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Accessibility Guide for Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway

Contact for accessibility enquiries: Robin Savill

email addressadmin@exbury.co.uk phone number02380891203 websitewww.exbury.co.uk
Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway

Guide last updated: 5 July 2022

  • At a glance
  • Getting here
  • Arrival
  • Getting around inside
  • Getting around outside
  • Customer care support
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Welcome

More than 100 years in the making, Exbury's glorious gardens, designed and curated by the de Rothschild family, have the power to delight and inspire in equal measure. This spectacular collection of landscaped woodland, herbaceous, formal and wildflower gardens provide an ever-changing palette of colour that will entice you back as the seasons unfold. 

Exbury Gardens is situated in the New Forest, just to the east of Beaulieu. It is signposted from Beaulieu and from the A326 Southampton to Fawley road in the New Forest. 

Please get in touch if you require any further information about specifc access or need advice on planning your visit.

Watch the video: Spring garden views at Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway
A wall of colour at Exbury Gardens
  • Level access icon Level Access
  • Hearing icon Hearing
  • Visual icon Visual
  • General icon General

Level access

The main entrance has level access.

There is level access from the main entrance to:

Five Arrows GalleryGift Shop EntranceWalkway Visitor EntranceMain Entrance ToiletsHerbaceous Borders ToiletsOld Tennis Courts ToiletsSteam Railway ToiletsMr Eddy's RestaurantOld Tennis Courts CafeVGFs & Rhodo Pizza takeaway outdoor dining areasGift ShopExbury Gardens & Steam RailwaySteam Railway

There is level access from the car park to:

Sakura cherry orchard picnic area

Hearing

Some staff have disability awareness training.

Visual

Glass doors and full-height windows have contrast markings.

General

We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.
There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
Some staff have disability awareness training.

Getting here

Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway
Summer Lane, Exbury
Southampton
SO45 1AZ

Travel by public transport

You can get to Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway by bus.
In the summer only (July & August), the gardens are served by the New Forest Tour open-top bus service. The bus stops within the main visitor car park to Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway. The bus stop is 0 miles / 0.0 km from Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway.

The nearest train station is Beaulieu Road Station, 7 miles from Exbury Gardens by road. 

Travel by taxi

You can get a taxi with New Forest Taxis by calling 01425 600222. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

Parking

We have a car park. There are accessible parking spaces. The parking is less than 50 metres from the main entrance. Parking is free.
The nearest drop-off point is at the front of the main car park nearest the visitor entrance, by the front row of disabled parking bays. From the car park to the entrance, there is level access. The route is 2320mm wide, or more.
Exbury Gardens car park Exbury Gardens car park to visitor entrance Exbury Gardens car park to visitor entrance Exbury Gardens car park to visitor entrance Exbury Gardens car park to visitor entrance Exbury gardens car park to visitor entrance

Arrival

Path to main entrance

From the street to the main entrance, there is level access.
The path is 232mm wide, or more.

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.

There is a tarmac path from the car park to the Visitor Entrance (approximately 30 metres). The car park itself is gravel.

Exbury gardens car park to visitor entrance Exbury gardens car park to visitor entrance Exbury gardens car park to visitor entrance Exbury gardens car park to visitor entrance Exbury gardens car park to visitor entrance Exbury gardens car park to visitor entrance

Getting around inside

Visual Impairment - General Information

We have contrast markings on all glass doors and contrast markings on all full-height windows.

Ticket/ information desk

Gift Shop Entrance

From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. The route is 1350mm wide, or more.
The door is 1800mm wide, or more.

Ticket/ information desk

Walkway Visitor Entrance

From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. The route is 1350mm wide, or more.

Things to See and Do

We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.

Five Arrows Gallery

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 1650mm wide, or more. The door is 950mm wide.
Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

Public toilet

Main Entrance Toilets

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The route is 1650mm wide, or more.
The toilet door is 800mm wide.
The direction of transfer onto the toilet is to the front only.
There is 850mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 480mm high. The toilets have handrails.

Public toilet

Herbaceous Borders Toilets

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The route is 1050mm wide, or more.
The toilet door is 900mm wide.
The direction of transfer onto the toilet is to the right.
There is 720mm at the side of the toilet. There is 850mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 480mm high. The toilets have handrails.

Public toilet

Old Tennis Courts Toilets

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The route is 1650mm wide, or more.
The toilet door is 800mm wide.
The direction of transfer onto the toilet is to the front only.
There is 780mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 480mm high. The toilets have handrails.

Public toilet

Steam Railway Toilets

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The route is 1250mm wide, or more.
The toilet door is 800mm wide.
The direction of transfer onto the toilet is to the front only.
There is 850mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 480mm high. The toilets have handrails.

Shop

Gift Shop

From the main entrance to the shop, there is level access. The route is 1350mm wide, or more. The door is 1800mm wide.
The route through the shop is 800mm wide, or more.

Place to eat and drink

Mr Eddy's Restaurant

From the main entrance to the dining area, there is level access. The route is 1650mm wide, or more. The door is 800mm wide.
To get to a table, there are no steps.
If you need table service, staff can help you.
The route through the dining area is 800mm wide, or more.
There is no background music.
We cater for vegetarian, gluten free (celiacs), lactose free (dairy free), nut free and vegan specific diets.

Place to eat and drink

Old Tennis Courts Cafe

From the main entrance to the dining area, there is level access. The route is 850mm wide, or more. The door is 800mm wide.
To get to a table, there are no steps.
The dining area is self-service. If you need table service, staff can help you.
The route through the dining area is 800mm wide, or more.
There is no background music.
We cater for vegetarian, gluten free (celiacs), lactose free (dairy free), nut free and vegan specific diets.

Place to eat and drink

VGFs & Rhodo Pizza takeaway outdoor dining areas

From the main entrance to the dining area, there is level access. The route is 1350mm wide, or more. To get to a table, there are no steps.
The dining area is self-service. If you need table service, staff can help you.
The route through the dining area is 800mm wide, or more.
There is no background music.
We cater for vegetarian, gluten free (celiacs), lactose free (dairy free), nut free and vegan specific diets.

Getting around outside

Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway

From the main entrance to the gardens, there is level access.
The route is 1350mm wide, or more.

The narrowest point is in the Gift Shop Entrance

Gift shop entrance

Picnic Area

Sakura cherry orchard picnic area

From the car park to the picnic area, there is level access. The path is 1350mm wide, or more.
The entrance is 2500mm wide.
Some tables have space for wheelchair users. You can bring your own food to the picnic area.

Entrance to picnic area is along a path then into an open grassy space. Picnic tables are tressle tables with attached bench seating.

Steam Railway

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a portable ramp. The route is 1350mm wide, or more. The entrance is 800mm wide.

There are wheelchair accessible carriages on the Steam Railway. The railway team put a temporary ramp on the platform to enable wheelchair users to board and alight the train. 

Customer care support

Accessibility equipment

We provide wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are free.
For a list of more items, please go to https://www.exbury.co.uk/Accessibility.
Dogs are welcome everywhere in the gardens so there is not a specific toilet area but there is plentiful access to grassy areas, and dog poo bins at regular intervals.

We would be happy for any scooters or wheelchairs to be charged at the Visitor Entrance office if required.

You can hire mobility equipment from New Forest Mobility Scooters by calling 01425 411095.

Emergency evacuation procedures

Outdoor attraction so evacuation procedures not required.

Customer care support

Some staff have disability awareness training.
Guide info
Any information, comments and views made available to users via this Accessibility Guide are provided directly from third party business operators. VisitEngland and VisitScotland do not endorse or validate this information. Any reliance on this Accessibility Guide is at your own risk. This guide is not intended to be a substitute for users making their own checks, inquiries and investigations directly with the business operators prior to making any booking or visiting the venue.
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