grown is used in the garden’s
tea room. Further sights in the walled gardens include a second-hand bookshop, an
orchard, chickens and bee hives. Continuing up the main route the hill stretches on,
which might be a struggle for some, but eventually visitors emerge onto a lawn in front
of a private stately home. Here, you can stop and admire fantastic vistas over Mount’s
Bay – sometimes even as far as the Lizard peninsula on a clear day – or move further on
to the terrace, where you can sit down and enjoy the view.
There are two car parks; the left one at the bottom has six disabled parking spaces.
From here, the garden entrance is about a hundred yards down an inclining winding
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