As one of the UK’s most iconic visitor attractions, Blenheim Palace welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors every year to its UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the magnificent Palace and formal gardens to the extensive parkland estate, it is a destination enjoyed by families from across the UK and beyond.
Recognising that many disabled visitors and their families were unable to enjoy everything the estate has to offer because there was nowhere suitable to meet their personal care needs, Blenheim Palace committed to creating a fully equipped Changing Places Toilet within the Walled Garden.
The project was inspired by the campaigning efforts of the late Tamsin England and her family, whose determination to improve accessibility has left a lasting legacy that will benefit thousands of visitors for years to come.
The Challenge
For many disabled people, a standard accessible toilet simply isn’t enough. People with profound and multiple learning disabilities, spinal injuries, muscular dystrophy and many other conditions require additional space and specialist equipment to enable safe, dignified personal care.
Without a Changing Places Toilet, families are often forced to shorten their visit or avoid attractions altogether.
Blenheim Palace wanted every visitor to experience the estate in the same way, regardless of their accessibility needs. The new facility would not only support visitors to the Palace but also provide an invaluable resource for local disabled people and families visiting the surrounding area.
Chris Monaghan, Project Manager at Blenheim Palace, has worked on the estate for more than 30 years and has seen first-hand how accessibility has evolved.
“Everybody should be able to come and visit places and have the same experience.”
The Solution
Working with Astor Bannerman, Blenheim Palace created a fully compliant Changing Places Toilet equipped with:
- Astor Invincible electrically height-adjustable adult changing bench
- OT200 Ceiling Track Hoist
- ABW-CP height-adjustable washbasin
- Kwickscreen wall-mounted privacy screen
Together these products provide everything needed for safe transfers, assisted changing and dignified personal care, enabling disabled visitors and their carers to spend longer enjoying their visit with confidence.
Located within the Walled Garden, adjacent to the Walled Garden Pizzeria, the facility provides ample space for the disabled person, their wheelchair and up to two carers, meeting the nationally recognised Changing Places standard.
For Chris, the difference the facility will make is enormous.
“We’ve never had anything like this here at Blenheim before. To be able to give people something like this is life changing.”
Delivering the Project
Creating the new facility was far from straightforward.
The chosen location was previously occupied by an old garden shed, but ecological surveys identified evidence of bats, meaning work had to pause while additional investigations and wildlife protection measures were carried out. Once construction began, the team encountered difficult ground conditions requiring specialist screw pile foundations to protect the surrounding tree root systems.
Winter frosts, storms and more than a month of almost continuous rain created further delays.
Despite these challenges, Blenheim Palace worked closely with local contractors, in-house tradespeople and specialist suppliers to keep the project moving. Thanks to the dedication of everyone involved, the facility was completed only a couple of weeks later than originally planned.
A Legacy for Tamsin
The new Changing Places Toilet stands as a lasting tribute to Tamsin England and her family’s campaign for greater accessibility.
Tamsin’s experiences highlighted the barriers that many disabled people face when visiting public attractions, and her family’s determination to create positive change has resulted in a facility that will benefit thousands of visitors every year. Karen England, Tamsin’s mother, said:
“We would come to the Palace as a family. We would go out in the grounds here and in the play park, but we couldn’t stay for very long because there was no facility. So myself and Tamsin, our friend Sam and her son Otis, we all approached Blenheim to say what we needed.
All the team at Blenheim that have made this happen – it has been a long time coming. So thank you.”
A memorial plaque outside the room celebrates Tamsin’s life, while artwork created by pupils from local SEND schools provides a welcoming and uplifting environment for visitors. Together, they ensure the facility is not only practical but also a lasting celebration of Tamsin’s legacy.
The Result
The installation has transformed accessibility at Blenheim Palace, enabling more disabled people and their families to enjoy one of Britain’s most celebrated heritage attractions without worrying about access to suitable toilet facilities.
For Chris Monaghan, the message to other visitor attractions is simple.
“Just do it. Give people what they need.”
By investing in a fully equipped Changing Places Toilet, Blenheim Palace has demonstrated that accessibility is about far more than meeting standards. It is about ensuring every visitor can experience one of Britain’s greatest attractions with dignity, independence and confidence.
Thanks to the determination of Tamsin England’s family and Blenheim Palace’s commitment to inclusive access, thousands more people can now enjoy a full day at the Palace without worrying about where they can access suitable facilities. The project is both a practical improvement and a lasting legacy – one that demonstrates how listening to lived experience can create meaningful change for generations to come.
Get In Touch
If you’re working on a project and want to ensure accessibility is considered from the outset, our team can help.
From early-stage consultation through to installation, we support architects, contractors, and estates teams in delivering compliant Changing Places facilities in complex environments.