Faculty of Music

There are accessible parking spaces available in the faculty car park on Floyds Row (which is at the side of the building). Please contact the department directly to arrange booking one of these spaces. 

Please follow the link below for a map showing public accessible parking in central Oxford: 

• Oxford Blue Badge parking map (PDF)

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The main entrance to the building is level access. To reach it, walk to the end of Floyd’s Row and turn right onto St Aldates.  The faculty will be on your right.  The main entrance is at the end of a gravel drive which might be tricky for some wheelchair users.

The building is accessed through two sets of double doors. The first of these has no visual panel, but one side is held open during opening hours. The next set of doors has a visual panel, and is manually opened by swipe card access.  Both of these doorways are a bit narrow, and wheelchair users might need the second side opening.

There is an intercom on the left hand side of the main entrance which can be used to contact reception.  Reception is usually manned from 9.00-15.00, but other staff can also open the double doors.

The entrance to the Music practice block is level access, but users will need a fob to open the door. Temporary fobs can be issued at reception. 

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The reception desk is on your left as you enter the building. This is at waist height, with a fixed hearing loop.

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Accessible toilets

The disabled toilet is on the ground floor. From the main lobby, go through the doors ahead, and then follow the corridor round to your right.  The toilet will be on your left hand side. 

Accessible toilets

On the ground floor, leave the lobby by the door ahead of you, and follow the corridor round to your right.  The Women's will be on your left and the Men's on your right

On the first floor, there are both Men's and Women's standard toilets on the left hand side as you exit the common room.  These are on your right when you come up the main stairs. 

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There is one lift in the main part of the building, and two in the library. The only part of the building which is not accessible by lift is the first floor of the main section (see floor plan), which contains staff and administrative offices.  All floors of the library are fully accessible by lift. 

An incline lift is used to get to the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments from inside the faculty, but the collection can also be accessed separately from St Aldates. 

In the library, there is a incline lift to the lower level, which houses the listening library, photocopy room, keyboards, and a computer cluster. A platform lift is used to get to the first and second floors.  This lift door needs to be opened manually, and opens outwards.

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The main staircase in the central building is carpeted, with a wooden bannister on the right-hand side as you ascend.  Only parts of the staircase have tactile nosing, and the contrast is low. The steps down to the area which houses the Bate Collection have a wooden bannister on the right hand side as you descend, and contrasting tactile nosing.  The stairs to the section of the building which is inaccessible by lift are similar, with a railing on the left hand side as you ascend.  

The library has a spiral stone staircase with a railing on the right hand side as you ascend, and no nosings.  The steps down to the lower library area have contrasting nosings, but no handrail. 

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Doors in the faculty corridors are double doors with visual panels.  Wheelchair users may need both sides to be opened.  The library is accessed by two sets of similar doors which are positioned very close together.  This might prove awkward for some, especially as there is also a books returns box in the space!

The door leading from the main building to the practice block is a wooden door with no visual panel.  The door to the practice room is glass, and both of these are operated using a key fob.  Inside the practice block, doors to the individual rooms have large glass panels.

The doors to the Denis Arnold Hall are double wooden doors with no visual panels.  Doors to the seminar rooms and instrument stores also have no visual panels. Please take care!

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The library reading rooms are spread across three floors, and all are accessible by lift.  Shelving is open access, but some users may need to ask for assistance reaching the higher shelves.   There is fixed study space available, but the desk height could be low for wheelchair users.  Ladders form occasional obstacles.  The incline lift to the lower library is staff-operated, and limited space means that it’s necessary to send it back to the top before wheelchair users can access the rooms.

Level access to the studio is through two manual wooden doors with no visual panels.  Ask at reception to be let into the studio, which is usually kept locked.  

The information desk is on the left hand side as you enter the library.

There is one ergonomic chair, and one height-adjustable desk available for use.

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The Denis Arnold Hall is both the main lecture theatre and main public space of the building. Seating is moveable, although space between the rows might be tight for some. 

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The seminar rooms in the main part of the building are on the ground floor. They have moveable furniture consisting of chairs with lap tables. The fact that these spaces also house multiple keyboard instruments can make space a bit tight!

Access to the practice block is via a path of concrete paving leading from the back of the building. Once inside, the main ensemble room is level access, with moveable furniture. Other rooms are small, and they all have a step down into them marked with contrasting tape. There is a temporary portable ramp available.

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The common room is on your right as you exit the lift on the first floor of the library. It has moveable chairs and a low coffee table. The kitchen space is very small, and all units are at waist height, so it might not be accessible for wheelchair users. There are three accessible computers with moveable chairs along one wall of the common room.

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The reception desk, Denis Arnold Hall and the library information desk all have fixed hearing loops.

Accessible Computers

There are accessible computers on the lower and ground floors of the library.  Both areas have moveable furniture, although space may be a little tight on the ground floor.  Wheelchair users might prefer to use the cluster in dedicated room in the lower library.  There are also accessible computers in the first floor common room. 

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