New College

New College - (1 of 1)
  • The main entrance is on Holywell Street and is step free
  • There is an alternative entrance on New College Lane that is also step free
  • New College has a large site with five quads and gardens - there is step free access around most of the site
  • Many historic buildings which do not all meet modern accessibility standards
  • There are 4 accessible bedrooms on the main site
  • 6 accessible toilets on the main college site
  • The new Gradel Quadrangles on nearby Mansfield Road opened in early 2024. There is new accommodation here including 5 accessible bedrooms 

This table contains summary information about the building

On-site designated parking for Blue Badge holders No
Public designated parking for Blue Badge holders within 200m Yes - 1 space on Jowett Walk
Other nearby parking Yes - pay and display on Longwall Street
Main entrance Level
Alternative entrance Level
Wheelchair accessible toilets Yes - 6 across the site
Lifts Yes - 5 across the site
Hearing support systems Yes - fixed systems in Kimber Wing and North Undercroft Room. Portable systems available on request
Google Maps
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University Map
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  • There are no designated parking spaces at New College
  • There is a small amount of parking near the main site on Longwall Street - the entrance is on Holywell Street
  • There is a small amount of parking in front of the Sports Pavilion - the entrance is on St Cross Road

Parking is agreed on a case-by-case basis. Students who have a specific need for parking should discuss this with the College in advance.

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge

Main entrance

The main entrance is on Holywell Street. There is level access from the pavement onto the college site. From here there is a mixture of level and ramped access around the college. The main gate is open until 11:30pm. After this access is through a cut out door in the main gate or by ringing the bell to request assistance from the Porters.

  • When open there is very wide level access through the main gate onto the college site
  • The access control is 122 cm from the floor
  • The bell is 130 cm from the floor
  • The cut out door has a clear width of 62 cm
  • The cut out door has a lintel 12 cm high

New College Lane entrance (Front Gate)

  • The access control is 130 cm to 137 cm from the ground
  • The cut out door has a clear width of 83 cm
  • The lintel is 12 cm high
  • The College has a portable ramp for this lintel which is available on request

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge:

Lodge

  • The Porters’ Lodge is next to the main entrance
  • The Lodge is staffed 24 hours a day
  • The Lodge entrance the students use is through the Staircase 8 door
  • There are three steps up to this entrance
  • There is an entry phone 109 cm from the floor
  • There is a bell 107 cm from the floor
  • The porters are happy to come out to help anyone unable to manage the steps
  • The enquiry window in the main entrance is 130 cm from the floor
  • The bell is 121 cm from the floor

Post Room

  • The post room lobby door opens to 82 cm
  • The post room door opens to 82 cm
  • The fob access to the post room is 137 cm from the floor
  • The porters will hold post for anyone unable to access the post room

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge:
 

New College has six accessible toilets. The locations and dimensions of the accessible toilets are:

Bar
147 cm x 220 cm

Long Room
165 cm x 250 cm

New Building Staircase 6
244 cm x 282 cm

Sacher Building
181 cm x 205 cm

Clore Music Studio
150 cm x 293 cm

Sports Pavilion
 220 cm x 269 cm

As the toilets were built at different times not all of them meet current accessibility standards. This means that some of them do not have features such as high contrast between the rails and the walls, easy-to-use door handles and easy reach sinks.

All of the accessible bedrooms have accessible bathrooms.

Some of the main areas of the college do not have accessible toilets:

  • Library
  • Lecture Room 4
  • Cloisters
  • JCR
  • Front Quad
  • New College Lane teaching rooms

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge:
 

The College has five lifts. There are three passenger lifts, one platform lift and one platform stair lift.

Passenger Lifts

Old Building Staircase 7

  • The lift is 140 cm deep and 110 cm wide
  • The door opens to 90 cm
  • The call buttons are 100 cm from the floor
  • The lift buttons are between 102 cm and 140 cm from the floor
  • The buttons are tactile, backlit and have Braille
  • There is a visual indicator and a voice announcement of the floor

Dining Hall

  • The lift is 140 cm deep and 110 cm wide
  • The door opens to 90 cm
  • The call buttons are 117 cm from the floor
  • The lift buttons are 125 cm from the floor
  • The buttons are tactile, backlit and have Braille
  • There is a visual indicator and a voice announcement of the floor

Clore Music Studio

  • The lift is 220 cm deep and 110 cm wide
  • The door opens to 90 cm
  • The call buttons are 103 cm from the floor
  • The lift buttons are between 90 cm and 113 cm from the floor
  • The buttons are tactile, backlit and do not have Braille
  • There is a visual indicator and a voice announcement of the floor

Platform Lift

Sports Pavilion

  • The lift is 147 cm deep and 115 cm wide
  • The door opens to 88 cm
  • The call buttons are 102 cm from the floor
  • The lift buttons are 96 cm from the floor
  • The buttons are tactile, backlit and have Braille

Platform Stair Lift

New Building Staircase 6

  • This lift is 127 cm deep and 90 cm wide
  • The call button is 93 cm from the floor
  • The lift buttons are between 93 cm and 103 cm from the floor
  • This lift is normally operated by the Porters

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge:
 

New College has many different building styles and staircases. Please note that there are many very old buildings which have worn stairs with no contrasting step edges and no handrails. 

The following areas can be reached without having to use stairs or a lift:

  • Conduit room
  • Chapel
  • JCR
  • Bar
  • Lecture Room 6
  • Spooner Rooms 1 and 2
  • Kimber Wing
  • MCR TV Room

The images below show examples of stairs around the college site. 

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge:

New College has buildings of many different ages and therefore a variety of different doors.

There are powered doors in the following locations:

  • Old Building Staircase 12 door 
  • Sacher Building – main door
  • Sacher Building – access corridor to accessible toilet
  • Spooner Rooms 1 and 2
  • Kimber Wing
  • Sports Pavilion door
  • MCR Bar
  • Clore Music Studio door

Some of the doors in New College are heavy and some people may need assistance to use them. Some of the doors have door knobs as opposed to lever handles. Some of the doors are opened with keys as opposed to proximity cards.

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge:

Holywell Quad

  • There is level access from the main entrance to the surrounding footpath in Holywell Quad
  • The footpath has a tarmac surface
  • There is level and stepped access to the grass
  • There is ramped access to Holywell Cottages and the library 

Holywell Quad has the following:

  • Porters Lodge
  • Lecture Room 4
  • Lecture Room 6
  • Library
  • Accommodation

Pandy Quad 
Pandy Quad is next to Holywell Quad

  • There is level access from the main entrance to the surrounding footpath
  • The grass here can only be reached by using stairs
  • There is a tarmac surface around the edge of the quad

Pandy Quad has the following:

  • Accommodation 
  • Croquet Lawn

Morris Garage Quad

  • There is a mix of level and sloped access from Pandy Quad
  • The access to the Kimber Wing is sloped
  • The surface is resin bonded gravel
  • There is a mix of level and sloped access to the Sacher Building

Morris Garage Quad contains the following:

  • Accessible Bedrooms (Kimber Wing)
  • Accommodation
  • Access to Sacher Building 

Garden Quad

  • There is a mix of level and sloped access through the City Wall from Pandy Quad
  • There is a mixture of level and sloped access from the Gardens
  • The surface of this Quad is tarmac

Garden Quad has the following:

  • JCR
  • Access to the Bar
  • Access to the Long Room
  • Accessible route to Dining Hall
  • McGregor Matthews Room
  • Red Room
  • Sir Christopher Cox Room
  • Accommodation

Front Quad (Great Quad)

  • There is level access from Garden Quad into Front Quad
  • The surface is tarmac

Front Quad has the following:

  • Chapel
  • Conduit Room
  • Accommodation
  • Access to Monk’s Passage

Monks' Passage

  • There is a slightly sloped entrance into Monk’s Passage from Front Quad
  • The archway is 75 cm wide.
  • This passage leads to the City Wall
  • The exit through the City Wall is down a flight of steps

Cloisters 

  • This is an old area of the college and the paving here is uneven and worn in places
  • There is ramped access from the Front Quad to The Cloisters 
  • The surface is paved 
  • The grass here is used as a social space 
  • There is a small step and a steep ramp giving access onto the grass

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge:
 

  • The new Gradel Quadrangles opened in early 2024
  • The Gradel Quadrangles are located on Mansfield Road close to the main college site
  • There is student accommodation here including 5 accessible bedrooms
  • More information will be available once an access audit has been carried out

Gardens
•    There is an entrance to the Gardens from Garden Quad.
•    There is a mixture of level and sloped access. 
•    There is also an entrance opposite the Sacher Building.
•    This entrance has a steep temporary ramp 
•    The Gardens have a lightly gravelled path around the edge. 
•    There is a slightly raised metal edge to the grass. 
•    The grass is used as a social space.

Mound
The mound can only be reached by using stairs.

Warden’s Garden
•    The Warden’s Garden is sometimes used for social events. 
•    There is level access from New College Lane into the Warden’s Garden.
•    The access route surface is a mixture of cobbles and gravel. 
•    The edge of the grass is slightly raised.

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge

Access

The Library can only be reached by using stairs. The Library staff are happy to retrieve books for anyone unable to manage the stairs. There is an adjustable height desk available and a hearing support system.

Upper Floor

Main Room
•    The double building doors each open to 70 cm
•    The access control is 126 cm from the floor
•    The double doors into the main room each open to 65 cm
•    The underside of the tables is 71 cm from the floor

History Reading Room
•    The door opens to 77 cm
•    The underside of the tables is 72 cm from the floor

Lower Floor

Stacks
•    Each door opens to 77 cm
•    There is an adjustable height desk in here
•    The stacks can only be reached by using stairs

Classics Reading Room
•    The door opens to 86 cm
•    The underside of the table is 66 cm from the floor

Group Study Room
•    Door opens to 87 cm
•    The underside of the table a 66 cm from the floor

Law Reading Room
•    The door opens to 87 cm
•    The underside of the table is 66 cm from the floor

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge

Conduit Room
•    The building door opens to 86 cm
•    The room door opens to 83 cm
•    There is a step inside the door with a steep ramp giving access to the room

Red Room
•    This room is reached using by stairs or the lift
•    The door opens to 76 cm
•    The underside of the tables is 68 cm from the floor
•    There is a deep pile carpet
•    This is space to manoeuvre a wheelchair in this room

Sir Christopher Cox Room
•    This room is reached by using stairs or the lift
•    The door opens to 77 cm
•    The underside of the tables is 60 cm and 67 cm from the floor
•    The carpet has a low pile
•    There is space to manoeuvre a wheelchair in this room

North Undercroft Room
•    This room is reached by using two ramps. One is quite steep. 
•    The door opens 100 cm
•    The underside of the tables is 70 cm from the floor
•    This room has a wooden floor
•    There is a threshold of 1.2 cm
•    The underside of the tables is 73 cm from the floor
•    The floor is wooden
•    There is space to manoeuvre a wheelchair in this room

Spooner Rooms 1 and 2 (Sacher Building)

Building Doors
•    The door is powered
•    The door opens to over 80 cm
•    The access controls are 96 cm from the floor

Seminar Rooms
•    Both rooms have a powered door
•    The doors open to 80 cm
•    The access controls are between 95 cm and 109 cm from the floor
•    The underside of the tables are 72 cm from the floor
•    There is space to manoeuvre a wheelchair in both of these rooms

The following rooms can only be reached by using stairs:
•    Long Room
•    McGregor Matthews Room
•    Lecture Room 4 

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge

Dining Hall
•    The Dining Hall is reached by using stairs or the lift 
•    The Dining Hall doors both open to 121 cm
•    These doors are kept open at mealtimes
•    The underside of the tables is 72 cm from the floor
•    There is a crosspiece at floor level 31 cm from the edge of the table
•    There is a gap at the end of the table 56 cm deep
•    There are two steps to High Table 14 cm and 15 cm high
•    There is space to manoeuvre a wheelchair in this room

Servery
•    The doors between the lift and the servery open to 86 cm and 88 cm
•    The access controls are between 98 cm and 111 cm from the floor
•    These doors are kept open using holdbacks
•    The doors from the Servery into the Dining Hall lobby open to 75 cm and 76 cm
•    The countertop is 91 cm from the floor
•    The shelving holding food is 120 cm and 160 cm from the floor
•    The hot drinks machine is 130 cm from the floor
•    The narrowest point in the servery is 91 cm wide
•    There is space to manoeuvre a wheelchair in the servery although this may be more difficult at busy times

Please as click on the thumbnails below to enlarge

The Chapel is reached from Front Quad or the Cloisters using a number of temporary ramps.

Most of these ramps are quite steep

Ante-Chapel
•    The door has a step which has a steep slope 
•    The door opens to 80 cm
•    Once inside the ante-chapel the surface is level
•    There is space to manoeuvre a wheelchair in this room

Chapel
•    The double doors each open to 112 cm
•    The doors are usually left open
•    The aisle is 283 cm wide
•    There is space to manoeuvre a wheelchair in the Chapel

Please click the thumbnails below to enlarge

JCR Main Room

  • The JCR is reached by using the ramp in Garden Quad
  • The door opens to 79 cm
  • The access control is 122 cm from the floor
  • There is space to manoeuvre a wheelchair in this room

JCR Kitchen

  • The countertop is 93 cm from the floor
  • The vending machine controls are between 105 cm and 115 cm from the floor
  • The recess is 63 cm wide
  • There is space for a wheelchair in the kitchen
  • Manoeuvring a wheelchair may be difficult

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge

TV Room
•    The door to this room is automatic
•    The door opens to 75 cm
•    The access control is 102 cm from the floor
•    The exit push button is 77 cm from the floor
•    The carpet has low pile

Bar
•    The bar is reached by using a platform lift
•    The door is automatic
•    The door opens to 99 cm
•    The access control is 87 cm from the floor
•    The exit push button is 112 cm from the floor
•    The bar counter is 112 cm from the floor
•    The foot rail is 17 cm high and comes out 19 cm from the bar

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge

New Building - Staircase Six

  • There is 1 accessible bedroom here
  • The door opens to 87 cm
  • The access control is 109 cm from the floor
  • The underside of the desk is 68 cm from the floor
  • The bathroom measures 297 cm x 366 cm

Kimber Wing

  • There are 3 accessible bedrooms here
  • The building doors are powered
  • These doors open to more than 80 cm
  • The bedroom doors are powered
  • The bedroom doors open to more than 80 cm
  • The access controls are between 90 and 100 cm from the floor
  • The desks are adjustable height desks
  • Two of the bedrooms have a hoist systems
  • The windows and blinds are powered
  • The bathrooms measure more than the recommended minimum 250 cm x 240 cm

The Gradel Quadrangles

  • The new Gradel Quadrangles opened in early 2024
  • The Gradel Quadrangles are located on Mansfield Road close to the main college site
  • There is student accommodation here including 5 accessible bedrooms 

General information

  • Some of the older bedrooms may not meet modern accessibility standards
  • All the accessible bedrooms have en suite bathrooms
  • All the accessible bedrooms have plenty of maneuvering space
  • Vibrating emergency alarms for people with hearing impairments are available on request

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge:
 

New Building Staircase Six

Any student in this bedroom would normally eat in the Dining Hall.

Kimber Wing
•    The doors are automatic
•    The doors open to 85 cm and 82 cm
•    These kitchens have adjustable height work surfaces
•    The base of the oven is 92 cm from the floor
•    There are cupboards and drawers at varying heights
•    There is a washing machine in the kitchen

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge

•    The door opens to 108 cm
•    The counter is 110 cm from the floor
•    There is a lower section which is 65 cm from the floor
•    There is a lower area of the bar which can only be reached by using steps
•    The underside of the tables is 46 cm from the floor
•    The staff are happy to come out from behind the bar to assist people

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge

Sacher Building
•    There is a mix of sloped and level access to this laundry
•    The door has an effective clear width of 68 cm
•    The payment machine is 100 cm from the floor
•    The washer handles are 60 cm from the floor
•    The drier handles are 160 cm from the floor
•    It may be difficult to manoeuvre a wheelchair in this room

New Building Staircase Two
•    This laundry can only be reached by using stairs
•    The door opens to 87 cm
•    The payment machine is 110 cm from the floor
•    The washer handles are 60 cm from the floor
•    The drier handles are 170 cm from the floor

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge

•    The building doors open to 150 cm
•    These doors are automatic
•    The access control is 80 cm from the floor
•    The exit push button is 102 cm from the floor

Ground Floor
David Manne and Anne Kriken Manne Room
•    The lobby door and room door both open to 84 cm
•    The access control is 103 cm from the floor
•    The floor is wooden
•    There is space to manoeuvre a wheelchair in this room

Level 3
•    The lobby door opens to 90 cm
•    The room doors all open to 90 cm
•    The access controls are 107 cm from the floor
•    There is limited room to manoeuvre a wheelchair in some of these rooms

Level 4
•    The doors on this floor on open to 85 cm
•    The access control is 108 cm from the floor
•    There is limited room to manoeuvre a wheelchair in some of these rooms

Please click on the thumbnails below to enlarge
 

There are  fixed hearing support systems in the Kimber Wing and North Undercroft Room.

There are also portable hearing support systems available. There are systems suitable for large rooms as well as smaller meeting rooms. It is advisable to request the use of these in advance by contacting The Porters’ Lodge. 

 

IMAGE GALLERY

Contact details


New College
Holywell Street
Oxford
OX1 3BN

lodge@new.ox.ac.uk
01865 279500
www.new.ox.ac.uk

Contact the Access Guide


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