St Edmund Hall

There is no parking available on site.

There are nearby public Blue Badge parking spaces available – see parking map for details.

• Oxford Blue Badge parking map (PDF)

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The main entrance is on Queen’s Lane, off High Street. There is level access up to the entrance, but as with much of central Oxford the paving can be a little uneven so do take care. The large heavy door is kept open until 10pm when this entrance is locked (at which point entrance is via High Street). There is level access through the corridor to a large metal door. This will either be open or closed depending on security needs. The door is unlocked with a key fob – the reader is at an accessible height for wheelchair users. The door is large and very heavy, the porters will be happy to help if needed (the Porter's Lodge is on the right up two steps). Once through the door you will be in the Front Quad.

There is also a secure entrance on High Street. There is a large metal double gate – one of these is always kept open. Once through the gate you will see a revolving turnstile on the left as well as a standard metal gate on the right. Both of these are secure and operated by key fob readers to get in and out – all of the key fob readers are at an accessible height for wheelchair users. There is also a video intercom here which connects to the porter’s lodge 24 hours a day – the buttons here may well be too high for many wheelchair users to reach. Once through this entrance you will be at the back of the dining hall and near many of the accommodation buildings.

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You will see the porter’s lodge on your right as you enter from Queen’s Lane. (This entrance is open until 10pm; after this time please use the High Street entrance where there is also an intercom which connects to the lodge.) There are two steps up to the reception counter. You can also reach the counter by going straight ahead into the quad where you will see an access ramp on your right – use this to come back into the lodge and you will be able to get to the reception counter. You will pass through two sets of double doors – these are usually held open.

The counter is at an accessible height for wheelchair users, although there is no recessed knee space. There are sliding glass windows which have contrasting markings.

A portable hearing loop is available on request.

There are also pigeon holes in this area including many at an accessible height for wheelchair users.

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Accessible toilets

There is an accessible toilet on the ground floor of White Hall. You’ll need to come through a secure door into a lobby with a shower straight ahead and the toilet on the left. The door into the lobby is heavy and on a strong closer. The toilet itself is slightly narrow, although most wheelchair users should have sufficient space to manoeuvre.  There is a drop down grab rail to one side of the WC, and a grab rail to one side of the sink. There is very minimal contrast between the toilet, rails, sink and walls.

There is another accessible toilet on the first floor of the Emden Building (there is a platform lift from the ground floor).  This has a sliding door. There are high contrast rails both sides of the WC and sink. There is no sign on the door of this toilet which is located next to the standard gents toilet.

There are no other accessible toilets at St Edmund Hall (although it is a relatively small college).  

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There is a platform lift in the Emden Building which connects the ground and first floors. This has manually operated doors. The lift buttons have raised numbers as well as information in Braille. There is audio and visual information and a grab rail. The button must be held down for the whole of the journey. The first floor has an upper and lower level; the lift has two doors so that you can exit at either level.

There are no other lifts at Teddy Hall. 

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The college has expanded many times and contains a wide range of building styles across the site. Therefore there is a wide range of staircases, some more accessible than others.

Below are some images to try and show the mix of stairs across the college.

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The college has expanded many times and contains a wide range of building styles across the site. There is a wide range of doors, some more accessible than others.

With the exception of the door into Kelly building, there are no powered doors. Some of the doors are large and heavy meaning that some people may require assistance.

Where doors are secure, they are opened with key fobs. The key fob reader is usually located just above the door handle. 

Below are some images to try and represent the mix of doors across the college site.  

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The main entrance on Queen’s Lane takes you into the Front Quad

There is level access around the quad and through to the gardens and library (via a ramp) as well as the rear quad and dining hall. There is a grassed central area with paths around the edge of the quad. The surface is paving slabs with a cobbled border around the central grassed area. There is not a lot of contrast between the paving and the cobbles.  Although the paving is level, it is uneven in places. There is a path across the centre of the quad – from the north side there is a step up to this, from the south it is level.

As with most colleges, there are staircases around the quad leading to accommodation as well as academic and teaching offices. Due to the age of the college, many of the staircases are steep, narrow, and have only intermittent handrails.

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The Rear Quad contains most of the accommodation buildings as well as the Dining Hall. There is level access across the quad.

The Kelly building is in the middle of the quad and also contains the Dining Hall - there is an access ramp and powered door to get into this building. There is a manual door to exit the Kelly building through to the rest of the Rear Quad and then into the Emden building containing the JCR and Doctorow Hall (lecture theatre) as well as accommodation.

The High Street entrance is to the side of the Rear Quad.

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This is accessed through the entrance to Staircase 1 which is immediately to the left as you come into the Front Quad. There is an access ramp that takes you into the Gardens of St Peter-In-The-East where you will see the converted church that is now the college library. The ramp here has a camber (slight sideways slope). Alternatively there are stairs with a handrail to the left (ascending). The path to the library is paved and is uneven in places.

There is secure access into the library with a key fob reader at an accessible height for wheelchair users to the left of the doors. This only unlocks the right hand leaf of the double doors which is too narrow for many wheelchairs. It is advisable to contact the library in advance to arrange access. There is also a small step down here which does not have any contrasting marking.

The second set of double doors are not secure, but both must be opened to enable a wheelchair to pass through – again, it is advisable to contact the library in advance to arrange access. Just beyond these doors is a security sensor which is wide enough for wheelchairs to pass through.

The library information desk is on the left as you enter. It is at an accessible height for wheelchair users but there is no recessed knee space.

There is a self-service book scanner near the information desk. This is too high for many wheelchair users – staff at the information desk are happy to help if needed.

There is level access around the main reading room. There are desks available for use – these are 65 cm high and have a bar underneath which may restrict some wheelchairs. Books are on high shelves - library staff will be happy to assist if needed.  There is a raised section of the library at the east end which can only be reached via steps. There are also further bookshelves, working spaces, and academic offices arranged over several floors of the tower. This can only be accessed via narrow, wooden, open stairs with no contrasting markings – people with visual impairments may struggle to use these stairs.

There are two gender neutral toilets in the library.

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The JCR is located on the ground floor of the Emden Building. There is level access into this room. The door is secure and opened using a key fob – the reader is just above the door handle and at an accessible height for wheelchair users.

The games room is on the upper ground floor. This can be reached via steps from the JCR, or using the platform lift just outside the JCR.

There is an accessible WC on the first floor of the Emden Building accessed by stairs or the platform lift.

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The MCR is accessed from Staircase 4 on the Front Quad. As you come into the staircase, there is a narrow doorway and a step down immediately on your left. Once in this corridor, there is a door on your left leading into the MCR.

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Currently there are no designated accessible bedrooms available at St Edmund Hall. 

There is accommodation available on the ground floor in White Hall with a nearby accessible toilet. However, there is no accessible shower. In addition, the laundry facilities are located in a basement area only accessible by stairs.

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The laundry room is in a basement below White Hall and can only be reached by steps. The stairs have contrasting markings (although these are rather faded) and a continuous handrail to the right (ascending).

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From the Front Quad, go straight ahead to the Rear Quad and Kelly building which contains the Dining Hall (otherwise known as Wolfson Hall). There is ramped access into the Kelly building, with a powered door; the push button to open this is on the right hand side. Alternatively you can enter the building through the manual doors ahead of you and go down the short flight of stairs. These are wide, stone and do not have contrasting markings on the edges. 

The dining hall is on the right hand side. Go through the large heavy door into the Wolfson Foyer. There is another large heavy door ahead of you giving access into the dining hall. The self-service area is to the left through double doors which are usually held open. The serving counter should be low enough for most wheelchair users to reach, although some food may be out of reach – staff will be able to assist if required. There are doors at the far end of the counter which let you back into the dining hall. These could be too narrow for some larger chairs – you will be able to come back out the same way you came in if this is the case.

The dining hall is mostly level, apart from a raised area for the top table - there is a step up. As with any college dining room, it can get crowded and noisy at busy times.

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There are two separate rooms of the college bar, both accessed from Staircase 2 on the Front Quad.

The entrance to The Buttery is on the left as you enter Staircase 2. The door opens onto a short ramp down into the bar. This means that it is accessible to wheelchair users, but manoeuvring space is limited and some people may struggle. There is also a high threshold at this doorway. The Buttery is a small room with some tables and chairs that can be moved as needed. The counter is at a reasonable height for wheelchair users although there is no recessed knee space. There is a second entrance into The Buttery from Staircase 1 – this door is narrow and is rarely used.

The entrance to Well Bar is on the right as you enter Staircase 2. The door opens immediately onto steps leading down into the bar.  These steps are rather worn and do not have any contrasting marking on the edges. There is a further level drop inside the bar with steps leading down to a small seating area.

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The small chapel is at the far end of the Front Quad. There are narrow double doors and a high step up into the entrance lobby. From here there are another set of double doors (usually held open) and a second step up into the main area of the chapel.

There is a portable ramp available to enable wheelchair users to access the chapel.  

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There is a portable loop available for use. This can be deployed as needed across the college.