A guide to accessibility at Polesden Lacey
- Published:
- 08 June 2025
Everyone is welcome at Polesden Lacey. While there are some challenges around accessibility due to the historic setting and landscapes, we’re working hard to make getting around and spending time here as easy, enjoyable and stress-free as possible.
Travel and parking
Please check out the ‘Getting here’ section of our website for details about travelling to Polesden Lacey by car, bus, train and other modes of transport.
There are taxis ranks at Dorking and Leatherhead railway stations for people coming by train. Please note that the walk from the local town, Great Bookham, is 2.7 miles and can be quite strenuous.
If you travel by car, on arrival, you will find a large, gravel car park on the left as you drive in, with plenty of designated accessible bays for blue badge holders and drivers requiring additional space. This section of the car park is prioritised for visitors with mobility difficulties who may or may not have a blue badge.
Staff and volunteers are on hand in the car park during busy periods to offer assistance and support. There are ten electric vehicle charging outlets with large vehicle spaces. These are intended for drivers to ‘top up’ their charge. Drivers will need to bring their own cables to charge.
Facilities
You will find a step-free toilet block opposite the coffee shop as you enter the property from the car park, which includes baby change facilities and an accessible toilet.
There are additional step-free toilets next to the main café. Here you will find a unisex toilet, baby change facilities and an accessible toilet equipped with an adult-sized changing bench.
Visitor Reception
The car park is a short distance away from Visitor Reception via a step-free route. Follow the paved path from the car park to the main site entrance and into Dairy Courtyard, a spacious area with a smooth surface. Go through the set of doors, passing the shop on the left, to reach Stable Courtyard, another wide area with a smooth surface. Visitor Reception is on the left and the Granary Café is directly opposite. Seating is available in both Dairy Courtyard and Stable Courtyard.
There is a hearing loop in Visitor Reception. Dogs on leads are welcome in this area. As you go into the main part of the property, past Visitor Reception, the Welcome Area is a short distance away. Here, you can look at a map of the gardens and grounds and ask for the volunteer-driven shuttle bus to take you down to the main house entrance (subject to volunteer availability).
Moving around the grounds
If you have pre-booked a wheelchair, mobility scooter or all-terrain trike for your visit to Polesden Lacey, please let the Visitor Reception team know when you arrive. They will help you collect this from the welcome area, show the scooter driver how to use the controls and carry out a safety check.
A volunteer-driven shuttle bus operates from outside the welcome area (subject to volunteer availability), driving visitors between Visitor Reception and the house. There is a gravel surface outside the main entrance to the house with a ramp at the main door to enable easier access into the lobby.
In the formal gardens, most areas offer step-free access. Some paths around the garden and grounds are gravel, but most are smooth with some grass paths in certain areas. Benches are located at regular intervals for people to rest and enjoy the view.
Moving around the house
There is step-free access to the ground floor through the main hall and into the ground-floor showrooms. Braille, large print and alternative language guides are available from the room guide in the entry lobby on request. There is also a portable hearing loop in the house.
We have hip carriers for infants and newborn baby carriers available to borrow if these are suitable for your individual needs. Please ask for these as you enter the lobby. We can show you somewhere safe to leave your pushchair or buggy while you are looking round the house.
We may not be able to accommodate larger wheelchairs inside the house. A small, manual wheelchair can be borrowed on the day for use inside the house, subject to availability. Assistance dogs are permitted inside the house.
When exhibitions are running upstairs, we provide a virtual tour via an iPad or screen that shows 360-degree views of the rooms and exhibits on show. Please ask about this when you arrive at the house. An area has been set aside on the ground floor for visitors wanting a quieter space during their visit.
Eating and drinking
There are two permanent food and beverage outlets at Polesden Lacey, both of which are step-free and accessible for wheelchair users. The coffee shop is located on the left as you walk in from the car park, opposite the main toilet block. The Granary Café is in Stable Courtyard.
Both outlets serve a range of hot and cold drinks, snacks and light meals, including gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options. Allergen information is readily available, and staff are on hand to help you with any food-related enquiries. Till points are fitted with hearing induction loops. Accessible cups and cutlery are also available, please ask for these if needed.
A seasonal trailer offering drinks and pre-packed snacks operates in the grounds during busy periods. There is plenty of outdoor seating by the trailer with plenty of room for wheelchairs, pushchairs and buggies.
Accessible picnic benches are available in Crab Apple Orchard, outside the coffee shop and in the Kestrel Corner play area
Dogs are welcome in the coffee shop, but not in the café; however, assistance dogs can be taken in both the café and coffee shop.
Shopping
The gift shop has step-free access and is suitable for wheelchair users. Staff are on hand to help you with anything you might like to look at inside the shop, or outside where a selection of plants and garden items are on sale. The till point is equipped with a hearing loop and the counter is at desk height. Dogs are welcome inside.
A second-hand bookshop is also situated by the west side of the house. There is a ramp into the entrance, but the door is quite narrow. Baskets of books are displayed outside, and visitors are welcome to browse through these. The bookshop volunteers will also be happy to bring any books out to show you that you might like to look at.
Get in touch
If you have any suggestions about improving accessibility at Polesden Lacey, we would be pleased to hear them. You can email us on polesdenlacey@nationaltrust.org.uk or call 01372 452048.