Overview

The Poppy Factory in Richmond, Greater London, is where the Remembrance Wreaths are hand-made, for the the different regiments and royal family. The public can pre-book a tour of its visitors' centre, which is very accessible and step free. The tour starts with a talk and short video. There is then time for you to go round at your own pace to explore the visitors centre. There is an exhibition telling the history of the factory and displays of the different type of wreaths they made. There is also the opportunity to have a go at making a wreath (which you can't take away) and making your own poppy (which you can take home with you). There is also a cafe with delicious cakes. The tour time slot lasts about 1.5 hours. The factory was founded in 1922, to offer employment to disabled soldiers returning from the First World War. They charity have continued to do this and have expanded to help disabled veterans find wider employment through their one-to-one support. When you visit the factory you will discovered that the equipment used was adapted or custom made to enable disabled people to operate the machinery. This is a very special place to visit and its history is fascinating.

Transport & Parking

Richmond Tube and Train Station which both have step free access via a lift, is about a 15 minute, mostly level walk away. Alternatively from outside of the station bus 65 will take you directly to the Poppy Factory. The stop is Compass Hill and the journey takes about 5 minutes, plus the buses are frequent. When you get off the bus (coming from Richmond) you are on the same side as the Poppy Factory. You will stop directly in front of building labelled Richmond Brewery Stores. Turn left and walk to the end of the building. There is then a drive way and the Poppy Factory is signposted. Follow the sign through the car park to the entrance to the visitors' centre.

Access

The front doors open when the tour time starts. Otherwise there is a push button for exiting. The visitors centre is all on the ground floor and is entirely step free. On arrival there is a information desk and shop on your left and on your right there are rows of free standing seats, with back support, this is where the talk and film show take place. the film and videos are captioned. Further into the visitors centre there are information boards and displays. There is the opportunity to make a wreath or poppy. The cafe has a self service counter at standing height. There are plenty of free standing tables and chairs where you can sit and have your refreshments. The public tours group sizes are quite large, approx 30-40 people, but as you can make your own way round the visitors centre and the corridors are wide you can move on to a quieter area or take a seat whenever you want to. This made it very accessible and stress free for me, as I could go at my own pace.

Toilets

There is an accessible toilet in the visitors' centre. It is the first one in a corridor. The accessible toilet has a manual door and there no sign to say it is the accessible toilet. The toilet is spacious, with grab rails. It has an emergency cord that was tided up when I visited. I set it free and placed a Euan's guide red cord card on it. The bathroom is clean, tidy and well maintained.

Staff

Staff were very friendly and welcoming. The introductory talk was fascinating. The staff working in the cafe were very helpful. When someone came round to clear away my plate, I spoke to them about the lack of signage on the accessible toilet door and the cord being tided up. I gave her an extra red cord card and invited her to contact EG for more for the accessible toilets for their workers. I also suggested having a chair or two by where you made the wreaths and poppies would be helpful for people who needed a seat. The person said they would get this followed up.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

A very special place to visit. Extremely accessible and welcoming. Recommend it and the poppy topped cup cakes. I'm delighted to have visited.

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