2
Chepstow Racecourse - Ladies Day 2026
I attended ‘Ladies day’ at Chepstow races on 27.06.26. I am an ambulatory wheelchair user and on this occasion, I was using a walker frame instead of my usual wheelchair and I was travelling with some able-bodied friends.
Chepstow racecourse prides itself on being “fully accessible”, “ensuring a comfortable visit for all”, I did not find this to be the case in either instance. Venue Accessibility | Chepstow Racecourse I have taken quotes from their website and accessibility guide, reflected against my experience.
Parking - this was located directly opposite to the racecourse entrance (Gate 4), it seemed to be a rough partially gravelled area - unable to comment further. We got a pre booked taxi that pulled up in the bay by the parking area. There was a pedestrian crossing to cross the main road.
Entry - There was a long unshaded queue to get in, it was unclear if there was a disabled entrance to get through and there were not attendants/stewards in the queue to ask. There was no signage for disabled entrance or accessibility information on arrival. When we got to the gate there were people scanning tickets to get in. The internet/signal to the site was very poor and problematic for several of our party members and they were not able to open the QR tickets that had been sent to us by email. Additionally we were unable to open the website for any further accessibility information throughout our visit. We had all bought additional drinks packages, and as well as making us wait further to get in, we were blamed and told that we should have printed our tickets out beforehand and that we would be unable to access our prepaid drinks packages. The staff were not helpful and were in fact quite rude which put a dampener on the start of our day. We were eventually let in and by this time we had missed the opening hour drink discount, despite being there for the start of opening.
The terrain - the pathways are concreted hard paths, and stand areas are concreted. The outside food court and evening entertainment area is grass - it was a bit bumpy and difficult to get over in the walker - it could have done with a fresh cut to make it more even and hence accessible. The site was set over a steep hill and the stands/seating areas were set into steps. (After visiting I again reviewed the accessibility page on their website to see if I had missed anything beforehand, I hadn’t - the map is not at all helpful - it doesn’t mark on more accessible routes/inaccessible routes, There is no indication of disabled toilets, no indication of areas of steep terrain… At the site itself there is no visible signage for disabled route/lifts/toilets/assistance so it is impossible to tell when you are there.
“we pride ourselves on giving our team the best possible training we can which ensures
you will never be far from a person who can answer your questions.”
It was unclear as a disabled person how I would even get down to the racetrack from the entrance court and again there seemed to be no stewards to help to direct me. Ironically, I ended up having to walk the furthest down to the end of the entrance court, where there was a long ramped area that I then had to go back on myself to get to the track viewing areas and betting stalls (there are steps as soon as you get in on the right but no apparent ramp or lift down).
Accessible viewing area - “We have a raised viewing platform looking into the parade ring - this platform is managed by one of our stewarding team”.
Once I was down, there was a very small ‘accessible’ area which was a small concrete platform/pen - at the front of this there would have been space for 2 wheelchairs any more and you wouldn’t see very much from behind. That being said it was empty, as if you had anyone accompanying you then they would have had no where to sit with you. I did not find this to be managed by a steward at any point passing this. There was a grassed section to the right of this with tables and chairs however this was full and despite having my walker no one offered to move to let me sit and there seemed to be no allocation of seating for disabled people/ no stewards to ask for assistance. There didn’t seem to be any other options for disabled seating. We ended up having to go down the steep ramping to the main seating area where I stayed at the top of the steps, and my party went down the steps to the bar-type stools along the horse presentation ring.
Toilets - As soon as we had arrived and gotten down to the track area again I tried to find a steward to tell me where the accessible toilet was. After walking around a bit I decided to go round to the clubhouse area (grandstand building?) where I found the first steward by the door.
“The entrance to the Lower Grandstand/Premier Stand you can see is accessible for all wheelchair users, is open every
race day and any guests with any mobility needs. Should you need help with opening
any doors around the racecourse our stewarding team will be able to assist.”
I asked him where the accessible toilet was, and he didn’t actually know, but to be fair to him he apologised straight away and found out immediately for me. It turns out it’s on the outside of the building (because as I found out to get inside the building you have to get over the ridge of the doorway, which again, without assistance from someone else, would mean I would not have been able to enter!) Since looking on their website after the event apparently there are further disabled toilets but again without a map, without staff that know where these are and without adequate wifi facilities to be able to check online whilst you are there, these are impossible to find.
“We continually work towards improving and raising our standards in the facilities we have”.
The toilet itself, even just an hour and a half after entry, was absolutely filthy and not fit for purpose. It was very obvious that it had not been cleaned in quite some time. It had a toilet support bar and hand rails but that was about the only thing going for it. No emergence cord. The floor was dirty and wet. There was old toilet papers and rubbish strewn everywhere. The toilet roll dispenser was broken which meant as a disabled person you were unable to reach the toilet rolls (without support) as they were propped at the back. As I was visiting with friends I am not in the habit of asking them to attend me in the toilet, so being unable to reach the toilet roll felt very degrading and undignified. There was no hand drying station or paper hand towels either so I left the toilet with wet hands again making me feel very uncomfortable from a hygiene and sensory point of view. The toilet was accessed using a RADAR key, which from the note on the door, you’d have to request from the bar on the inside of the (inaccessible) building if you hadn’t brought your own! But as I noticed at several points in the afternoon it was regularly left unopened which meant that it got progressively more filthy and unavailable to use, as able-bodied people were using it to escape queuing for the other toilets!
The public - I found that people around the site were mixed. Some people were very friendly and helpful, moving out of the way so I could move through, offering to help lift the walker when needed. Others were in a world of their own, which can, I suppose, be expected especially when alcohol is involved, and there were a few that were rude refusing to move etc.
The staff - Again the staff were mixed, however overall unhelpful.
“We will always ensure all visitors will be looked after no matter with or without a disability.”
Despite obviously struggling to move around and being with my walker frame I went to get some water near the end of the day as I was feeling faint as it had been very hot. I got to the inside bar (after my walker frame was lifted inside by a member of the public) and politely asked if they could fill up my water bottle to be told that there was a dispenser. I could see that the dispenser was empty and they just said No as they were cleaning the bar and that I would have to go up the hill to the lawn area. As I was feeling so unwell I had to approach another member of the public to ask if they would assist me in getting some, which to be fair on them they were really nice and did, but this meant I had to wait further feeing unwell, and had to put my trust in a complete stranger rather than the site staff. The staff just then continued to ignore me through this experience.
Overall, the horse racing itself I enjoyed. For reasons stated otherwise the day was very exhausting and overwhelming. I did not find this site to be very accessible despite claiming that it is. The disabled experience is made very difficult by facilities that are not fit for service, a lack of stewards for assistance. And generalised rudeness/unhelpful staff. Whilst at the races I did not see any wheelchair users personally, I saw a few people also using walkers and a few people using walking sticks. I am lucky that I was able to feel able enough to use my walker that day, and I would suggest that a full time wheelchair user/someone with hidden disabilities would have had an even more difficult experience without personal assistance.
I recommend that for this site to be more accessible as a minimum there needs to be dedicated stewards that are able to assist disabled people, a map available free to disabled guests, on entry, to show more accessible routes and facilities, clean and fit for purpose lockable toilets for disabled only use, comfortable and further accessible viewing areas/ disabled reserved seating areas where you can sit with your party, and staff training in physical and hidden disabilities, particularly in being accommodating and helpful.
I attended ‘Ladies day’ at Chepstow races on 27.06.26. I am an ambulatory wheelchair user and on this occasion, I was using a walker frame instead of my usual wheelchair and I was travelling with some able-bodied friends.
Chepstow racecourse prides itself on being “fully accessible”, “ensuring a comfortable visit for all”, I did not find this to be the case in either instance. Venue Accessibility | Chepstow Racecourse I have taken quotes from their website and accessibility guide, reflected against my experience.
Parking - this was located directly opposite to the racecourse entrance (Gate 4), it seemed to be a rough partially gravelled area - unable to comment further. We got a pre booked taxi that pulled up in the bay by the parking area. There was a pedestrian crossing to cross the main road.
Entry - There was a long unshaded queue to get in, it was unclear if there was a disabled entrance to get through and there were not attendants/stewards in the queue to ask. There was no signage for disabled entrance or accessibility information on arrival. When we got to the gate there were people scanning tickets to get in. The internet/signal to the site was very poor and problematic for several of our party members and they were not able to open the QR tickets that had been sent to us by email. Additionally we were unable to open the website for any further accessibility information throughout our visit. We had all bought additional drinks packages, and as well as making us wait further to get in, we were blamed and told that we should have printed our tickets out beforehand and that we would be unable to access our prepaid drinks packages. The staff were not helpful and were in fact quite rude which put a dampener on the start of our day. We were eventually let in and by this time we had missed the opening hour drink discount, despite being there for the start of opening.
The terrain - the pathways are concreted hard paths, and stand areas are concreted. The outside food court and evening entertainment area is grass - it was a bit bumpy and difficult to get over in the walker - it could have done with a fresh cut to make it more even and hence accessible. The site was set over a steep hill and the stands/seating areas were set into steps. (After visiting I again reviewed the accessibility page on their website to see if I had missed anything beforehand, I hadn’t - the map is not at all helpful - it doesn’t mark on more accessible routes/inaccessible routes, There is no indication of disabled toilets, no indication of areas of steep terrain… At the site itself there is no visible signage for disabled route/lifts/toilets/assistance so it is impossible to tell when you are there.
“we pride ourselves on giving our team the best possible training we can which ensures
you will never be far from a person who can answer your questions.”
It was unclear as a disabled person how I would even get down to the racetrack from the entrance court and again there seemed to be no stewards to help to direct me. Ironically, I ended up having to walk the furthest down to the end of the entrance court, where there was a long ramped area that I then had to go back on myself to get to the track viewing areas and betting stalls (there are steps as soon as you get in on the right but no apparent ramp or lift down).
Accessible viewing area - “We have a raised viewing platform looking into the parade ring - this platform is managed by one of our stewarding team”.
Once I was down, there was a very small ‘accessible’ area which was a small concrete platform/pen - at the front of this there would have been space for 2 wheelchairs any more and you wouldn’t see very much from behind. That being said it was empty, as if you had anyone accompanying you then they would have had no where to sit with you. I did not find this to be managed by a steward at any point passing this. There was a grassed section to the right of this with tables and chairs however this was full and despite having my walker no one offered to move to let me sit and there seemed to be no allocation of seating for disabled people/ no stewards to ask for assistance. There didn’t seem to be any other options for disabled seating. We ended up having to go down the steep ramping to the main seating area where I stayed at the top of the steps, and my party went down the steps to the bar-type stools along the horse presentation ring.
Toilets - As soon as we had arrived and gotten down to the track area again I tried to find a steward to tell me where the accessible toilet was. After walking around a bit I decided to go round to the clubhouse area (grandstand building?) where I found the first steward by the door.
“The entrance to the Lower Grandstand/Premier Stand you can see is accessible for all wheelchair users, is open every
race day and any guests with any mobility needs. Should you need help with opening
any doors around the racecourse our stewarding team will be able to assist.”
I asked him where the accessible toilet was, and he didn’t actually know, but to be fair to him he apologised straight away and found out immediately for me. It turns out it’s on the outside of the building (because as I found out to get inside the building you have to get over the ridge of the doorway, which again, without assistance from someone else, would mean I would not have been able to enter!) Since looking on their website after the event apparently there are further disabled toilets but again without a map, without staff that know where these are and without adequate wifi facilities to be able to check online whilst you are there, these are impossible to find.
“We continually work towards improving and raising our standards in the facilities we have”.
The toilet itself, even just an hour and a half after entry, was absolutely filthy and not fit for purpose. It was very obvious that it had not been cleaned in quite some time. It had a toilet support bar and hand rails but that was about the only thing going for it. No emergence cord. The floor was dirty and wet. There was old toilet papers and rubbish strewn everywhere. The toilet roll dispenser was broken which meant as a disabled person you were unable to reach the toilet rolls (without support) as they were propped at the back. As I was visiting with friends I am not in the habit of asking them to attend me in the toilet, so being unable to reach the toilet roll felt very degrading and undignified. There was no hand drying station or paper hand towels either so I left the toilet with wet hands again making me feel very uncomfortable from a hygiene and sensory point of view. The toilet was accessed using a RADAR key, which from the note on the door, you’d have to request from the bar on the inside of the (inaccessible) building if you hadn’t brought your own! But as I noticed at several points in the afternoon it was regularly left unopened which meant that it got progressively more filthy and unavailable to use, as able-bodied people were using it to escape queuing for the other toilets!
The public - I found that people around the site were mixed. Some people were very friendly and helpful, moving out of the way so I could move through, offering to help lift the walker when needed. Others were in a world of their own, which can, I suppose, be expected especially when alcohol is involved, and there were a few that were rude refusing to move etc.
The staff - Again the staff were mixed, however overall unhelpful.
“We will always ensure all visitors will be looked after no matter with or without a disability.”
Despite obviously struggling to move around and being with my walker frame I went to get some water near the end of the day as I was feeling faint as it had been very hot. I got to the inside bar (after my walker frame was lifted inside by a member of the public) and politely asked if they could fill up my water bottle to be told that there was a dispenser. I could see that the dispenser was empty and they just said No as they were cleaning the bar and that I would have to go up the hill to the lawn area. As I was feeling so unwell I had to approach another member of the public to ask if they would assist me in getting some, which to be fair on them they were really nice and did, but this meant I had to wait further feeing unwell, and had to put my trust in a complete stranger rather than the site staff. The staff just then continued to ignore me through this experience.
Overall, the horse racing itself I enjoyed. For reasons stated otherwise the day was very exhausting and overwhelming. I did not find this site to be very accessible despite claiming that it is. The disabled experience is made very difficult by facilities that are not fit for service, a lack of stewards for assistance. And generalised rudeness/unhelpful staff. Whilst at the races I did not see any wheelchair users personally, I saw a few people also using walkers and a few people using walking sticks. I am lucky that I was able to feel able enough to use my walker that day, and I would suggest that a full time wheelchair user/someone with hidden disabilities would have had an even more difficult experience without personal assistance.
I recommend that for this site to be more accessible as a minimum there needs to be dedicated stewards that are able to assist disabled people, a map available free to disabled guests, on entry, to show more accessible routes and facilities, clean and fit for purpose lockable toilets for disabled only use, comfortable and further accessible viewing areas/ disabled reserved seating areas where you can sit with your party, and staff training in physical and hidden disabilities, particularly in being accommodating and helpful.
For additional detailed accessibility information, please contact: info@chepstow-racecourse.co.uk
