Accessibility at Westonbirt Arboretum

Two men, one standing and one in a wheelchair speaking to a lady in green in front of building whilst looking at a leaflet
Photo credit: Johnny Hathaway

We strive to remove barriers, creating inclusive areas for play, exercise and socialising while making sure parking and facilities are worry free for your visit.

To help you plan your visit, this page offers helpful information on accessibility at Westonbirt Arboretum. 

 

Site Information

  • Westonbirt Arboretum comprises over 240 hectares and has over 10 miles of hard paths, suitable for wheelchairs, mobility scooters, prams and pushchairs, and in most areas can accommodate two side by side. Other paths may be suitable, depending on ground and weather conditions. 
  • We welcome assistance dogs across the arboretum. Non assistance dogs are welcome in Silk Wood. There are dog bowls available at the restaurant and Welcome Building and dog tie ups at the Welcome Building
  • Benches are located across the arboretum
  • The Old Arboretum represents one third of the arboretum and is relatively flat with some gentle slopes.
  • Silk Wood represents two thirds of the arboretum and is more uneven, with some steeper slopes.
  • The paths around the main facilities are lit and benches are situated across the arboretum
  • The main walk of the STIHL Treetop Walkway is fully accessible for wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
STIHL Treetop Walkway at Westonbirt Arboretum
Paul Box
A picture showing a man in green on a black bike with bike racks in foreground and grass and trees behind
Sophie Nash, Forestry England

Getting here

Westonbirt, The National Arboretum
Tetbury
GL8 8QS
 

 Travel by public transport

  • We offer discounted entry to visitors arriving by public transport or bicycle. 
  • Cycling is not permitted in the arboretum itself (we do allow bikes under 70cm in for young children). 
  • There is a bus stop at the entrance to Westonbirt Arboretum. The route 69 bus operated by Stagecoach runs from Stroud to Tetbury, stopping off at Westonbirt Arboretum on some of its services. The bus stop is 0.5 miles / 0.8 km from Westonbirt, The National Arboretum.
  • The nearest train station is Kemble Train Station . The train station is 9 miles / 14.5 km from Westonbirt, The National Arboretum.
  • Taxis are available to Westonbirt Arboretum from Kemble station. 
  • We ask that visitors lock their bikes up at the racks provided. Forgotten your lock? Don’t worry we have a few spare ones at the Welcome Building. Just ask a member of staff for more details.

Get directions

Parking

  • Parking is free at Westonbirt and we have a hard surface car park as well as overflow parking on a grass pitch for busier times. 
  • There are 21 accessible parking spaces and parking is less than 50 metres from the main entrance.
  • There is a drop-off point at the main entrance. The drop-off point has a dropped kerb.
  • The car park is flat and tarmac, and alongside the disabled parking bays is a lit footpath to avoid having to cross any traffic. 
  • Access to the Welcome Building from the car park is via a short slope downhill, and uphill on exit.
  • Lighting bollards are present in the car park and lights come on whenever the natural light level drops.
  • Take a google street view tour of the car park. 

Street view of car park

A member of the team in a high vis jacket waves a car through to a space in the car park.
A volunteer in a green jumper leans over a desk to show a map to 2 visitors. One man in a wheelchair points at the map and another man leans over to ask a question.

Welcome 

Path to main entrance

  • From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. The desk has a low section.
  • We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants. A Personal Assistant is free while visiting with the person they are assisting. Proof of concession is not required.
  • We have a hearing loop at the Welcome Building. 
  • Accessible Admission Tickets permit flexible entry to the arboretum between 9am and 4pm when pre-booking is essential to guarantee entry. These tickets are available for visitors with accessibility needs that may find arriving at Westonbirt within a fixed time slot prohibitive.
  • Take a google street view tour of your arrival: 
    https://bit.ly/2U42bEL

Facilities

  • By the entrance near the Welcome Building, there is a public toilet for disabled visitors with level access.
  • From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The door to the toilets is 890mm wide.
  • There are also toilets situated by the Great Oak Hall - near the central shop. (approx. 300m from Welcome Building).
  • The Changing Places toilet is situated by the Great Oak Hall.   
  • Disabled toilets are available at both, with an adult's changing room available in the toilets in the main visitor area.
    - Width of doors: 89cm
    - Height of WC from floor to seat: 48cm
    - Space to side of WC for wheelchair 142cm
    - Grab rail location right hand side 15cm and 33cm from toilet, left hand side has two both 35cm from toilet (one of which is for the sink)
    - Alarm cord monitored by Welcome Building staff during normal hours, 9am to 4:30pm daily
    - Includes toilet facilities as well as equipment such as a height adjustable changing bed and a ceiling hoist. The hoist can lift up to 190kg          and allows users easy movement in all dimensions around the room.
A sage green door with a sign that says 'accessible toilet and changing space' on a black sign
Photo credit: Alison Whaley
A father and son sit at a table with food in front of them. The father looks at his son who smiles back.

Food and Drink

  • From the main entrance to this area, there is level access to the restaurant and pantry area.
  • The Westonbirt restaurant and cafe are situated approximately 300m for the Welcome Building. 
  • There is level access to the cafe and gently sloped access to the restaurant. 
  • There is mobility scooter parking outside the restaurant
  • The restaurant and cafe both have plenty of space for pushchairs. 
  • The restaurant has a lino floor; while the outdoor cafe floor is level concrete. 
  • There are vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free options available on the restaurant menu and table service is provided for cooked food.
  • Menus are clearly displayed on blackboards, but staff would be happy to relay these to any customers with visual impairments
  • Seating is at wooden chairs and tables, highchairs are available. 

Picnic

  • You can bring your own food to the picnic area.
  • The main picnic area is situated on the Downs, which is a level but uneven expanse of grassland. Picnic benches are available in this area.
  • Some tables have space for wheelchair users. 
  • Picnic benches are available on the central downs area, at Silk Wood Barn and the Learning Centre. 

Westonbirt Shop

  • From the main entrance to the shop, there is level access. The route through the shop is 800mm wide, or more.
  • Access to the shop is level is approaching from the Old Arboretum, but a gentle uphill if coming from the Welcome Building or Silk Wood direction. 
  • The shop floor is flat and parquet. There is space to manoeuvre a pushchair or mobility scooter around the shop.
  • Staff in the shop would be more than happy to provide assistance if needed.
A mother and her 2 sons look at books in the Westonbirt shop.
A small shuttle bus drives away from the camera with two visitors waving in the back.

Accessibility equipment

  • We provide manual wheelchairs, mobility scooters, trikes and bariatric scooters for those who need them. These are available to hire, free of charge, and can be booked here.
  • Scooters can be hired for visitors aged 16 and over. Manual wheelchairs can be hired for visitors aged 15 and under. 
  • Scooters can't be booked on the day of your visit. Please book your scooter no later than the day before your visit. Scooters are not available for timeslots after 2:20pm. 
  • You can pick your scooter up from the Information Point, just opposite the entrance. In order to give us time to clean the scooter so that it is safe for the next user, please return your scooter no later than 3:30pm. If you have any queries about mobility scooter or wheelchair hire, please call the Westonbirt Office (phones answered Monday-Friday 0900-1700) on 0300 067 4890.

 

Shuttle Bus

  • The Westonbirt Shuttle is designed to help those who need a little extra help getting around from the Welcome Building up to the restaurant, shop, and edge of the Old Arboretum. 
  • The Shuttle runs daily from 11 April until the end of autumn between 10.30am – 4pm, around every 30 minutes from the Welcome Building. 
  • As this service is run by our volunteers, there may be days it does not run. Please call 0300 067 4890 and check the Westonbirt Shuttle is running ahead of your arrival if it is essential to your visit.
  • We have a series of short walk routes from the shuttle stops to some of the most beautiful parts of the arboretum, for those only looking for a short walk. Pick up your short walk map on the shuttle.