Access information:
- Level or ramped access to all public enclosures
- Unisex accessible toilet on the upper level of the grandstand
Brighton Racecourse
Brighton racecourse is a fairly old building so access is limited in some places, however there are accessible facilities on the upper level near the accessible viewing platform.
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Venue Description:
Situated at one of the highest points in Brighton, Brighton racecourse offers great days out at the races as well as hosting a huge range of events in its numerous venues.
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Address:
Brighton Racecourse
Freshfield Road
Brighton
BN2 9XZ
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Phone:
01273 603580
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Fax:
01273 673267
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Web:
www.brighton-racecourse.co.uk
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Email:
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Opening Times:
For details of race days, fixtures can be downloaded from the website at http://www.brighton-racecourse.co.uk/horse-racing/fixtures.php
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Entrance Fee:
Grandstand £14 (£10 concession)
Premier £19 (£15 concession)
Sundays and August festival
Grandstand £17 (£11 concession)
Premier £22 (£16 concession)
For more information please visit the website http://www.brighton-racecourse.co.uk/horse-racing/tickets.php
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Getting There / Parking:
Brighton Racecourse is at the top of Race Hill, off Freshfield Road and close to Brighton General Hospital. There is a bus stopclose by served by the 2,2A,21 and 37B buses.
If parking in front of the main entrance, there is a grassy area for cars accessed via a gravel road. it is possible to drive through the entryway into the main complex, allowing parking closer to the grandstand buildings (about 100 yards away).
There is no designated taxi drop-off point but this could be directly in front of the reception area or in the main complex, again about 100 yards from the grandstand.
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Getting In:
There is level access to the reception area, Grandstand and Premier Hall, although some of the entrances have a slight lip on the door. There is a moderate ramped entrance to the owners and trainers bar. All of the doors at the racecourse are quite heavy.
Once through the front doors of the Grandstand, there a four steps (with handrail), and an easy ramp to the left-hand side which takes you into the main venue.
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Getting Around / Facilities:
I visited the racecourse with another ACG volunteer on a non-race day so the venues were empty. The Grandstand and Premier hall are quite spacious so there should still be room to manoeuvre even when busy, although we were told that the owners and trainers bar can get quite crowded.
All the venues seem spacious and have quite a lot of natural light - although I did visit in the day when it was empty! The bar is of a standard height with no lowered serving counter.
The ground floor of the Grandstand and Premier Hall have standard toilets with cubicles designated for disabled people. The cubicle in the Grandstand toilets is very small, and I was unable to shut the door behind me when in my wheelchair. The cubicles in the Premier Hall toilets are slightly larger, but there is no turning space for a wheelchair. There is no unisex accessible toilet on the ground floor.
There is a fairly large lift in both the Grandstand and Premier Hall which takes you to the upper floors. Above the Premier Hall is the Silks Restaurant, offering a very impressive sea view. The Silks restaurant opens out onto a terrace, although there is a large step up to it. The racecourse staff said that they can hire ramps where notified in advance. The toilets attached to the Silks restaurant cannot be accessed by someone in a wheelchair as there is a tight turn to get in.
The upper level above the Grandstand (on level 3) offers access to the corporate boxes, as well as a unisex disabled toilet. This is large enough for most wheelchairs to turn round in, and the door opens outwards. The upper level has a good viewing area for wheelchair users, with a perfect view of the winning post.
Opposite the Grandstand is the Owners and Trainers bar. The entrance is at the side via a ramp, which could be quite cramped if busy. There is a unisex accessible toilet in this area
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Accommodation / Rooms:
All of the rooms at the racecourse are available for hire, there are details and a brochure on their website showing the layout of the rooms. In terms of accessibility, the Owners and Trainers bar is the most accessible venue, as there is a unisex accessible toilet on the ground floor. This could accommodate a maximum of 100 people in a theatre format or 40 in a boardroom format.
The corporate boxes on the upper level of the grandstand also have access to a unisex accessible toilet, and is accessed via lift.
If the larger areas (Grandstand, Silks restaurant or Premier Hall) were to be hired, guests requiring accessible toilets would have to use the toilet above the grandstand area, but this would require staff assistance.
Some of the hospitality suites and the Premier Enclosure lawn are not accessible - these have not been covered in this guide.
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Additional Comments:
After having visited the venue I will definitely be coming back on race day to experience it properly. The building is quite old and so access (mostly toilet facilities) is limited in certain places, but access in the Grandstand and the upper level viewing area is certainly adequate to enjoy a day at the races.
The staff who showed me around the venue were very friendly and happy to provide information.
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Reviewed By:
Jon
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Review Date:
March 2010, updated 17/3/2011 by Pappya
Published in
Attractions - Brighton
