Walton Hall and Gardens

angelatopping

23 May 2023

Fabulous Place to Visit for Children and Adults

5

5

Date of visit: May 2023

I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: moving around

Overall Rating

Excellent

Walton Gardens is very large and we didn't have time to see all of it. We went to check it out for taking our grandchildren. We did look at the cafe but I found the flagging and cobbles hard to walk on, and it looked rather dark inside. There are no toilets in the cafe, but there are some not far away. We walked back to the entrance and carried on to the children's playground, which had an excellent range of well-maintained equipment, including a swing to accommodate disabled children, which I was very pleased to see. A separate gated area was for children of 8+ and was a bit more challenging, with a zip wire, but still very safe. There were plenty of seats and picnic tables, and more toilets, including an accessible one. We also visited the children's zoo, where there were nice smooth paths, gentle slopes and more benches. There is a lot more to see in the gardens. The site is completely free to enter, though there are a number of attractions that have a small fee attached, such as pitch and putt and an Alpaca experience. It's a great place to go for a fabulous, low budget family day out, with lots of places to enjoy a picnic. The day we went there was an ice cream van. Several events are held there such as outdoor theatre and a food festival. Everywhere was very well maintained and there were pretty flowerbeds to admire along the paths.

Disabled Access In and Around

Excellent

A slight slope leads to a footbridge, all very easy and level. Paths are fairly smooth tarmac except near the cafe. Parts of the gardens were up slopes but all gentle ones. There were plenty of benches.

Parking & Transport

Excellent

We went by car. There is a good car park with some disabled spaces. It is pay and display but blue badge holders are free up to three hours.

Accessible Toilets

Excellent

There were toilets on the way to the cafe, fairly near the entrance, and the disabled one was also a changing places facility. There were also toilets at the children's playground, including an accessible one. Both accessible toilets had a curtain that could be used as well as the door, in case anyone needed extra privacy.

Staff

Excellent

We didn't need any help, but one member of staff at the cafe spoke to us in a friendly helpful manner. There are not many staff around in the areas we went to, though there may be some working in the gardens, which we didn't visit on this occasion.