Product has been added to the basket

Accessibility at the Geological Society

Contents

Summary

Getting here

Arrival

Getting around inside

Toilets and changing facilities

Customer care and support


Contacts

[email protected]
020 7434 9944


Summary

Level access

There is restricted level access to the Ground Floor using portable ramps (see below). The Ground Floor houses the Reception, Lower Library, Lecture Theatre and Arthur Holmes Room. Restricted lift access (see below) is available to the Basement, which houses the William Buckland Room. Restricted lift access (see below) is available to the First Floor, which houses the Upper Library, Council Room, Gertrude Elles Room and Lyell Room.

Please note that if you are unable to use stairs for safe evacuation during an emergency, you must only access the Ground Floor.

Toilets

An ambulant toilet cubicle is located in the Ground Floor lift lobby to the western end of the Ground Floor. The cubicle is accessed through the Lower Library and Admin office. An accessible toilet cubicle is located off the First Floor lift lobby to the western end of the First Floor opposite the lift. The lift is of restricted size (see below).

Hearing

The Lecture Theatre is fitted with a hearing loop.


Getting here

Site address

The Geological Society
Burlington House
Piccadilly
London
W1J 0BG

Public transport – buses

The Old Bond Street/Royal Academy bus stops are set within 50 metres of the main entrance on Piccadilly. The route between the stops and the main entrance is set relatively level. Refer to the Transport for London website for route planning details www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/buses/.

Public Transport – Underground

Green Park tube station is set around 350 metres from the site. This station has level access to the platform. The route is set relatively level. Piccadilly tube station is set around 375 metres from the site. This station has step only access to the platform. The route is set relatively level. Refer to the Transport for London website for route planning details.

Taxi

London black cabs incorporate a fold out wheelchair ramp as standard.

Parking

Parking for disabled users can be arranged in the Burlington House Courtyard within 75 metres of the main entrance subject to prior arrangement. Please contact us at least two working days in advance to arrange this. See contact details at the top of this document. The route from the courtyard to the main entrance is set relatively level over well maintained brick paving.


Arrival

Approach route

The main entrance is set on Piccadilly. The pavement is set relatively level. The pavement here is in excess of 4.5 metres wide.

Entrance

There are four steps up to the entrance and a further three steps up within Reception to the main Ground Floor level. All facilities on the Ground Floor are accessed via this route. Portable ramps are available. The ramps are 750 mm wide between 40 mm deep kerbs to each edge. The outer ramp achieves a gradient of around 1:6. The inner ramp a gradient of around 1:5. If you contact us in advance, we will aim to erect the ramps ready for your visit or just ring the bell set at the base of the entrance steps upon arrival and staff will assist. As both ramps are steep, we recommend they are used with assistance.

A photograph of a ramp placed over the entrance steps at Burlington HouseA photograph of a ramp placed over the steps by the Reception at Burlington House

The outer entrance door achieves a clear width of 845 mm and the inner doors 780 mm through a single leaf of double doors. The doors are not power assisted and are relatively heavy and require force of around 55 Newtons to pull open. Coir entrance mats are in place.

Reception desk

The reception desk is located to the left hand side of the main entrance lobby within a few metres of the entrance doors. The desk does not have a low level position. The desk is not fitted with a hearing loop.


Getting around inside

Lighting

Lighting levels are lower than one would encounter in a new building.

William Buckland Room

The William Buckland Room is set in the Basement. The lift serving the Basement is of restricted size and there is a steep ramp from the lift car on route (see below).

Arthur Holmes Room

The Arthur Holmes Room is set on the Ground Floor. Level access is available to this room from the main Ground Floor level, but portable ramps are required to reach this level (see above).

Lecture Theatre

The Lecture Theatre is set on the Ground Floor. Level access is available to this room from the main Ground Floor level, but portable ramps are required to reach this level (see above). Double doors serving the Lecture Theatre achieve a narrow clear width of 570 mm through a single leaf. The Lecture Theatre is fitted with an induction hearing loop. The aisles are ramped at a gradient of around 1:12 over a length of up to 5 metres. The ramped floors are not fitted with handrails. A level area is available at the rear of the room for a wheelchair user or someone who requires additional manoeuvring space. 

A photograph of a ramp placed over the entrance to the Lecture Theatre at Burlington House

The lectern is set on a raised dais. A portable ramp is available to provide level access. This is 760 mm wide between 35 mm deep raised kerbs and achieves a gradient of around 1:10.

A photograph of a ramp placed over the step up to the lecturn in the Lecture Theatre at Burlington House

Lower Library

The Lower Library is set on the Ground Floor. Level access is available to this room from the main Ground Floor level, but portable ramps are required to reach this level (see above). Double doors serving the Lower Library achieve a narrow clear width of 570 mm through a single leaf. The gallery in the Lower Library is accessed by steps only. There is no public access to the gallery.

Upper Library

The Upper Library is set on the First Floor. Level access is available to this room from the lift. The lift serving the First Floor is of restricted size (see below). The galleries in the Upper Library are accessed by steps only. There is no public access to the galleries. Library services are available in the Upper Library.

  • Users who are unable to manage steps are advised to contact the library in advance to discuss their requirements and what they wish to consult. It may be possible to supply limited amounts of material to users in the ground floor Lower Library but this will need to take into account factors such as security of the collection and staff availability.
  • Separately, Fellows have access to a wide range of electronic journals and ebooks via the OpenAthens interface in addition to the Lyell Collection.
  • For more information, please contact the library: [email protected].

Council Room, Gertrude Elles Room and Lyell Room

The Council Room, Gertrude Elles Room and Lyell Room are set on the First Floor. Level access is available to these rooms from the lift. The lift serving the First Floor is of restricted size (see below).

Meeting rooms generally

A range of chairs and tables are available. Chairs do not have armrests. Refer to our separate brochure for more details of the size and layout of our meeting rooms.

Lift

We ask that visitors who are unable to use stairs for safe evacuation during an emergency do not use the lift to access the Basement or First Floor levels and remain on the Ground Floor. A lift serving the Basement and First Floor is located in the Ground Floor lift lobby. The lift doors achieve a clear width of 850 mm. The Ground Floor landing in front of the lift doors is restricted at 1370 mm deep. 

The lift car achieves restricted clear dimensions of 815 mm deep by 1375 mm wide. Lift controls are generally set within 1200 mm above floor level. The control panel is located on the side wall of the car. Control buttons have embossed text. Audio announcement of floor level and door opening is in place. In the Basement, the lift car comes to rest above main floor level with a short ramp set steep at 1:4 on route from the lift to all other parts of the Basement.

A photograph of the opening to the lift at Burlington House

Stairs

The staircase rising from Reception serves the Upper Library, Council Room, Gertrude Elles Room and Lyell Room. There is a staircase that serves the William Buckland Room in the Basement. Stairs are not generally fitted with contrasting nosings. Stairs generally have a handrail to one side or are not fitted with handrails. Stairs generally have low light levels typical of this period of building.


Toilets and changing facilities

Ground Floor ambulant toilet

An ambulant toilet cubicle is located in the Ground Floor lift lobby to the western end of the Ground Floor. The cubicle is accessed through the Lower Library and Admin office. The cubicle door achieves a clear width of 770 mm. It is power assisted. The pan is set centrally in a recess to the side of the door of around 1005 mm wide.

A photograph of the ground floor toilet at Burlington HouseA photograph of the sink next to the ground floor toilet at Burlington House

The toilet seat is set at the average seat height of 480 mm above floor level. The cubicle is fitted with a pull cord alarm which sounds in the lift lobby. Horizontal grab rails are fitted to both sides of the pan and basin. A further drop down rail is fitted to the left hand side of the pan. The basin is not within reach of someone sat on the pan.

First Floor accessible toilet

An accessible toilet cubicle is located off the First Floor lift lobby to the western end of the First Floor, opposite the lift. The lift is of restricted size (see above). The lobby on route to the cubicle narrows to 935 mm wide. The cubicle door achieves a clear width of 850 mm. It is not power assisted. The cubicle achieves overall dimensions of 1,990 mm deep by 1,280 mm wide.

A photograph of the first floor accessible toilet at Burlington House

The toilet seat is set below the average seat height at 430 mm above floor level. The cubicle is fitted with a pull cord alarm which sounds in the lift lobby.

Standard toilets

Standard gents' toilets are set on the Ground Floor. There are three steps down to the toilet area from the main Ground Floor level. The wash-hand basins are fitted with knob taps. Standard ladies' toilets are set in the Basement. The wash-hand basins are fitted with lever taps.


Customer care and support

Booking procedures

For accessible parking on-site please contact us in advance giving at least 48 hours' notice. See contact details at the top of this document. Level access to the Ground Floor is provided using portable ramps. To avoid any undue delay upon arrival we recommend you contact us in advance giving at least 48 hours' notice. Library services are available in the Upper Library.

  • Users who are unable to manage steps are advised to contact the library in advance to discuss their requirements and what they wish to consult. It may be possible to supply limited amounts of material to users in the ground floor Lower Library but this will need to take into account factors such as security of the collection and staff availability.
  • Separately, Fellows have access to a wide range of electronic journals and ebooks via the OpenAthens interface in addition to the Lyell Collection.
  • For more information, please contact the library: [email protected].

Evacuation

The fire alarm is fitted with sounders only. Please note that if you are unable to use stairs for safe evacuation during an emergency, you must only access the Ground Floor. When informed of a visitor's accessibility needs in advance, a written Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) will be prepared for the visitor. This plan will detail the assistance required, any designated individuals responsible for providing assistance, areas of Burlington House accessible to the visitor and preferred evacuation routes.

When informed of a visitor's accessibility needs only at the time of the visit, a dynamic PEEP will be undertaken. This plan, covering the points highlighted above, will be discussed with the visitor by the staff member or team responsible for the visit.

Assistance dogs/animals

Assistance dogs/animals are welcome at the Geological Society. There is no spending area on site. Green Park is within 375 metres to the west. St James Square is set around 250 metres to the south.



Page last updated January 2025