ACCESSIBILITY

We can’t wait to welcome you to Leeds Castle! Our staff are always happy to help our visitors, so please do not hesitate to ask for assistance and information. Wheelchairs are available on loan free of charge, subject to availability.

Dementia Friendly

Leeds Castle has been recognised as a ‘Working to become Dementia Friendly’ organisation by Kent Dementia Action Alliance. We are committed to raising awareness and understanding of dementia by organising ‘Dementia Friends’ information sessions for our staff and volunteers. We strive to ensure that we provide the best service for all of our visitors and make Leeds Castle as Dementia Friendly as possible.

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower

Be visible when you want to be. Wearing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower discreetly indicates to people around you including staff, colleagues and health professionals that you may need additional support, help or a little more time. Please speak to a member of staff if you need additional support or if you wear a Sunflower lanyard. We can help provide shorter access times and give you information about our quiet areas.

Transport & Parking

Mobility Bus

A fully accessible mobility bus is available near the ticket office, running regularly throughout the day. This service is operated free of charge to visitors requiring assistance. Please note that on special ticketed event days the mobility bus will not be in operation, for example, music, fireworks and cinema events.

Elsie the Castle Land Train

Leeds Castle has a land train on the estate which takes visitors from the main entrance up to the Castle. We regret that the land train is inaccessible for wheelchair users. However, we offer a complimentary transport service on the estate for less mobile visitors.

The Black Swan Ferry Boat

The Black Swan Ferry Boat provides return journeys across the Great Water from the Castle drive to the Maze area. The Black Swan can accommodate up to three wheelchairs. Please note that this attraction is open seasonally and the accessibility ramp for the Black Swan is available subject to water levels.

Parking

The car park has hard-standing spaces reserved for visitors with disabilities. The maximum distance from the car park to the fully accessible mobility service is approximately 100 metres. Leeds Castle is currently in the process of reviewing our car parking spaces for visitors with disabilities.

Facilities

Toilets

Fully accessible toilets for wheelchair users can be found throughout the grounds:

At the Main Entrance
On the Castle Island
Near the Stable Courtyard
Near the Knight’s Stronghold Playground
In the Castle View Restaurant
Boat House Café (Adult Changing Facility)*

*The toilets by the Boat House Café include a fully accessible toilet with adult changing facilities. These toilets can be accessed using a RADAR key (National Key Scheme) or by asking a member of staff for entry. The Boat House Café toilets don’t have baby changing facilities. The nearest baby changing facilities are at the Castle Island or Stable Courtyard.

The National Key Scheme (NKS) offers disabled people independent access to locked public toilets around the country. Toilets fitted with National Key Scheme (NKS) locks can now be found in shopping centres, pubs, cafés, department stores, bus and train stations and many other locations in most parts of the country.

Shopping

All shops at Leeds Castle are fully accessible for wheelchair users.

Castle View Restaurant

Castle View Restaurant has easy access via the Courtyard. Inside, there is a small staircase down to the bar. We have a stairlift which can take wheelchair users from the Castle View Restaurant down to the lower level where the toilet and Stable Courtyard Café is located. Please ask a member of staff for assistance.

Stable Courtyard Café

The Stable Courtyard café has a ramp available for guests to access the café. Please ask a member of staff for assistance. There is step-free access into the Castle View Restaurant. We have seating available in the stable courtyard with some of the tables accessible for wheelchairs.

The Boathouse

The Boathouse is a catering outlet which is open seasonally and can be accessed be a ramp.

The Maze Café

The Maze Café has step-free access.

Accessibility in the Castle, Grounds & attractions

The Drawbridge & Entrance

The Castle is accessible for the majority of visitors via the main front door where there is step- free access. As Leeds Castle is a historic building, there are some restrictions. Visitors should be aware that there are approximately 45 metres of cobblestones across the drawbridge onto the Castle Island. Fire safety rules allow a maximum of two wheelchairs inside the Castle at any one time. We have a buggy/pushchair park available at the Gatetower where we ask for all buggies and pushchairs to be left.

The Gatehouse

The Gatehouse is fully accessible for wheelchair users. There is also a fully accessible toilet in this building.

Inside the Castle

Once inside, visitors will be escorted on the accessible route starting in the Servants Room. This is against the flow of visitors, so there may be a short wait. Electric mobility scooters are not permitted in the Castle, however, Leeds Castle wheelchairs are available at request.

Between the Servants Hall and the corridor to the main visitor route, there is a wheelchair lift, which carries weight up to 225kg. The lift is 125cm in length and 80cm wide and can only be used when passengers are sitting in their wheelchairs. Leeds Castle wheelchairs are available if personal wheelchairs do not fit onto the lift. Our staff in the Castle are happy to assist with transfers into one of our wheelchairs. The lift is also fitted with a seat for those that require assistance without wheelchairs.

During normal opening hours, guided tours are not provided. However, staff are present to answer questions. The upstairs rooms are not accessible to wheelchair users. However, if a companion or helper wishes to visit these rooms, a steward can escort the wheelchair user back to the Yellow Drawing Room to wait for a short time, or watch a film of the rooms that they cannot access.

Princess Alexandra Gardens

The pathway through the gardens is accessible for wheelchair users and is approximately 900 metres long. The steepest slope is near the end of the walk, which has a gradient of 1:5 for a very short distance. There are several resting areas throughout the Princess Alexandra Gardens.

Culpeper Garden

Full of colour and scent, this typical English cottage garden is a sensory delight during the summer months. Paths are mainly brick or tarmac and wheelchair accessible. The garden has resting places and the lower path leads to the Maze area.

Lady Baillie Garden

This terraced garden overlooking the Great Water has a long, sloping path to allow access for visitors returning from the maze area. A fairly steep path then leads visitors out of the garden and back to the Stable Courtyard. Benches and pagodas throughout the garden offer places to sit and enjoy the scent and colour of its Mediterranean plants.

Sensory Backpacks & Quiet Places Map

Sensory Packs are now available for hire from the Visitors Centre at Leeds Castle. These packs are primarily aimed at children and young people with neurodiversity and/or other disabilities, who may find our beautiful estate overwhelming at times.

VIEW QUIET PLACES MAP

Maze & Grotto

The maze was designed in 1987 with 2,400 yew trees. The average time taken to solve the maze is about 20 minutes. Wheelchair users can enter the maze but there is no step-free access to the viewing mound in the middle of the maze or down into the grotto. The maze is narrow in places due to the growth of the yew trees and is different lengths depending on the time of the year. During periods of inclement weather there are likely to be puddles inside the maze. There is a staff member in the maze area or adventure golf who can assist with accessibility. We have a buggy/pushchair park available near the entrance to the maze.

There are 10 steps going up to the mound in the middle of the maze.
There are 24 steps going down into the grotto.
There are 12 steps going up out of the grotto.

Falconry Display

The Falconry Display is fully accessible to all visitors. Seasonal timings apply.

Dog Collar Museum

This unique collection of historic and fascinating dog collars can be accessed by all visitors.

Adventure Golf

The Adventure Golf course was built in 2019 and is fully accessible. Some of the course is sloped including the path which surround it.

The Beach

The Beach is a large area of sand and has step-free access to the boardwalk. Presently there is no step-free access into the sand. We have a sail at the beach which provides shade. There are deckchairs and benches in this area.

Falconry Display

The Falconry Display is fully accessible to all visitors. Seasonal timings apply.

Dog Collar Museum

This unique collection of historic and fascinating dog collars can be accessed by all visitors.

Obstacle Course

The Obstacle Course has step-free access. The course is on grass and there are no hard surface pathways. The course has a number of obstacles which have varied difficulty levels. Due to the nature of the course, the obstacles aren’t suitable for wheelchair users.

Play Areas

We have two play areas at Leeds Castle which include a varied amount of attractions such as slides, swings and climbing walls. There is step-free access to both play areas. In the Knights’ Stronghold play area we have a slide which can be accessed by wheelchair users at the top and bottom levels. We also have sensory items in the play areas including musical instruments. We have a buggy/pushchair park available near the entrance to the play area.

Assistance Dogs

Visually and hearing impaired visitors can bring Assistance Dogs into the Castle and grounds. We regret that no other dogs or animals are permitted.

MULTIMEDIA GUIDE IN THE CASTLE

We offer two devices, a touch screen device and a keypad device which is suitable for visitors with visual impairment. Both audio/multimedia guides are on a lanyard which is worn around the neck of the visitor and the content is automatically triggered as you move through the castle to make it a touch free experience. The devices come with an airset which is worn over the ears so you can easily communicate with your companions without having to remove the audio device from your ears repeatedly. Up to 2 pairs of airsets or headphones can be connected via the 3.5mm jacks.

The Mikro audio guide features two headphone jacks (for visitors who may need to assist a person with visual impairments), raised keypad for visitors with visual impairments, full-colour LED screen for high-quality images and video, and ergonomic design for the comfort of our visitors.

All of our audio/multimedia guides have been designed with dual headset jacks (without the need of an adaptor), this feature is a benefit for visitors with visual impairments. For example, they can share a device with a companion who can help guide them through the site. Accessibility is something our provider Orpheo takes seriously, which is why all of our devices are also compatible with induction loops for the hearing impaired.