Facilities Available at the Church.

 

Whilst attempts have been made to cater for the disabled as far as possible it is not feasible to make a Grade II* listed building, parts of which date back to 1236, fully compliant with all needs. It should be remembered that the age of the building means that certain areas of floor are uneven and care should be taken when accessing them.

 

However the following facilities have been incorporated:

 

The main entrance is via double doors and on a level allowing access for wheelchairs. The main body of the church is all on one level and allows unimpeded access to most areas. The main thoroughfare has been widened by the removal of several fixed pews. There is level access into a unisex toilet in the NW corner and although the restrictions imposed by the building dictate that this is not fully compliant with all disabled requirements it gives ready access for the majority of users.

 

There is a sound reinforcement system installed with radio microphones, fixed microphones and facilities for the playback of pre-recorded music. An induction loop has been provided to assist the hard of hearing. This covers the main body of the church building.

 

 A portable aluminium ramp is available to allow wheelchair access into the side chapel (the “Healey Chapel”) However access to the main altar, the two vestries, the organ loft and the bell tower is only available via one or two raised steps.

 

The fixed seating in the main body of the church allows for 355 people. In addition there are 30 moveable chairs in the Healey Chapel and a further 36 seats for clergy and choir. There is also a limited number of stacking chairs which can be used in the open area to the south side of the building when required.

 

Tea, coffee, soft drinks and biscuits can be served from the table at the south end of the church. A water boiler and kettles are available. Water must be fetched from the sink which is located in the room at the north-west corner of the building. There are no facilities for the preparation of food although where appropriate a cold buffet may be brought in ready prepared by outside caterers.

 

Limited parking is available as follows:

There are 31 public car parking spaces in Church Lane opposite the church building. There are no specific disabled bays. Parking is free but limited to 90 minutes from Monday to Saturday between the hours of 9:00AM and 6:00PM. The parking is under the control of North Lincolnshire Council who provide and patrol the site.

Parking is also available on church land outside the Parish Hall (opposite) but it must be remembered that this is a shared facility with the hall and not exclusively available to users of the church.

The grounds are classed as a public open space and maintenance is carried out by North Lincolnshire Council. The churchyard was closed in 1885 and in 1956 was set out with grass and pathways. All the graves were removed and a number of the old gravestones can now be seen around the perimeter close to the boundary walls. There is an interesting thirteenth century grave slab near the south wall of the church.

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