New Forest Ice Cream

We were approached by New Forest Ice Cream, one of the largest independent ice cream producers in the UK. They were looking to install disabled access to the 1st floor at their head office in Lymington, Hampshire. New Forest Ice Cream is a family run business that was established over 30 years ago and has supplied the nation with the highest quality products. As the business has grown so has the office size and location. In 2013 New Forest Ice Cream moved back to where they started in Lymington to larger premises. With the larger production facility and office they needed disabled access to the first floor. This is when they got in contact with Access Lifts.

After attending site and having a meeting with the client it was clear they wanted a practical lift that would have lots of space. This was so that 1st floor of the office was accessible for disabled members of staff as well as any visitors who used wheelchairs. We installed a disabled platform lift measuring 1100mm x 1400mm - enough space for a wheelchair as well as a carer if necessary in it's own aluminium structure. The total distance the lift travelled was 4.5 metres across the 2 floors. The lift was finished with glass swing landing doors which were painted blue with the rest of the shaft painted white to match the building's interior. The lift was installed within 3 days.

Platform Lift at Bitterne Park School

We were approached by Bitterne Park School in Southampton as they wanted to install disabled access across their main school building and were having difficulty in positioning the school lift. Schools can often find it difficulty to find the space for disabled access in or around existing buildings especially if the building is 20 years or older. Bitterne Park School had this same problem so got in touch about where a lift could be positioned to maximise the existing space of the school and make it easier for pupils with wheelchairs to get to and from lessons.

We installed a Vimec EO6 platform lift across 3 floors with a travel distance of 10 metres. The school lift was fitted in its own external glazed shaft with black weatherproof steel and then was directly fitted to the existing school building. The lift was installed with fully automatic swing landing doors on each landing. We also installed the lift with a "school timer" that means after it has been used the lift automatically travels away from the floor level so the system is completely locked and no one can gain access to the lift shaft. The pupils or members of staff with the access key for the lift can then use it as and when they need to. The pump was installed within a secure steel cabinet opposite the ground floor door. We not only carried out the lift installation inclusive of the glazed shaft but also project managed the building work for the local LEA.

Cams Hall Golf Club

Cams Hall Golf Club, based in Fareham, Hampshire, came to us in need of a way for all golf club visitors to be able to access the 1st floor of the clubhouse. The 1st floor of the clubhouse overlooks 18th Green and offers unrestricted views of the surrounding course as well as being used as a function room and events space. The upstairs of the clubhouse is hired out to members of the public for regularevents as well as one off functions. The client really wanted to have a golf course clubhouse lift so that the anyone and everyone could access the whole clubhouse and make use of the wonderful facilities it boasts.

In order to see the wonderful vistas of the golf course we opted for a glass lift shaft, this allows allows a lot more light into the building giving it an airy and spacious feel. The shaft is in the middle of an existing square staircase up to the first floor and the 18th green can be seen as you travel up in the lift. The lift we installed was a vector system that only required a 50mm pit as the client did not want to excavate a pit for the lift so didn't have the added expense of builders' work. We simply removed the carpet and underlay then installed a 20mm stainless steel ramp up to the ground floor level of the lift. The lift travels a total distance of 3.9 metres between floors and the cabin measures 1480mm x 1100mm, giving a large interior so that a user can even fit their clubs in with them. The lift was linked into the fire alarm system so that in the event of a fire, the lift automatically descends to the ground floor.

The lift allows members and guests of the club complete and unlimited access to the clubhouse's facilities as well as providing disabled access for functions and private parties held on the first floor. The lift adds to this fantastic clubhouse and wonderful golf club.

The Dancing Man Brewery at the Wool House

The owner of the Grade I listed Dancing Man Brewery & Pub came to us needing a pub lift that fitted the industrial aesthetics of the building and did not compromise the Grade I listing.

The Dancing Man Brewery & Pub is situated in the Wool House, Southampton. The Wool House is a 14th Century, Grade I listed building that has recently been converted into a microbrewery and pub. The owners wanted to make the 1st floor accessible to disabled customers so that they could experience the whole brewery. The main challenge that needed to be overcome was how to design a lift to fit into a 1450mm x 1450mm space that did not compromise the property's Grade I listing.

We came up with a small platform lift within its own lift shaft. In order to meet the client's expectations of an industrial looking pub lift to reflect the building's historic past, we opted for a glass lift shaft with a black structure. This was so that the inner workings of the lift could be seen by the customers to give it a warehouse/industrial charm. The work was completed within 10 days and the lift was ready for the grand opening of the Dancing Man. Our engineers even fitted the client's existing handrails to the lift structure as to maximise the space on the stairway leading to the 1st floor. The client was really impressed with the finished article and said, "we were very pleased with how Access Lifts worked, the guys left the site neat and tidy ready for the grand opening."

To see more of our projects in listed buildings click on the following links: York Theatre Royal, British Library, National Theatre and Inclined Platform Lift in Grade II Listed Waterworks.

lifts in hampshire

New Forest Ice Cream

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

Platform Lift at Bitterne Park School

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

Cams Hall Golf Club

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

The Dancing Man Brewery at the Wool House

For more information about lifts like the one above then call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us