Accessibility at RHS Garden Bridgewater

RHS Garden Bridgewater is located off Leigh Road (A572), Worsley, Salford, about 9 miles / 30-minute drive from Manchester city centre. Car parking is free.

For Sat Nav users the address is: RHS Garden Bridgewater, Occupation Road, Off Leigh Road, Worsley, Salford, Greater Manchester, M28 2LJ

Directions:

• From the M60, leave the motorway at junction 13 for the A575/A572 exit to Worsley/Leigh/Swinton, then follow signs to the A572 Leigh Road
• From the A580 East Lancs Road (southbound), turn left onto Ellenbrook Road and then left onto Leigh Road (A572)

Buses stopping on Leigh Road near the garden

• 35 Bus: (Manchester Piccadilly Gardens to Bryn)
• 126 Bus: (The Trafford Centre - Boothstown - Astley - Bedford – Leigh)
• 129 Bus: (Farnworth - Walkden - Tyldesley - Gin Pit - Higher Green)
• 132 Bus: (The Trafford Centre - Worsley - Atherton - Hindley – Wigan)

• V1 Bus: (Manchester Royal Infirmary - Salford - Leigh - Atherton, stopping on Ellenbrook Road)
• V2 Bus: (Manchester Royal Infirmary - Salford - Tyldesley - Atherton, stopping on Ellenbrook Road)
• V4 Bus: (Manchester Royal Infirmary - Salford - Deans - Ellenbrook)

The closest local stations are Walkden (about 2 miles); Moorside (about 5 miles); Patricroft (about 5 miles) and Swinton (about 6.5 miles). There are no taxis on standby at these stations. Lynch Taxis provide a good local service and can be contacted on 0161 661 7777.
 
The nearest National Rail stations are Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Victoria (all about 9 miles from the garden). Taxis and/or buses are available at all these stations to connect you to Bridgewater.

For times, tickets and to plan your journey see the National Rail Enquiries website or Transport for Greater Manchester journey planner.

The RHS Garden Bridgewater Express Bus service from Manchester Piccadilly, Salford Crescent and Walkden train stations operates daily from 1 April and 1 October, with drop off directly at the garden entrance. See here for more information. 

When you travel to Bridgewater by taxi, there is a designated taxi drop-off point located 50m from the Welcome Building entrance.

There are accessible pathways across most areas of the garden. Pathways in the Weston Walled Garden and those leading to Ellesmere Lake are made of tarmacadam with bonded stone chippings and are suitable for pushchairs, manual wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Paths around Ellesmere Lake are a mixture of stone paths, bark mulch and grass mown paths. Paths in the Lower Middle Wood are hard-core (not a smooth surface) and are not suitable for push wheelchairs. Please see further details in our ‘At a glance: when you arrive’ section.

Unfortunately, attendants cannot be provided, but entry is provided for two carers free of charge accompanying visitors whose disability necessitates their support.

All guide, assistance or service dogs, including assistance dogs in training are welcome at the garden.

There is designated parking available approximately 65m–90m from the garden entrance with 24 accessible bays.

Although there is not a designated drop-off point, you can drop off outside the Welcome Building at the front of the car park.

Visitors are welcome to bring their own personal mobility vehicles to help them get around.

Eight manual wheelchairs are available at the garden entrance for ‘on-the-day’ use. Please book your wheelchair in advance of booking a garden time slot to ensure availability.

Book a wheelchair online

Nine mobility scooters are available at the garden for ‘on-the-day’ use. Advance booking is highly recommended.
Please book your scooter in advance of booking a garden time slot to ensure availability.

Book a scooter online

Accessible unisex WCs and family change facilities are located in the Welcome Building, at Garden Cottage and at the Potting Sheds.

A hearing loop is installed in the Potting Sheds exhibition space for the permanent film about the Bridgewater project.
A hearing loop is installed at every Visitor Services till within the Welcome Building.

Larger print maps are available. Please ask our staff at reception.

• Free car parking is available all year and accessible parking is clearly signposted
• There are 24 accessible parking bays available from between 65m–90m from the garden entrance
• All car parks have flat, wheelchair-accessible pathways leading to the Welcome Building
• The South Moss car park is also accessible
• Seating is available outside the main garden entrance

• Ticket desks, Bridgewater Café, Garden Centre and Garden entrance are located in the one-storey Welcome Building, through accessible automatic doors
• The nearest WCs, including an accessible unisex WC, are located inside the Welcome Building, in between the Garden Centre and ticket desk
• The Membership ticket desk includes a lower section of desk to accommodate wheelchair and mobility scooter users
• Once tickets have been purchased or a membership card is shown, visitors can pass through a set of accessible, automatic doors in the Welcome Building and enter the garden
• The Welcome Building is fully accessible with automatic doors and a level hard-standing surface inside
• Seats are located inside
• A hearing loop is installed at every Visitor Services till within the Welcome Building

A map of the garden can be found below:

• Downloadable PDF: Bridgewater garden map (1.95MB pdf)
• The blue line on the map is our suggested route for manual wheelchairs and offers the flattest paths around the garden
• Electric mobility scooters can access all of the garden
• Steps are marked on the map
• Our mobility vehicles are for garden use only
• Should you require assistance from the car park to the entrance, the loan of a manual wheelchair can be arranged. Please see further details in our ‘At a glance: when you arrive’ section
• There are over 100 benches sited around the garden at regular intervals, which are of varying style and height, including six accessible picnic benches in our Trials area
• Pathways in the Weston Walled Garden and those leading to Ellesmere Lake are made of tarmacadam with bonded stone chippings and are suitable for pushchairs, manual wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters
• Paths around Ellesmere Lake are a mixture of stone paths, bark mulch and grass mown paths
• Paths in the Lower Middle Wood are hard-core (not a smooth surface) and are not suitable for manual wheelchairs

• The Glasshouses are accessible with single manual push-type doors that are propped open and have a level hard-standing surface inside
• Doorway openings are at least 78cm with level access
• The nearest WCs are located by the Potting Sheds about 25m away or at the Garden Cottage about 110m away

• There is an accessible toilet located at the rear of Garden Cottage.

• We host exhibitions in the Potting Sheds throughout the year
• The entrance doors are 115cm wide.  Potting Shed 1 has an internal door that is 85cm wide
• The entrance doors are a manual push type, but both main doors are fully open when the Potting Sheds are available for visitors
• A hearing loop is installed in the Potting Sheds exhibition space for the permanent film about the Bridgewater project
• The Potting Sheds are accessible for mobility vehicles and wheelchairs, with the exception of the inner room in Potting Shed 1 due to the size of the door
• There are WCs, including an accessible unisex WC located in the Potting Sheds

• The Bridgewater Café is located in the Welcome Building which is easily accessed from the car parks
• The entrance to the Café is fully accessible with automatic doors and a level hard-standing surface inside
• There is sufficient space around the Café for both mobility vehicles and wheelchairs
• Accessible unisex WCs are located in the Welcome Building
• Refreshments are also available from the Shepherd’s Hut outside the Garden Cottage, which is fully accessible

• A path from the garden leads you directly to the Garden Centre
• Alternatively, it can be accessed before going into the garden via the Welcome Building
• This alternative entrance is from the car park, with level access and double automatic doors
• Accessible unisex WCs are located in the Welcome Building
• All areas of the Garden Centre (indoor and outdoor plant areas) are fully accessible and staff are available to assist with taking any purchases back to your vehicle