GREAT ORME MINES - ACCESS STATEMENT
GETTING TO THE MINE
By Car/Taxi: There is adequate parking outside the visitor centre with a drop-off point 3 metres from the visitor centre entrance.
By Tram: The halfway Tram Station is situated approximately 150 metres from Great Orme Mines. There is a flat grassy path followed by a sloping gravelled path leading to the Visitor Centre.
By Bus: There is an hourly bus service from Llandudno. The No 73 bus stops at the pedestrian entrance to the Mine. There is a sloping gravelled pathway, approximately 100 metres, from the pedestrian entrance (near the Tram Station) to the Visitor Centre.
Cable Car: The Summit Cable car station is approximately 400 metres from the Mine. A sloping, grassy, way marked path leads from the summit to the Mine.
ARRIVING AT THE MINE
There is a paved walkway in front of the main building with paved ramps leading into the visitor centre.
THE VISITOR CENTRE
The minimum width at the admission counter is 80cm. The admission/shop counter is open plan, with a counter height of 95cm. The visitor centre houses displays, mainly low-level glass fronted display cases, easily visible from sitting height, information boards, a shop, Tea Room and second-hand book shop. The Visitor Centre is all on one level. There is no charge for entry into the Visitor Centre.
TOILETS
The toilet block houses standard male and female toilets and a unisex disabled toilet. The toilets are accessed from the paved area adjacent to the car park. A paved walkway leads to a disabled toilet. The disabled toilet measuring 2.1 x 1.4 metres has hand rails on the wall adjacent to the toilet and an extra pull down handle. The sink has lever action taps.
THE TOUR
The tour of the mine is self-guided, following areas numbered 1 to 6:
1. Audio-visual: The audio-visual building is approximately 12 metres from the Visitor Centre. A paved walkway leads from the visitor centre gently sloping into the audio visual. Two films play for approximately 5 minutes. There are pew style benches, with room for wheelchairs.
2. The underground tour: A sloping 40m long gravelled path and 14 concrete steps leads to the underground. The underground tour is approximately 200 metres long and descends approximately 7 metres by means of sloping concrete paths and 30 concrete and steel steps. The tunnels vary in width with the narrowest being 45cm wide and the lowest roof being 145cm high. The ascent from the lowest point of the mine involves sloping concrete paths and 34 concrete and steel steps.
3. The surface walkways: Ten concrete steps lead immediately from the mine exit to a widening of the pathway and a wooden bench. Here a 2 minute commentary can be played. A sloping gravelled pathway leads for approximately 90 metres to the Great Opencast.
4. The Great Opencast: A wooden bench is positioned here at the viewing area into the Opencast mine workings. A sloping gravelled path leads for 65 metres to the bridge and viewing area.
5. Bridge and viewing area: The bridge has a commentary operated by a push button device. The return route is 110 metres long gravelled path (half-sloping, half-flat), leading back to the visitor centre via the smelting area.
6. Smelting area: An artist impression of a Bronze Age smelting site with low-level information boards.
SUMMARY
There has been significant upgrading of the attraction over the past 5 years to provide ease of access wherever possible. The visitor centre shop, tea room and toilets are all now accessible by wheelchair. Due to the narrow nature of the Prehistoric Mine workings access into the mine is not possible with a wheelchair.
The information boards underground comprise short sentences with large-font typically 72 point in size. There are occasional detailed information boards with smaller font sizes
The commentary boxes are operated by push buttons.
TOTAL DISTANCES OF ROUTES (approximate):
Underground route is 200 metres long
Surface route is 305 metres long
Total route is 505 metres long
Various short-cuts can be made on the surface to reduce the length of travel around the mine:
Option 1: Walking directly to the bridge from the mine eliminates 80 metres of gravelled paths. The opencast can still be viewed from the bridge. This would reduce the surface walkways to 225 metres.
Option 2: Walking directly from the Mine, back to the visitor centre a distance of 60 metres reduces the surface walkways to 100 metres.
Although we have tried to be as accurate as possible and include as much detail as we can in this statement, we are always willing to give information on any aspect of the site if this statement does not answer your particular question.