Getting to ESW: A Described Guide

Getting to Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop from the last bus stop on Newhaven Road to various location on site

Thank you to Kirin Saeed for her help in producing this described guide.

Please note that temporary exhibitions can affect some of the routes described, so please call ahead to check before your visit – 0131 551 4490.

Introduction
Welcome to your audio description guide for Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop (ESW) which will cover 4 main routes:

  • Route 1: Newhaven Road bus stop (at Hawthornvale) to ESW main entrance
  • Route 2: Main entrance to Research Space
  • Route 3: Top of Hawthornvale Steps to MILK Cafe
  • Route 4: Top of Hawthornvale Steps to Creative Labs courtyard and North Labs event space
  • Route 5: Top of Hawthornvale Steps to Beacon Tower

Please ensure that you contact staff prior to your visit. ESW’s telephone number is 0131 551 4490.
Taxis can drop off at the front door.
There is a free car park at the east end of the building.
We do hope you find this audio guide helpful and enjoy your visit.


Route 1: Newhaven Road bus stop (at Hawthornvale) to ESW main entrance

Get off the bus number 7 or 11 and wait until the bus leaves. There is no bus shelter.

Cross the road and you reach an open driveway with a small incline – keep going until you reach a grassy area, then turn left with the grass on your right, walk to the kerb.

With the wall on your right, you will pass 2 gates.
Be aware there may be dog poop, and sometimes there may be bins and other obstacles.

You will then reach a side crossing which is a double driveway with dividing wall, and then onto another wider pavement with 3 shop units on your right.

After the shop units, there is a protruding wall, at which point the pavement narrows.
Continue to follow the wall round on your right, it has 3 gates in total.
You may meet obstacles like wheelie bins and recycling bins.
After the 3rd gate, there is an indent in the wall to a corner shop, which is on the corner of Hawthornvale.

Turn right keeping the corner shop on your right.
From the corner, the walk to ESW’s main door takes around 2-4 minutes.

Be aware, the Hawthornvale pavement is extremely narrow and uneven, with drain covers, a wall on your right and obstacles like cars and communal bins on your left.

After the corner, on the stone wall on the right, you pass 2 large billboard posters promoting ESW. One is blue with white text, the other is changing artwork.

There is a drain down pipe protruding from the wall on the right.
The stone wall changes to brick for about 5 metres then back to stone.
On the left are four communal bins.
In the wall on the right there are 5 openings – 3 wooden doors, then a garage (metal) door, then a final wooden door. They are usually closed.

At the end of the stone wall, you will reach another side open crossing with high kerbs. There is an open area to the right surrounded by a metal and a wooden fence.

After the crossing, the pavement has bricks along the right-hand edge, and there is an open drop to your right of 30cm to a grassy area.
Continue for around 4 metres, then follow the metal fence on the right of the pavement.
Be aware there is a gap of 15-20cm with a drop between the inner edge of the pavement and the fence. Some parts are more eroded and the gap can vary up to 40cm.

At the end of the fence you reach a set of stairs on the right, with tactile paving at the top which lead to Cafe MILK and ESW’s Creative Laboratories.

Keep going past the stairs, which are double width with a metal rail in the middle, until you reach another fence at an open square area.
Be aware of low bike racks on the right beside the fence.

Walk straight ahead and you reach the glass wall corner.
Turn so the glass is on your left, walk towards a wooden, slatted wall straight ahead of you. The doorbell is on this wall.

There is a metal reader box on the right, and to the left 2 doorbells. Use the top one, which is shaped like a normal doorbell, a rectangular box with white, raised, round central button with a black surround.
The lower bell is rectangular with a raised central square and is only used in the evening and weekends.
Once you press the bell, someone will let you in.


Route 2: Main entrance to Research Space

Once the door buzzes, pull it towards you, it opens to your left.
You enter an open square, matted area, with glass walls on 3 sides, an encased sculpture on your left, and corridor to the right.
A staff member will let you in and meet you at this point.
Please note all visitors are signed in here, and a staff member will sign you in.

Turning right into the wide corridor, there are 2 unisex toilets to your right, and pigeonholes and sign-in area to your left.

Past the sign in area, turn to your left along a wide corridor.

To the right is a wall, and bannister to the left. Follow the bannister.
After around 3 metres, continue past a gap on the left which leads to the stairs.
Continue with the bannister on the left.

At the end of the bannister, go straight ahead and, after a gap of around 3 metres, you will reach the lift.
Turn right with the lift on your left and follow the lift wall round until you reach double doors dividing the hall. The left door is wider, and has a tall, narrow glass panel. Pull it open towards you.

Follow a short wall on the right for around a metre to reach the door to the Research Space, a glass and wood double door, with wider left door.
There is a handle on the left door. Press it down and push the left door away from you to enter the Research Space, which is a wide square room. You will be directed once you enter there.

Once at the Research Space, there will always be a staff member to help you back to the main entrance.


Route 3: Top of Hawthornvale Steps to MILK Cafe

Cafe MILK: phone 0131 551 5775

At the top of the steps there is tactile paving, then 12 fairly steep steps down to another tactile paving area at the bottom leading to Cafe MILK’s upper, outdoor seating area.

On your left, follow the rail down the stairs, then large metal gate, then the fence.
Be aware there will be an A-board sign leaning against the fence, and tables on either side of this area.

Follow a central route through the tables.

Veer left until the end of the fence on your left and you reach the tactile paving area at the top of the next steps.
These steps are shallow with a metal handrail on both sides.
Eleven steps lead to a short landing, around one metre long, then twelve steps lead to the bottom and another tactile paving area.

At the bottom, go straight ahead until you arrive at a glass wall.
Turn right, walk with the glass wall to your left, until you reach a protruding metal grill, which is the wall of the building.
Follow it round on your left until the end of the metal grille.

Stop when the metal grille ends, and you reach a brick wall.

With your back to the brick wall, walk forward to the concrete ramp, which has a low concrete wall on the right, edging the ramp.
Be aware running along the left edge of the ramp there are two steps down.
Be aware there may be an A-board sign on the ramp.

At the top of the ramp, turn right at the end of the concrete wall, and you’ll reach hip height bike racks.

Go straight ahead, veering slightly right, to reach the entrance for MILK Cafe.
Be aware there may be plants sitting on the ground on both sides of the entrance door.

Inside, walk straight ahead, veering right, to reach the counter where your order can be placed. Collection is at the right end of this counter.

Staff will always be available to direct you.

The toilet at Cafe MILK is located inside and staff can direct you to it.

We’d advise calling Cafe MILK in advance to check availability and opening hours, and book, and let them know you’ll be visiting:
Phone: 0131 551 5775.


Route 4: Top of Hawthornvale Steps To Creative Labs Courtyard and North Labs event space

Cafe MILK: phone 0131 551 5775

At the top of the steps there is tactile paving, then 12 fairly steep steps down to another tactile paving area at the bottom leading to Cafe MILK’s upper, outdoor seating area.

On your left, follow the rail down the stairs, then large metal gate, then the fence.
Be aware there will be an A-board sign leaning against the fence, and tables on either side of this area.

Follow a central route through the tables.

Veer left until the end of the fence on your left and you reach the tactile paving area at the top of the next steps.
These steps are shallow with a metal handrail on both sides.
Eleven steps lead to a short landing, around one metre long, then twelve steps lead to the bottom and another tactile paving area.

At the bottom, go straight ahead until you arrive at a glass wall.
Turn right, walk with the glass wall to your left, until you reach a protruding metal grill, which is the wall of the building.
Follow it round on your left until the end of the metal grille.

Stop when the metal grille ends, and you reach a brick wall.

With your back to the brick wall, walk forward to the concrete ramp, which has a low concrete wall on the right, edging the ramp.
Be aware running along the left edge of the ramp there are two steps down.
Be aware there may be an A-board sign on the ramp.

At the top of the ramp, go straight ahead.

There are two 2-metre-tall metal grilled gates, leading to a large open courtyard.
The gates will be open during events, and staff will be available to assist you.

Go straight ahead and you are now in the courtyard.
This is a large, open square, around 15m x 15m which has changing usage depending on the event.

The main events space is called the North Labs and is at the far end of the courtyard.

The North Labs is an internal large, white cube space, where you will be looked after by a member of staff.
The toilet is located next door to the North Labs event space, and staff can assist you.


Route 5: Top of Hawthornvale Steps to Beacon Tower

At the top of the steps there is tactile paving, then 12 fairly steep steps down to another tactile paving area at the bottom. This area is Cafe MILK’s upper, outdoor seating area.

Follow the rail then metal gate on your left, then the fence on your left.

Be aware there will be an A-board sign leaning against the fence and tables on either side of this area.

Follow a central route through the tables.

Veer left until the end of the fence on your left and you reach the tactile paving area at the top of the next steps.

These steps are shallow with a metal handrail on both sides.

Eleven steps lead to a short landing, around one metre long, then twelve steps lead to the bottom and another tactile paving area.

At the bottom, go straight ahead until you arrive at a glass wall.

Turn right, walk with the glass wall to your left, until you reach a protruding metal grill, which is the wall of the building.

Follow it round on your left until the end of the metal grille.

Stop when the metal grille ends, and you reach a brick wall.

With your back to the brick wall, walk forward to the concrete ramp, which has a low concrete wall on the right, edging the ramp.

Be aware running along the left edge of the ramp there are two steps down.
Be aware there may be an A-board sign on the ramp.

When the concrete wall on your right ends, continue straight ahead until you reach two 2-metre tall, metal grille gates.

Turn left, with the gates on your right.

After a small step down, continue until the end of the gates, which are followed by a brick wall ahead of you going off to the left at an angle of around 45 degrees.

Keeping the brick wall on your right, walk down the slope, around 2-3 metres.

The space narrows here, with this wall and the wall of the Beacon Tower meeting at a sharp angle.

The Beacon Tower is straight ahead, with the open doorway slightly to the left.

Against the left wall is a bench with cushions, and a folded blanket, for cover, as the Tower can be quite windy.

The Beacon Tower is a single (level access) internal open space.

Shaped like a right angled triangle, with the longest wall on the left, around 4 metres in length. Walls are around 22.5 metres tall.

The interior walls are concrete, which was cast in place. The exterior is brick.

There is an open aperture, around 2 metres tall, near the top of the right hand wall, which opens onto the adjacent cycle path.

 

Phone ahead if you have any questions, and to let us know if you will be visiting, and we will assist you:  0131 551 4490.

For reference only – please note that ESW borders the North Edinburgh cycle path. If you reach a gravel path (which runs along the back of the building), or the cycle path, you need to retrace your steps. Please always feel free to phone 0131 551 4490 if you need assistance.