English Heritage Access Policy

English Heritage is the lead advisory body on providing access to historic buildings in England. They believe that access should be celebrated with high quality design that is also sensitive to the special interest of historic buildings. They encourage those who own or manage historic buildings, or other heritage properties, to adopt access plans that are consistent with the special architectural, historic, or archaeological interest of the property concerned.

English Heritage and Heritage Lottery Fund are committed to achieving and improving physical and sensory access to historic landscapes, by balancing the demands of access and conservation. Some suggestions:

• Replacing existing gravel surfaces with self-binding gravel or by adding binding agents such as bitumen and resin
• Relaying stone setts with tighter joints, or pointing them to form a less recessed joint, or incorporating a level surface within them
• Introducing alternative routes and signing them accordingly
• Introducing alternative routes which give access to certain key features, and views within the landscape, while acknowledging that full access may not possible
• Using interpretation and alternative media to provide intellectual access to those areas that will remain physically inaccessible