Venue Description

Kents Cavern is one of the most important Stone Age sites in Europe and one of Britain's best showcaves! On your visit you'll go back to a time when the cave was home to ancient humans, sheltering from extreme weather, making fires, shaping tools and hunting Ice Age animals. As you walk through the extensive labyrinth of caverns, you'll be surrounded by 400 million year old rocks and spectacular stalagmites and stalactites.

Accessibility

There is a British Sign Language tour at the site, which has been produced by Heritage Ability. The tour consists of a collection of videos that detail the heritage at the site in British Sign Language (BSL). They are provided on a tablet which is handed out at reception, or visitors can view them on their own devices via the Heritage Ability YouTube channel. They feature Deaf volunteers who have interpreted the history at the site in a way that they find appropriate and engaging. The British Sign Language videos are exclusively for BSL users. They do not have any audio or subtitles. The BSL community cannot always benefit from the written English language because some of the words are not applicable to BSL; which is visually led and strong in story-telling and joke-telling. There is also a Visual Story at the site which has also been produced by Heritage Ability. The Visual Story is an online guide that details anything at the site that may come as an unwelcome surprise. The Visual Story helps people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It covers baseline information like entry prices, parking and so on, but its primary purpose is to highlight elements like sound levels, lighting levels, spaces and bespoke features that may cause distress. It is important to note that it does not replace an accessibility guide, rather complements it for people with specific and complex needs.

Access Statement

Access Statement Link: https://www.kents-cavern.co.uk/userfiles/userfiles/file/Access%20Statement(1).pdf

Awards List

Part of the Heritage Ability scheme, which makes visitor attractions across the South West more accessible for disabled people and British Sign Language (BSL) users.

Toilets

Information about the toilets has not been added for this venue.

Staff

Staff and volunteers have all received Disability and Deaf Awareness training provided by Heritage Ability.