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  • accessibility-at-longthorpe-tower
  1. FAQs

Accessibility at Longthorpe Tower

Key information / access highlights

Please take care as Longthorpe Tower is a historic building

  • The Tower is not accessible to wheelchairs, mobility scooters or pushchairs
  • Trip hazards: There are some low doors and historic steps throughout the Tower
  • Steep Stairs: There are a number of steep medieval steps leading up to the first floor.

Contact us directly if your question is not answered below.

Accessibility welcome to Longthorpe Tower

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All visits to Longthorpe Tower must be booked in advance and there is an admission fee for anyone who is not an English Heritage member.

Details of admission charges and booking can be found on our Events Page on the Nene Park website. If you have any problems booking online or you have carer who needs to visit the Tower to support you, please call Visitor Services on 01733 234193.

Volunteer Guides will welcome all pre-booked visitors to the Tower.

Published: 1st July, 2021

Updated: 4th April, 2022

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Planning your visit to Longthorpe Tower

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How to find us

Please visit our Find us page for details of the different ways to get to Longthorpe Tower.

Information regarding accessibility of Longthorpe Tower can also be found on the English Heritage website.

Parking

There is no parking outside the Longthorpe Tower. Visitors are able to use the parking area for St Botolph's Church on Woburn Close. The off-road parking is an uneven surfaced area. There are no designated accessible parking spaces. Longthorpe Tower is 0.2 miles from the parking area.

Parking is free for those visiting Longthorpe Tower.

Assistance Dogs

Assistance dogs are welcome at Longthorpe Tower and a dog-drinking bowl is available. Non-assistance dogs are not permitted at Longthorpe Tower.

Wheelchairs, Mobility Scooters and Pushchairs

Unfortunately, Longthorpe Tower is not accessible to wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs due to a flight of stairs being the only entrance into the building.

Parklife newsletter and other information

Our regular newsletter Parklife is available in standard, large print or audio formats. All are freely available in advance of your visit either electronically or by post. Please contact us with details of your requirements. Detailed information about Longthorpe Tower can also be found on the English Heritage website.

Published: 30th June, 2021

Updated: 8th July, 2021

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Getting around Longthorpe Tower

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Longthorpe Tower is a historical building built in the late 13th century and is a stone built Grade 1 listed building.

The Approach to Longthorpe Tower

Longthorpe Tower is 0.2 miles from the parking area of Botolph Church on Woburn Close. Visitors take a left out of Woburn Close along Thorpe Road on uneven pavement until reaching an uneven, surfaced track to the left. The Tower is further down the track on the right.

The entrance to the Tower is through a narrow gateway on the right-hand side of the track.

There is no seating available in the outside area where visitors are expected to wait for their tour to begin.

Getting in

To access the first-floor entrance of Longthorpe Tower, visitors take narrow wooden stairs with handrail to a wide entrance/exit door over a large stone step. There is a landing three quarters of the way up and just before the entrance door. Steps can be slippery after rain.

First floor ‘The Painted Room’

On entry, visitors are immediately into the Painted Room. The floor is stone with a heavy duty carpet covering all of the first floor. On the first floor there are three backless benches, a cabinet, a reception desk and gift shelf.

Enjoying the paintings

Mirrors are available for visitors to use to view the paintings on the ceiling without bending the neck.

Passionate volunteers will share their knowledge of the paintings and their time in history.

Personal photos can be taken – no flash allowed.

Please do not touch the walls in the Painted Room – volunteers will remind you of this.

Access to the second floor

Access to the second floor is through a low, narrow door with stone step threshold that leads directly to a narrow stone staircase that spirals slightly at the top. The stone steps are of uneven surface, height and width. There is a rope rail along the stone wall to support walking the stairs. There is lighting in the stairwell, but due to lack of natural light it is dimly lit. Small torches are available upon request.

Second floor

From the stairs, visitors pass through a narrow, low stone doorway with stone step threshold to the second floor. There is stone flooring with rug. The room is well lit. There are two backless wooden benches.

To one corner there is a low, narrow opening with stone step that gives access to an unlit former latrine.

There are pull up banners with information, lower height interpretation panel with activity and artefacts on display.

Medieval music plays on the second floor.

Published: 29th June, 2021

Updated: 8th July, 2021

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Facilities and services at Longthorpe Tower

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Toilets

There is a small single unisex toilet in a wooden outbuilding with a raised threshold available in emergencies. There are no baby changing facilities.

Food & Drink

No food and drink is available at Longthorpe Tower.

Published: 28th June, 2021

Updated: 8th July, 2021

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Things to do at Longthorpe Tower

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Guided Tour

Guided Tours are available at weekends. To enjoy a tour of the Tower, visitors must book an hour’s tour. For details on how to book a tour please visit our Events Page

Educational Group Visit

Educational groups can book a self-led session or a Guide Leader session between 9-5pm on a Monday to Friday with notice.

Self-led sessions: Self-led groups (including: formal education groups (schools, colleges, academies, universities), lifelong learner groups (U3A, WEA), groups with special learning needs) can book a slot of up to 3 hours.

A free planning visit for the group lead is available for up to 1 hour. Any additional people will pay the cost of a 1 hour entry with Tour Guide.

Guide Leader sessions: Educational groups can select 1, 2 or 3 hour tours for up to 35 people. Payment for these sessions will be invoiced once booking has been finalised.

Information about group bookings will soon be available on the website. In the meantime, please contact [email protected] if you would like to know more.

Gift Shop

There is a small selection of Longthorpe Tower and medieval themed gifts for visitors to purchase on site. The gift shop is located on the first floor and is currently cash only. 

Volunteer opportunities

Nene Park Trust offers a range of volunteer opportunities. Our volunteer pages contain information about current vacancies and the contact details to discuss any specific access requirements.

Published: 27th June, 2021

Updated: 4th April, 2022

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Feedback on your visit to Longthorpe Tower

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Nene Park Access Forum

Do you have an interest in access at Nene Park? Nene Park Trust holds a twice-yearly access forum to update park users about access improvements and to hear directly from visitors about their experiences of using the Park. We also make contact in between meetings to share information about access related developments including a regular Nene Park Access Forum newsletter. We welcome anyone with an interest or an experience to share. For more details, contact us.

Feedback

We are always keen to hear visitors’ experiences of the Park to continue to improve our services and you can provide this in a number of ways:

  • Contact us directly
  • Share your feedback with volunteers at Longthorpe Tower
  • Provide feedback online through TripAdvisor
  • Leave a Google Review
  • Join our Access Forum or Volunteers to become more involved in the development of the Park.

Published: 26th June, 2021

Updated: 26th July, 2021

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Company Registration No 2288607
Registered in England and Wales

Nene Park Trust
Ham Farm House
Ham Lane
Peterborough
PE2 5UU

01733 234193
[email protected]

     
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