Everyone welcome

Top five tips for enjoying your day

1. Contact us at least one week before your visit so we can have everything you need ready for when you arrive. (Please note, you don’t have to do this, but it really helps). You can phone us on 01263738030, or email: blickling@nationaltrust.org.uk.
2. Plan your route ahead of time to make the most of your day using our access map.
3. Be aware of where the accessible toilets are located, and visit one before you explore the house, gardens or wider estate.
4. Dress for the weather. Comfy shoes are recommended.
5. Speak to our team at any time if you need advice or assistance.

Visitor testimonials

“Just loved it. The lady who greeted us was so helpful and organised a trailer trike wheelchair so that my husband could go around the gardens instead of having to sit in a café which meant a lot to us, as his mobility is a big issue though not yet wheelchair bound.”

“… the paths in the gardens are suitable for even the smallest mobility scooters. The lawns too were suitable. I have been coming to Blickling since it was given to the National Trust and then opened for the public. I knew many of the people who worked there. [I] have Lived one mile away and still come now on my brand new mobility scooter. It is constantly improving, the grounds and facilities, i.e. paths.”

“I am a wheelchair user. The designated disabled parking spaces are near to the entrance. There are plenty of wheelchair-friendly paths. With the help of my friends I was able to access the cafe. The ‘disabled’ toilet was large enough to enable two carers to assist me. The staff and volunteers I met were helpful and friendly.”

Parking and arrival

Designated accessible parking is available in the main car park at Blickling Estate. The nearest Blue Badge parking spaces are 25 metres from the Estate Barn visitor welcome entrance and around 385 metres from the house and garden entrances. These are indicated by floor signs and yellow painted hatching on the ground. Additional Blue Badge parking spaces are available in the Farmyard, which is close to the Changing Places facility.

The Estate Barn visitor welcome

There is step-free level access into the visitor welcome area. The 82cm wide door is manual, opens inwards and there is a small lip on the threshold of around 1.5cm. There is step-free access to the counter, which has a low-level section at a suitable height for a wheelchair user. The width of the exit door opening is 82cm and this has a small lip immediately past the entrance approximately 2cm from the floor.

Induction loop

Induction hearing loops are available at all till points.

Sunflower Lanyard Scheme

Blickling Estate supports the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme.

Admissions information

The Essential Companion card makes it simple to bring one or two carers or companions with you, free of charge. Show the card when you arrive, and your carer(s) or companion(s) won’t need to pay an entry fee. It’s in your name so you can bring whoever you like, but even if you don’t have an Essential Companion card, you can still bring carers or companions free – the card just makes it quicker and simpler for you. 

Find out more about Discounted and free entry for carers: Access for everyone | National Trust

Mobile reception and wifi

Please note that Mobile phone reception is limited throughout the site. Free wifi is available in Muddy Boots and the Stables cafés.

Accessible toilets

Accessible toilets can be found in the Estate Barn in the main car park, in the East Wing, in the Farmyard and a Changing Places facility is also located in the Farmyard. Please note that this requires a Radar key. If needed, a Radar Key can be borrowed from the shop in the east wing.

The Changing Places space comprises:

• Toilet with grab rails and drop-down support rails on either side
• Large central space to fit carers and to enable turning of wheelchairs
• Washbasin with space underneath
• Privacy screen
• Adult sized changing bench
• Ceiling track hoist
• Shower

Free sanitary products are available in both women's and accessible toilets across the estate.

Baby changing facilities can be found at the Estate Barn in the main car park, near East Wing visitor welcome and in the Farmyard.

Powered Mobility Vehicles (PMVs), Mountain push trikes and manual wheelchairs

Powered Mobility Scooters are available to hire for free from the Estate Barn visitor welcome in the main car park (parkland scooters) and the East Wing visitor welcome near the house (garden scooters). These electric mobility scooters are designed specifically to travel outside and across gravel and grass safely. They can also go up and down slopes, over soft ground and through shallow puddles.

PMV users must be accompanied by an adult, at all times, while out on the trails and their party should have a mobile phone available to call for assistance if required. Contact details will be provided. The PMV must be returned to visitor welcome before it closes (timings advised on the day).

Booking is recommended, please call 01263733956 to book or email blickling@nationaltrust.org.uk at least 24 hours in advance. If there are no bookings on the day you visit, PMVs can be used on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Manual wheelchairs and two Mountain Trike Push all terrain wheelchairs are also available from the Estate Barn visitor welcome in the main car park.

Who can use the PMVs and mountain trike push all terrain wheelchairs?

The PMVs and mountain trike push all terrain wheelchairs are for those who wish to explore the outdoor areas of Blickling Estate, which would otherwise be inaccessible to traditional mobility scooters and wheelchairs. More accessible routes have been drawn up to allow users to explore as much of Blickling Estate’s gardens and parkland as possible, without the worry of getting stuck.

Braille and large print guides

We have developed Braille and large print welcome guides for blind and partially sighted people. Braille Guide and large print welcome guides are available from the Estate Barn and East Wing visitor welcome points. Braille and large print guides to the House are available at the House entrance.

Sensory items

You are welcome to borrow sensory items from the Estate Barn visitor welcome, at the East Wing visitor welcome and at the entrance to the Hall to help make your visit more enjoyable.

Options include: adjustable ear defenders (please note, the ear defenders are not toys and children should not be left alone with them), wooden easy-hold magnifier, wooden articulated caterpillar, rainbow press pop fidget toy and a tangle therapy toy. You can also borrow a canvas drawstring bag to carry them in.

Visiting Blickling Hall

The entry to Blickling Hall is located at the front of the building. There is step-free access via ramp at the entrance which is over 150cm wide, with no handrails. There are double manual doors (with one door locked) which open away from you. The width of the opening is 75cm, which is used as a gauge to check if personal wheelchairs and PMVs will be able to fit through the historic doorways, narrow corridors and tight turns within the house. There is a small lip on the threshold of the entrance with a height of more than 1.5cm. On arrival, a member of staff or volunteer will welcome you and be available for help and assistance.

Once inside, there are three floors open to explore. There is step-free access to the ground floor only once inside, other floors can be accessed via stairs. On the ground floor, visitors can access the Great Hall, the Brown Drawing Room, the Lower Ante Room, the Dining Room and the Serving Room.

We apologise for any inconvenience, but there is currently no lift access to the first floor of the house.

The house has different exit points depending on which route is open on the day of your visit, some have ramps/slopes and manual doors.

Discover more about Blickling Hall.

Visiting the gardens

There are 55 acres of formal garden at Blickling, the result of three centuries of planting, with ancient yews, parterre, lake and productive walled kitchen garden. Most pathways are gravel or mown grass, which can be slippery or muddy when wet. View and download the PDF Access Map for the garden to follow suggested paths for level access to avoid steps. You can also take a look at the AccessAble guide to visiting the Parterre and Walled Garden to help plan your visit.

Visiting the wider estate

The four mile all-weather hard surface multi-use trail travels through woods and open land and takes in the iconic Tower, Great Wood and Mausoleum. The route is designed for walkers, pushchairs, adapted wheelchair users and cyclists – allowing everyone the chance to access and explore the nature we care for on the estate. Plan your walk around the multi-use trail: Accessible multi-use trail.

Visiting the RAF Oulton Museum

Please note that the RAF Oulton Museum is situated upstairs with no wheelchair access.

Royal Air Force Oulton was an airfield that was created on Blickling Estate in 1939 and undertook vital work for the war effort. The museum is situated up a set of stairs in what was once accommodation for the air crew. Visit to see the collection of objects and documents donated by families whose relatives served here.