Accessibility Guide for Westonbirt, The National Arboretum

Welcome

Welcome to Westonbirt, The National Arboretum

Westonbirt is a uniquely beautiful garden of trees, where you can explore and discover trees from all over the globe. First started in the heyday of Victorian plant hunting, Westonbirt is today a world renowned botanical collection, boasting 15,000 trees and 2,500 species, famed not only for its diversity, but also its breathtaking beauty.

Head over the STIHL Treetop Walkway to explore the leafy canopy, discover more about our trees on our seasonal trails, or get the whole family exploring the family activity trail, the Gruffalo Wood or getting creative at our family arts and crafts events.

Level access

The main entrance has level access.

There is level access from the main entrance to:

Welcome Building Welcome Desk Changing Places toilet Westonbirt Shop Restaurant Public toilets The arboretum

There is level access from the car park to:

Great venue for a Picnic

Visual

We have information in large print.

General

We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors. The toilet is a Changing Places toilet.

Some staff have disability awareness training.

Getting here

Westonbirt, The National Arboretum

Tetbury

GL8 8QS

Travel by public transport

You can get to Westonbirt, The National Arboretum by bus and train.

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 offer discounted entry to visitors arriving by public transport or bicycle

Travel by taxi

We offer discounted entry to visitors arriving by public transport or bicycle

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.

There is a drop-off point at the main entrance. The drop-off point has a dropped kerb.

From the car park to the entrance, there is level access. The path is sloped.

The car park at Westonbirt holds over 400 cars, with 21 dedicated disabled spaces. The distance from the car park to the Welcome Building varies depending on where you park, but from the disabled bays approximately 50 metres.

The car park is flat and tarmac, and alongside the disabled parkign bays is a lit footpath to avoid having to cross any traffic.

Lighting bollards are present in the car park and lights come on whenever the natural light level drops.

Access to the Welcome Building from the car park is via a short slope downhill, and uphill on exit.

Take a google street view tour of the car park here: https://bit.ly/2Wbl5MQ

Arrival

Path to main entrance

From the street to the main entrance, there is level access.

The path is sloped.

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.

Take a google street view tour of your arrival:

https://bit.ly/2U42bEL

Getting around inside

Ticket/ information desk

Welcome Desk

From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. The desk has a low section.

Things to See and Do

We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.

We have display information in: large print.

Welcome Building

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

Videos have subtitles.

Public toilet

Changing Places toilet

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.

The toilet is a Changing Places toilet.

From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access.

By the entrance near the Welcome Building there is a disabled toilet.
A Changing Places toilet is situated by the Great Oak Hall - near the central shop and restaurant area.

Shop

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.

Restaurant

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access.

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.

Calcot Restaurant at Westonbirt Arboretum

Public toilets

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The door is 890mm wide.

Toilets are situated at the Welcome Building (upon arrival) and in the area of the main facilities (300m for the Welcome Building). Disabled toilets are available at both, with an adult's changeing 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

Our changing place can be found in the toilet block close to the Great Oak Hall. It 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.

Getting around outside

Designated Walking Trail

Seasonal Trails

The trail is 2414016metres long. The trail has a hard surface. The trail has seats.

Picnic Area

Great venue for a Picnic

From the car park to the picnic area, there is level access. Some tables have space for wheelchair users. You can bring your own food to the picnic area.

The arboretum is a great place to come and enjoy a picnic. With over 600 acres to choose from you really can take the time to pick the perfect spot.

Picnic benches are available on the central downs area, at Silk Wood Barn and the Learning Centre.

The arboretum

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access.

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 accomadate two side by side.

Other paths may be suitable, depending on ground and weather conditions

Benches are located across the arboretum

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.

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

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

Signage is dark blue, with contrasting fonts for clarity.

The main walk of the STIHL Treetop Walkway is fully accessible for wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

Take a Google street view tour of the STIHL Tree Top Walkway here: https://bit.ly/2U344l9 Or take a look around Acer Glade in autumn here: https://bit.ly/2U7JpMG

Customer care support

Accessibility equipment

We provide wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are free.

Scooter and wheelchair loan

Mobility scooters are available to hire, free of charge, when you book your tickets. If a scooter is essential to your visit please check availability first, book your scooter and then purchase your entry tickets for a time slot no later than 2:20pm. Scooters can be hired for visitors aged 16 and over. Manual wheelchairs can be hired for visitors aged 15 and under. Book a scooter

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 Service

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.

The shuttle service does not operate during winter.

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.

Customer care support

Some staff have disability awareness training.

We have information in large print.