Accessibility at Wentworth Castle Gardens

Whilst the historic nature of the gardens and wider estate can present some accessibility challenges, we are actively working to make Wentworth Castle Gardens as inclusive as possible. We are always open to a conversation about your experiences of visiting and any suggestions to help us improve. Please email us.

The information below will give you an outline of what you will find during your visit and what is available to support those with disabilities or additional access needs.

The National Trust has partnered with AccessAble for a guide to Wentworth Castle Gardens. This will give you more details about accessing the site, and more photos. 

Top tips

• Before your visit, contact us to check anything relating to access or to book resources. Email us or call 01226 323070 and we’ll do our best to help.

• Download a PDF of our visitor map to plan your route and see where facilities are located. The access map for the gardens shows a step-free route which is suitable for scooters and buggies, and the access map for the parkland shows the route we recommend if you are borrowing the Tramper.

• Check our opening times. We are busiest between 11am-1pm, at the weekends, and during school holidays. If you would like a quieter visit, we recommend first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon during the week.

• During your visit, speak to us at any time if you need advice or assistance.

Parking

Accessible parking spaces are in the upper left corner of the visitor car park.

From here, it is approximately 20 metres to the Visitor Reception Building. The surface of the main car park is hardstanding.

If you do not have a Blue Badge but would benefit from using one of the accessible parking spaces, please speak to the Welcome team in Visitor Reception.  

We can also arrange for you to drop off members of your party right outside the Visitor Reception. Again, please ask the Welcome team.

Admission

There is level access into the Visitor Reception Building. It’s not a large space – so please let us know if you need to take a wheelchair or scooter around the building, rather than coming through it.

We accept the Max Card giving 25% off for foster families and families of children with additional needs.

We also accept the Essential Companion card, which makes it simple to bring one or two carers or companions with you, free of charge. Just show the card when you arrive, and your carer(s) or companion(s) won’t need to pay an entry fee.

It is about 200 metres from the Visitor Reception to the Long Barn Café and toilets, along a hardstanding and relatively flat path.

Getting around the site

Pick up a visitor map from the Visitor Reception Building or the Visitor Information Shed (located opposite the playground, just below the café). The map shows key facilities and points of interest.

In terms of path surfaces, there is a hardstanding path all the way from the visitor car park up to the Conservatory. Other parts of the garden are a mixture of firm and grassy paths. There are no hardstanding paths in the parkland.

Wentworth Castle Gardens is built on a hill so you will see that there are steep inclines throughout the estate. For this reason, the site may be heavy-going for urban mobility scooters and wheelchairs. We recommend that if in any doubt, you borrow one of our powered mobility scooters which have a longer battery life and are more robust for the demands of the site (see section below for more details).

Within the gardens, there are steps down to the Conservatory terrace and up to the Azalea Garden, but you will also find alternative step-free routes. Please be aware of uneven terrain around the estate. We recommend wearing sturdy shoes when you visit.

At Stainborough Castle there are over 80 steps to the top of the castle tower. There is no step-free route.

Powered mobility vehicles (PMV’s)

We have two powered mobility scooters & an all-terrain Tramper available for hire, free of charge. We recommend that you book these in advance wherever possible by emailing us or calling 01226 323070 . You will need to provide your phone number and an estimated time of arrival.

When you get to the gardens, please pick up the scooter or Tramper from the Visitor Reception Building. The Welcome team will carry out a short assessment to ensure the scooter is suitable for your needs.

You can use any of the vehicles (the two scooters or the Tramper) to get around the gardens. An accessible route around the gardens is displayed on the path above the Visitor Reception. The Welcome team can also provide you with a map – or download a PDF version here.

Only the all-terrain Tramper can be used to get around the parkland, and this is dependent on dry conditions in the parkland (we will advise you at the time of booking). The Welcome team will give you a map showing the route that you must follow to take the tramper around the parkland – or download a PDF here.  

We also have two manual wheelchairs available for hire in the café if you would prefer to leave your scooter outside the door. Please ask the café team.

Buggy Shuttle Service

The buggy shuttle service is available every day and can take you up the hill into the gardens. Possible drop off points are the café, the Conservatory and Archer’s Hill Gate.

Please ask the welcome team if you would like to make use of the shuttle. The driver will give you a card with the buggy driver’s phone number if you need to use the shuttle service again during your visit.

The buggy is not wheelchair accessible.

Visitor Information Shed

Find the Visitor Information Shed near the Café, opposite the playground.

It is staffed by volunteers who will be able to give you information to plan your day.

The Visitor Information Shed has ramped access.

Café, Bookshop and Reading Room

There is level access to the Long Barn building, which contains the café and second-hand bookshop.

There is a lift to the first floor of the Long Barn building, which houses the Reading Room. Please ask the Café team for support in operating the lift. If you find the main Café too noisy, feel free to make use of the Reading Room as an alternative, quieter space. Takeaway drinks and snacks can be taken up there.

We have large-handled cutlery and crockery available to borrow in the café. There are also straws if you need them.

Toilets

Accessible toilets are located in the Long Barn Café and the Conservatory building.

Both accessible toilets also include baby changing facilities.

Seating

There are benches throughout the gardens and parkland for you to rest a while and enjoy the view. You will also find wheelchair accessible benches, especially in the Union Jack Garden.

Seating inside the café consists of wooden chairs and benches. Some of the chairs have arm rests.

Upstairs in the Reading Room you will find comfortable soft seating.

There are picnic tables outside the café, including wheelchair and buggy-friendly tables.

A sensory-friendly visit

• View our visual story, which you can download as a PDF here. This will introduce you to some of the sensory experiences you will encounter during a visit to Wentworth Castle Gardens.
• We have developed a sensory trail which you can use to explore the gardens. Download a PDF version here or pick up a printed version from the Visitor Reception or the Visitor Information Shed on arrival.
• Borrow a sensory backpack to support your visit. The backpacks contain ear defenders, sunglasses, a range of fidget toys and a communications card. Ask at Visitor Reception or the Visitor Information Shed.
• The café can be a noisy environment. If you need a quieter spot, ask the team to direct you to the Reading Room upstairs. We can also lend you ear defenders.
• Within the Reading Room, there is a chill-out corner for children, with a beanbag and sensory toys.
• In the Play Area, there is a range of play equipment for children, including an accessible seesaw that can be enjoyed in a wheelchair or buggy.