Burial mounds
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This review is especially helpful for those who have or use the following: Walking Aid, Wheelchair
Overview
Parking very near the entrance and visitor centre with level access across hard surface. The admission desk, café and toilets are in one building, with level or gently sloping surfaces. There are plenty of outdoor eating areas, both as part of the café and for eating your own picnic. The excellent interpretation and visitor centre is right opposite and has automatic doors. Start with a 10 min film giving a brief history of the site which is shown in a small tiered viewing room but there is room for wheelchairs on the top level. There is an excellent reconstruction of the ship burial, showing replicas of the grave goods found in the burial. There is also information about the discovery of the burial mounds and how they were excavated in various stages. The actual burial mounds were some distance from the visitor centre, reached by undulating gravel paths. We did not attempt to visit that part of the site, as it would be too far for me to walk and I only have a manual wheelchair. The whole site, which is owned by National Trust, closed on 30th September 2018, for improvements and re-interp;ratation of the site, so it will be interesting to see how the site develops.
Transport & Parking
Drove to the site, which is well signposted and then accessed down a long drive from the road. Plenty of disabled parking spaces with hard, level surface. Parking right opposite the entrance & café building.
Access
Level hard surfaces throughout the entrance and café building. Then just across a small courtyard to the interpretation building. Both buildings have automatic doors and were each just one floor. The actual burial mounds were some distance away and accessed via undulating gravel surfaced paths. There was no shuttle vehicle available and the access would have been hard work for manual wheelchairs.
Toilets
Located next to main toilets, opposite entrance desk and in the same building as the café. Easy opening door (thank goodness) and plenty of room inside. Well equipped and very clean. Only downside was that when the door was open, it slightly obstructed the door of the gents toilet.
Staff
Good staff. We were made to feel welcome but without fuss. This was consistent at the admission desk, café and visitor centre.
Anything else you wish to tell us?
Will be interesting to see what improvements are made during the closure of the site in Autumn 2018.
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