The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
A right royal stay at Sandringham
The house on the Queen’s Norfolk estate where Diana, Princess of Wales grew up is now a three-star hotel for guests with disabilities. George Crofton checks in
When I visited Venice a few years ago, I was shocked to discover that the “fully accessible” hotel with “disabled facilities” I’d booked online was about as wheelchair-friendly as the crow’s nest on HMS Victory. So on hearing about Park House in Norfolk, a country house hotel designed specifically for guests with disabilities, I was keen to check it out and relished the idea of not having to worry about whether or not I’d be able to get into the bathroom.
As a permanent wheelchair user now in my 30s, I have tried to maintain an active lifestyle since suffering a spinal injury when I was 20, and while I may not be on my way to Rio as part of ParalympicsGB, I continue to travel as much as I can, both at home and abroad.
I travelled to Park House by train from King’s Cross. Having a fulltime carer and an inability to climb stairs, whenever I go away I am inclined to take more than I need with me – sometimes including a full-size, inflatable single bed. It was refreshing to be going away for a few nights with just my carer and little more than a medium-sized rucksack between the two of us.
Tucked away in a quiet corner of the Sandringham Estate, Park House is a stone’s throw from the Norfolk coast and a short walk from the Queen’s country residence. Built in 1863 at the request of the then Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) for a senior member of his household, the hotel is the birthplace and former home of Diana, Princess of Wales. During my visit, I was shown the bedroom where she was born and as I sat by the window gazing out at the view across the gardens and Sandringham cricket pitch looking glorious in the sunshine, I was struck by how peaceful and relaxing an environment I found myself in – especially at a time when it seemed like the world was going mad.
Offered to the Leonard Cheshire Disability charity by the Queen in 1987, Park House is a beautifully run three-star hotel designed for guests with disabilities, providing 16 wheelchair-accessible rooms and high levels of care for those who require it. From ceiling hoists to air-flow mattresses and a fully accessorised Reval Jacuzzi bath designed for people with high-dependency needs, the hotel provides all the necessary equipment as well as the much needed professional care that most guests would usually receive at home.
Having not had a bath for about 15 years (though, fortunately for everyone I know, I do have access to a shower at home), I was eager to try the Jacuzzi that the staff had raved about. Whenever I go on holiday or away for the weekend, it is extremely rare to be able to shower where I am staying – let alone bathe. And yet here I was, more than a decade after my last “soak”, suspended in a sling from a hoist attached to the ceiling and wondering what to expect. Would the experience be as enjoyable as I remembered it, or would the water-jets throw me around like a canoe in rapids, making the whole exercise a bit awkward?
In fact it was a huge success and afterwards I felt refreshed and relaxed; my usually stiff long legs felt remarkably supple. I was told by members of the hotel’s care team how beneficial the bath can be, not only for guests staying at the property but also for people from nearby communities who pop in specially to try it.
I had timed my visit well: as we arrived in Norfolk, the temperature soared. Sandringham is beautiful, especially in the sunshine. I was keen to experience the weekly tour of the Sandringham Estate which is arranged for guests – particularly as special permission is granted for the Park House transport to access the Royal Stud and some of the Queen’s private grounds. Another highlight was a wander across the