点评:My husband and I were staying in Bath for a couple of nights slightly out of season just before most people have their Easter break. We’re National Trust members so took the opportunity to take the short trip to Lacock. My husband is a wheelchair user so we may get a slightly different perspective on what it’s like to visit the Abbey than those who can make the stairs. It’s also important to note the weather for wheelchair users, as there are not many places to hide and keep warm for them out of season. My husband has an off road capable lightweight electric wheelchair.
We parked up in the National Trust Car Park. Due to being out of season there was ample disabled parking but really there is little difference in using disabled bays than average bays other than the width of the parking space. There is still a 5 minute walk into the village at average pace no matter whether you have accessibility needs or not. Non National Trust Members were expected to pay for parking at a gazebo in the car park and National Trust Members make their way to the Fox Talbot Museum / Entrance for the Abbey to have their National Trust Cards scanned. There is plenty of signage to tell you which way to go.
It’s a historic site, so when you use a chair you’re always left guessing just how much of the place you’re going to see. But the first thing I’d say is, if you’re a wheelchair user make sure you’re either wrapped up warm or go on a sunny warm day. My husband had his leg covers on which are like a sleeping bag and his winter coat, and his gloves and still ended up feeling cold. It wasn’t that it was a particularly cold day about 10 degrees and sunny but the wind really got to him and there were few places he could hide from the elements. The weather for us was sunshine and showers, but the showers included some short bursts of hail.
When we first arrived, we had our cards scanned and we were told we could take a photo of the Abbey map. We were given directions to the Abbey, informed that the Courtyard tea rooms were closed and directed to the Stables Cafe across the road. We were told that the Abbey had a lot of steps! The grounds however were open. We also asked about the National Trust Passport stamps, we were told there were three stamps to collect in Lacock and the one for the Abbey was up at the Abbey itself.
We went to the Stables cafe first, then round the Fox Talbot Museum and then down to the Abbey. It’s another 5 minute walk from the ticket reception to the Abbey. The entrance to the Abbey is around the back. There are some lovely views across the Countryside as you make your way along the drive. Just a note for those with young children, you’re not permitted to take pushchairs in the Abbey and they have to be left under a gazebo outside the entrance. They are unattended while you are in the Abbey.
The main entrance takes you straight into the cloisters. Off the cloisters there are several rooms including the Chapter House, the Parlour and Warming House. You couldn’t walk around the whole cloister one side was roped off but wheelchairs could make it around the bit open to the public. That was where it seemed my husband’s visit ended. He said he’d wait for me by the exit to the house while I walked around. It’s there we separated. However, after I’d been around I’d realised I’d missed the Passport stamp which is something they only do in the Great Hall upon exit if you ask the attendant there. It’s not overly obvious.
My husband and I went back to the cloister when suddenly a temporary ramp had appeared for National Trust staff to use a trolley up between the cloister and the kitchen and nun’s dining room. The virtual tour was in the nun’s dining room. If I hadn’t missed the stamp my husband would have missed the virtual tour, so my recommendation to anyone on wheels, insist on a ramp to view the virtual tour when you enter the cloister because the National Trust staff certainly didn’t offer it of their own volition. The cloister is under cover but there are no panes of glass in the windows so it is still cold there if the weather is cold.
The house is nice there are information boards in each room and a lot of the information is about the original use as an Augustine Abbey which is fascinating. Some guides in the house are better than others at offering history, although I did have to excuse myself half way around because I received a text from my husband saying he was cold because it had started to hail, and was hiding in an alcove somewhere outside. All of the house is upstairs and there are a lot of steps, it’s even up and down into several rooms so wear some good sturdy shoes. It’s well worth a visit if you’re good on your feet. But the less mobile may struggle, and even for the most advanced wheelchair a visit beyond the cloister and the gardens is impossible.
It didn’t really feel like a couples visit for us, it felt more like a visit for me and hard work for my husband. It was probably made worse by the Courtyard cafe being closed because he couldn’t even go there to wait for me. For the mobile visit is probably worth a 4 grading for the immobile it is only a 2 in good weather and a 1 in poor weather.
翻译:我和丈夫在淡季期间,也就是复活节假期前夕,在巴斯住了两晚。我们是国民信托的会员,所以趁此机会去了拉科克。我丈夫是轮椅使用者,因此我们对参观修道院的体验可能与那些可以上下楼梯的人略有不同。对于轮椅使用者来说,天气也很重要,因为淡季期间,他们很难找到可以躲避和保暖的地方。我丈夫的轮椅是轻便的,可以越野。
我们把车停在了国民信托的停车场。由于是淡季,残疾人停车位很充足,但实际上,除了车位宽度之外,残疾人停车位和普通停车位几乎没有什么区别。无论是否有无障碍需求,步行到村子里都需要5分钟左右。非国民信托会员需在停车场内的凉亭付费停车,而国民信托会员则需前往福克斯·塔尔博特博物馆/修道院入口扫描国民信托会员卡。沿途有很多指示牌指引方向。
这里是历史遗址,所以使用轮椅游览时,你总是无法确定自己究竟能看到多少地方。但我首先要提醒的是,如果你是轮椅使用者,一定要穿得暖和些,或者选择一个阳光明媚的温暖日子前往。我丈夫穿着像睡袋一样的腿套、冬衣和手套,最后还是觉得冷。那天天气不算特别冷,大约10度,阳光明媚,但风很大,他几乎找不到可以躲避风雨的地方。我们去的时候是晴雨相间的天气,阵雨中还夹杂着一些短暂的冰雹。
我们刚到的时候,工作人员扫描了我们的房卡,并告诉我们可以拍一张修道院地图的照片。他们给我们指了路,告诉我们庭院茶室已经关闭,建议我们去马路对面的马厩咖啡馆。他们还告诉我们修道院里有很多台阶!不过,修道院的庭院是开放的。我们也询问了国家名胜古迹信托护照的印章,工作人员告诉我们拉科克有三个印章需要收集,其中修道院的印章就在修道院里。
我们先去了马厩咖啡馆,然后绕着福克斯·塔尔博特博物馆转了一圈,最后才到修道院。从售票处到修道院还需要步行5分钟。修道院的入口在后面。沿着车道走,可以欣赏到美丽的乡村景色。提醒一下带小孩的游客,婴儿车不允许带进修道院,必须停放在入口外的凉亭下。在您参观修道院期间,这些房间无人看管。
正门直接通往回廊。回廊外有几个房间,包括会议厅、客厅和暖房。您无法绕着整个回廊走一圈,因为其中一侧用绳子围了起来,但轮椅可以绕着对公众开放的部分走一圈。我丈夫的参观似乎就此结束了。他说他会在房屋出口等我,让我参观一下。我们就在那里分开了。然而,参观完之后,我才意识到我错过了护照盖章,这只有在您离开时向大厅的工作人员提出要求才能盖章。它不太显眼。
我和丈夫回到回廊时,突然出现了一个临时坡道,供国民信托的工作人员使用手推车从回廊到厨房和修女餐厅之间通行。虚拟参观是在修女餐厅进行的。如果我没错过盖章,我丈夫就错过了虚拟导览。所以我建议所有坐轮椅的人,进入回廊时一定要要求工作人员提供坡道才能观看虚拟导览,因为国民信托的工作人员显然不是主动提供的。回廊虽然有遮挡,但窗户没有玻璃,所以如果天气冷的话,里面还是会很冷。
房子很漂亮,每个房间都有信息板,很多信息都讲述了它最初作为奥古斯丁修道院的历史,非常引人入胜。有些导游讲解历史方面比其他导游更出色,不过我走到一半的时候不得不暂时离开,因为我收到丈夫的短信,说他冷得不行,开始下冰雹了,正躲在外面某个角落里。房子的所有部分都在楼上,有很多台阶,甚至有些房间需要上下楼梯,所以一定要穿结实耐穿的鞋子。如果你不怕走累,这里非常值得一游。但行动不便者可能会感到困难,即使是最先进的轮椅,也无法参观修道院和花园以外的地方。
对我们来说,这与其说是一次情侣之旅,不如说更像是我的一次旅行,而我的丈夫则在辛苦劳作。庭院咖啡馆关门可能让情况更糟,因为他甚至都不能去那里等我。如果是上门服务,大概可以打4分;但如果是非上门服务,天气好的时候只能打2分,天气差的时候只能打1分。