Pleasant tranquility
4.5
4.5
Date of visit: June 2019
I have experience of challenges around: moving around
Overall Rating
Excellent
A beautiful site that was peaceful and tranquil, with woods, castles, mansions, wide open fields, and wild deer. A great area to come and forget about the hustle bustle of life, and just relax for a few hours.
Disabled Access In and Around
Average
The estate had compacted gravel paths in many areas of interest, and in the main I could do a lot of what was on offer. Some parts require going off-path along fields which became difficult (the fields are used by livestock). The castle had a very steep muddy path into the centre, and no wheelchair access to the higher levels. One of the paths to the castle was quite steep, although it was possible to get permission to drive up to this area. Inside the building, there was a ramp and a lift, making it possible to do the ground floor and the upper floor, but there was no access to the basement area.
Parking & Transport
Good
The venue is a huge 800 acre park, so distances are to be expected. By road, there is a 0.8 mile access road, predominantly single track with passing places to access a car park (admission to venue is paid to the car park attendant). Parking was compacted gravel with no marked bays, and no areas specifically marked out for disabled use. There is a secondary parking area exclusive for disabled people near the castle, this has room for two cars, but requires the user to open up two gates manually. The nearest bus stop is 1 mile from the main entrance, and has four buses a day (Monday to Saturday)
Accessible Toilets
Good
There was a disabled toilet next to the main car park, although this was an outdoor toilet. There was also an indoor toilet available in the main building.
Staff
Excellent
Staff were very helpful throughout, and quite knowledgeable too. They were also empowered to provide authorization for more specialized requests, such as driving through the forest, driving to the castle, and driving up to the historic house.
Additional Information
This ended up being a lot more than I could ever have expected. What started as a trip to an historic house with gardens ended up going for a drive through a forest, driving up to a historic castle, and watching wild deer and other animals, both wild and domestic. If you ever want to get up and close to a forest, but thought you couldn't manage it, ask staff for permission to visit Castle Woods, which you can drive through. It's also advantageous to drive to the Castle, as the path is very steep. Certainly a place I would visit again
