Building the Octagon Pt.55 External stairs?

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While thinking about the hatch over the stairwell it seems I was compensating for poor siting of the ladder. I had hacked away at the pyramidal pier cladding just to allow me to climb through it. The safety hatch is only there to stop me falling down the open stairwell during normal use of the observatory! How foolish is that? 

The image shows how the ladder could be arranged to climb up through the western veranda. The veranda and ladder width match each other nicely.

With the ladder piercing the veranda, the user would pass between the handrails as they reached the veranda level. The handrails would offer a natural stop to anyone approaching the ladder [and potential floor opening] along the veranda from the far side. 

The ladder can be protected from the elements with a covering wall/box of grooved plywood to match the rest of the building. 

Access to the observatory proper inevitably demands the user ducks under the dome ring. Without modification, the present, maximum clear door opening height would be a miserable 1.3m. Which is only 4'3" in Old Money. The top of the ladder would also need weather protection to avoid snow and ice accumulation.

The Head Gardener doesn't like an external stair for umpteen, very sensible reasons.
Quote: "Stop being a girl!" Which made me laugh. 😊 She is usually so protective of my physical welfare, but it seems aesthetics takes precedent this time.

Click on any image for an enlargement.   

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