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Tower of London Wheelchair Accessibility

  Tower of London wheelchair access is challenging but doable. Compared to the other major tourist sites in London, this attraction has more accessibility challenges due to cobblestones and several buildings that can only be accessed by steps.

The majority of the Tower of London has steps but access to the Crown Jewels is step-free. Getting to the Crown Jewels will require navigating about 200 m of cobblestones (3 star smoothness) going in an out, and about 200 m going up a smooth hill when leaving (3 star slope).

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Guards stand by to protect the crown jewels. Group guided tours are available but they require going over cobblestones and up flight(s) of stairs.
 

Cobblestones in the Tower of London are shown on the left. These have 3 star smoothness and will really slow down a wheelchair user. The picture on the right shows some bumpy ground in the courtyard. The cobblestones at the entrance are shown in the bottom left.
 

The guided tour goes up this flight of stairs. This is where we turned around and went up the street located 1 block to the east.

Accessible route from then entrance of the Tower of London to the Crown Jewels:

Is there a Tower of London wheelchair accessible entrance? Yes, step-free access at the southwest corner of the building.
Is the door push/pull, revolving, automated by a button, or motion activated? There is no door at the entrance.

Where is the closest place that cars/taxis can drop-off people? SW of building on Lower Thames St, 4 Star Sage Flatness slope leads 70 m to entrance

What are the nearby tube stations?  Tower Hill

What bus lines pass nearby? Bus Routes: 15, 42, 78, 100, RV1, some have wheelchair access.

Are there cobblestones or hills leading to the entrance? Yes, there is a Sage 3 Star Flatness slope leading 170 meters from Tower Hill Terrace Street to the north down to entrance.

What percentage of the attraction can be viewed without having to go up steps? 20%

Which parts are not accessible? All buildings have steps except for the one with the crown jewels.
Chapel of St. Peter Advincula: 4 steps, Constable Tower: 6 steps, White Tower: 40+ steps, Bloody Tower: 55 steps, Medieval Palace: 24 steps, Wall Walk: 162 steps, Torture at the Tower exhibit: 61 steps, Beauchamp Tower: 80 steps.

The courtyard is mainly covered by cobblestones (Sage 3 Star Flatness). Some cobblestones can be avoided by getting up a curb to the sidewalk. It is 350 meters from entrance to paved area in front of crown jewel building.

Are there loaner wheelchairs? Yes

Is there an accessible bathroom? Yes
Is the door wide enough for a wheelchair? Yes
Are there grab bars? Yes
Is there a space to position a wheelchair next to the toilet? Yes

Are there guided tours that don’t have to go up steps? No, the 60 min tours start every 30 min but go up about 20 steps

Does advance notice need to be given for…
…handicapped parking? No
…opening of an accessible entrance? No
…loaner wheelchairs? No
…accessible tours? No

Is there a discount for someone with a disability and/or their companion? Free for companion of disabled person

Opening Hours: Tue-Sat 9-18:00, Sun-Mon 10-18:00.
How many hours do most able-bodied tourists spend there on their first visit? Tourists avoiding steps only have 60 min worth of sights to see

Address: Tower Hill,EC3N 4 London, UK
Telephone: +44 (0)870 7566060
Website: http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/planyourvisit/disabledaccess.aspx
Email: claire.ashford@hrp.org.uk

Have questions about London accessibility?
Our London accessible travel consultants have all the answers.

Read more:

London Accessible Travel – main page 
   Pros and Cons of London Disabled Access 
   13 Wheelchair Accessible Travel Tips for London England 
   9 Keys to Success for London Handicapped Travel 
   Tower of London Wheelchair Access 
   London Eye Wheelchair Accessibility 
   Stonehenge Disabled Access 
   Travel Insurance for Disabled Travelers 
   London Accessible Travel Packages 
Accessible Walking and Driving Tours in London 
   Highlights of London Accessible Driving Tour 
   Classic London Wheelchair Accessible Tour 
   Royal London Accessible Guided Tour 
   London Accessible Boat Cruise on the Thames River 
   Stonehenge & Hampton Court Accessible Driving Tour 
   Stonehenge & Windsor Castle Accessible Guided Tour 
   Stonehenge Accessible Tour by Train 
   Cambridge Accessible Tour from London 
   Oxford Accessible Tour from London 
   Highlights of Greenwich Accessible Tour 
London Accessibility Guide by John Sage 
London Trip Planning by Sage Traveling – Travel with Ease!

 

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