Arrival and external access
- Location: St John’s House is a 16th century building situated on Newcastle Hill, Bridgend (CF31 4EY), an area characterised by a steep incline.
- Parking: There is no dedicated on-site parking at the property. Visitors with limited mobility must use public town centre car parks or local street parking bays where short-stay restrictions apply. There are sometimes free parking spaces on Newcastle Hill but this cannot be guaranteed.
- Public transport: The railway station is a 10 minute walk to the house, with Station Hill being a steep hill down at the start of the walk, and steep incline up Newcastle Hill at the end. Taxis are available at the station. Bridgend bus station is a 7 minute walk, mostly flat until you reach Newcastle Hill.
- Approach: The approach involves navigating a steep pavement up Newcastle Hill, which may present a challenge for manual wheelchair users or those with limited stamina.
Main entrance and ground floor
As a Grade II* listed building, the house features historic steps and stairs.
- The Porch: Entrance to the property is gained via a historic stone porch, however there is a steep step at the front of the building into the porch. The property is not accessible to wheelchair users due to the height of the front step and at the back of the property a series of steps. We have spent a lot of time considering how we can overcome this and at the moment there are no short term solutions. The long term solution would be to build a tower at the rear of the property with wheelchair access via a lift. To assist access to the high front step we have an additional portable step that is placed in front of the stone step when we are open, effectively making it a two step access, but much shallower. For children in pushchairs our volunteers can assist in getting the pushchair into the property and we can arrange for it to be stored if it is not going to be used in the house.
- Layout: Inside, the ground floor features a traditional hearth-passage plan where the main fireplace backs onto a central corridor. There are six areas on the ground floor – the Great Hall, Georgian Kitchen, Exhibition space, Hallway, Shop, and Service area. With the exception of the shop and service area these do not have steps. The service area and shop both have one shallow step into them.
- Flooring: The flooring on the ground level consists of historic, uneven stone and solid surfaces. Care needs to be taken by all users in the house.
- Lighting: Natural light is limited by small, deep-set medieval window openings. Low-energy interior lighting is used to protect the fabric of the building, meaning some areas are dimly lit.
- Signage: As well as our display boards in the Hallway and Great Chamber we have signage in each room on ‘paddles’ for those who do not want a tour or to use our digital guide.
Upper floor access
- Staircases: Access to the Great Chamber and upper loft spaces is via narrow, winding stone spiral intramural stairs built directly into the walls. As it is a 500 year old building there is no lift to the upper floors, access is by steps only. The staircases have 9 steps to the upper floor and the staircase to the loft has 8 steps.
- Mobility restrictions: These stairs are steep, uneven, and narrow, making them entirely inaccessible to wheelchairs, prams, or individuals with severe mobility impairments. We do however have rope banisters on both lower staircases to assist visitors using the stairs. There are spotlights placed on each staircase to improve the lighting. The stairs leading from the Gallery down into the Great Hall are steep and we have a warning notice indicating this. If any visitor wishes to see the witches marks in the loft they must be accompanied by one of our volunteers. The stairs to the loft are very steep and do not have a handrail. The storeroom leading from the Gallery is out of bounds to the general public.
- Layout: There are three rooms open to the public on the first floor – the Great Chamber, the Gallery and the Solar. The floors are constructed of wooden floorboards. The level of the Gallery is higher than the Great Chamber and we have installed a shallow ramp between the two rooms.
- Alternative provisions: For visitors unable to climb the stairs, digital guides on Bloomberg Connects downloadable on a smart phone and televised room pictures are made available on the ground floor.
Facilities and assistance
Website and digital guide accessibility
- Website: We have annotated our pictures on the website where possible using alt text so that visually impaired visitors are able to understand what they show.
- Digital Guide: Visitors can access a digital layout and information guide via the Bloomberg Connects App on their smartphones to assist with self-guided tours. Our digital guide can be used in a variety of languages and all pictures include alt text for visually impaired visitors.
Dogs/Assistance dogs
- Dogs: We allow all well trained dogs into the house providing they are on a lead. We provide water in a bowl outside the front door and dog treats.
Hearing loop
- Hearing loop: We do not have a hearing loop in St Johns House.
Shop
- Shop and bookshop: We have a small shop on the ground floor with a range of handcrafted gifts, St John’s House branded gifts and second hand books. There is one step into the shop. There are displays of books and gifts on the higher sideboard shelves. Staff can assist if required.
Contact information
- Email: saintjohns@hotmail.co.uk and we also have a contact us page
- Website: https://stjohns-bridgend.org.uk/
- Phone: We do not have a phone so email or the contact form is the best way to get hold of us.
- Hours of operation: We open on the second Sunday and the last Saturday of every month except the last Saturday in December. In addition, we hold events and occasional ad hoc open days which are publicised on our website and Facebook and Instagram pages.
- Local public transport: https://www.traveline.cymru/(journey planner), https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/(national rail).
- Catering: Bridgend town centre has many restaurants and cafes, mostly within 10 minutes walk of St Johns House.
