Accessibility at RHS Garden Harlow Carr

RHS Garden Harlow Carr is situated on Crag Lane, off Otley Road (B6162) about a mile and a half from the centre of Harrogate. Car parking is free.

For Sat Nav users the address is: RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Beckwithshaw, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 1QB.

The closest station is Harrogate (one and a half miles). A taxi rank is situated at the front of the station. For times and tickets see the National Rail Enquiries website. Visitors who produce their train ticket on the day of their visit will gain entry to the garden at a discounted rate.

You can catch the X6a service running from the Harrogate bus station to a bus stop 400m from Harlow Carr. The stop is a few minutes walk to the garden if using the public footpath. Services vary, please check the Connexions buses website or telephone 01423 339600.

Visitors who produce their bus ticket on the day of their visit will gain entry to the garden at a discounted rate.

There is a designated taxi drop off point located 80m from the garden entrance.

The gardens and buildings are accessible, however, please note that this is a sloping site which, in some areas, is quite steep. Some path surfaces may be difficult, for example, pebbles. Wheelchair and mobility scooter hire is available, hires may require reservations in advance of your visit. Please see further details in our ‘At a glance: when you arrive’ section.

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

Please note: We also strongly advise that you do not bring your pet on hot days as there is little to no shade in our car parks.

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

During weekends and school holidays, the gardens are generally busy throughout the day. If you would prefer to visit the gardens at a quieter time, it is recommended that you book your visit either for first thing in the morning or from 4pm onwards when it is generally quieter. During the summer months (March – October), the garden is open until 6pm, with last entry at 5pm. Please note that these quieter times are not guaranteed and may change throughout the year.

We have sensory packs, which are available upon request at the main entrance, on arrival from 9.30am – 5pm or from the Library in the Learning Centre from 11am – 4pm. 

These packs have been specifically designed to support visitors who are neurodiverse and may find visiting a new place, unfamiliar smells, sounds and experiences to be overwhelming. The packs contain a range of items, including laminated signs, colour materials, a fidget toy and a magnifying glass.

The sensory packs are available for visitors to borrow free of charge and will be sanitised after each use.

To help familiarise yourself with the garden, ahead of your visit, please see a copy of the site map below.

Downloadable PDF Map Harlow Carr site map

If you have any further questions please feel free to call us on 01423 565418.

 

There is parking available 60m–125m from the garden entrance. Accessible parking can be found in car park 1 and 2 and parent and child parking is available in car park 2.

Customers wishing to drop off passengers can use the coach and customer ‘drop off point’ which is located by the Garden Centre and is approx 40m from the garden entrance. From here a compliant ramp takes you to the garden entrance.

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

Four manual wheelchairs are available at the garden entrance for ‘on-the-day’ use. Advanced booking is recommended on 01423 724681.

Three powered mobility scooters are available at the garden entrance for ‘on-the-day’ use. Advanced booking is recommended by calling 01423 724681, preferably with at least 24 hours’ notice. For safety, our scooters have a max weight limit of 20 st. To provide maximum availability to our visitors, they are available to book from 9.30am–1.30pm or 1.30pm–5pm (Mar–Oct) and 9.30am–3pm (Nov–Feb). If you wish to make a donation towards the ongoing upkeep of the vehicles, please speak to a member of the entrance staff.

There is no land train type vehicle at Harlow Carr.

Accessible unisex WCs and family change facilities are located just outside the main entrance and in Bettys Café Tea Rooms. Additional accessible WCs located in the Learning Centre and ambulant disabled WCs are located in the garden. A modular ‘changing places’ facility can also be found in Car Park 1. This accessible toilet features specialist healthcare equipment.

There are approximately 200 benches sited around the garden at regular intervals. These are of varying height.

Portable induction loops are available on request for use at the entrance.

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 26 accessible parking bays available from between 60m–125m from the garden entrance
• Car park 1 (adjacent to the main garden entrance building) offers 18 accessible parking bays immediately on your left as you enter the car park from the road
• Eight additional accessible parking bays can be found in car park 2
• A gentle hard standing sloped ramp takes you from the road crossing down to the garden entrance
• A drop off/collection point is available on Crag Lane, adjacent to the shop building approximately 50m further down the road, past the entrance to car park 1
• From here there is a short flight of steps or a hard-standing ramp to the main garden entrance
• A tarmac surface can be found in the main car park which leads down to the garden entrance
• If parking in car park 2, a ramp leads you from the car park to the garden entrance
• Seating is available outside the main garden entrance

• The entrance to the garden and admissions area is on the ground floor, through an accessible automatic door
• WCs, including an accessible WC, are located just outside the main garden entrance
• We have three till points in the entrance, two of which have lower sections of desk to accommodate wheelchair users
• Once tickets have been purchased or membership card is shown, visitors can pass through a set of accessible, automatic doors in the admissions hall where they will find a flight of steps down into the garden
• Located to the right of the steps is a ramp with a hard standing tarmac surface
• Additional seating is located on the terrace before the steps/ramp into the garden

Maps of the garden can be found below:

• Downloadable PDF: Harlow Carr garden map (1.1MB pdf)
• The red dotted route is our suggested route for push wheelchairs and has a hard surface path with a very light covering of pea gravel
• Due to the garden sitting in a valley and some relatively steep gradients, not all of the garden is accessible by push wheelchair
• The red dotted route is the suggested manual wheelchair route and offers the flattest paths around the garden
• Electric mobility scooters can access all of the garden
• Inclines around the garden are indicated on the map with arrows showing the direction of the incline
• There are a number of steps on-site, however, alternative routes or ramps are provided
• 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
• There are approximately 200 benches sited around the garden at regular intervals which are of varying height with most offering armrests
• Woodland paths are hard-core (not a smooth surface) and not suitable for push wheelchairs

• The Alpine House is fully accessible with double doors which are propped open and have a level hard-standing surface inside
• Fixed benches are located inside
• The nearest WCs are located at just outside the main entrance, approximately 25m away from the Alpine House

• Accessible to mobility vehicles, however, due to the path being hard-core (not a smooth surface), it is not suitable for wheelchairs
• The nearest WCs are located by the Bath House, which is approximately 40m away from the Bird Hide

• We host exhibitions in the Old Bath House throughout the year
• The building is fully accessible via a ramp with a clear door width of 90cm
• The door is a manual push type
• Due to space limitations, the Old Bath House is not accessible to powered mobility vehicles. A manual wheelchair is available for visitors to use and can be requested from the Old Bath House if required.
• Ambulant accessible WCs are located in the garden near the Old Bath House and Tea House (approximately 5m and 10m away respectively)

• The two-storey building is accessible from the garden via automatic doors
• Access to the first floor is via a fully accessible lift located in the foyer
• WCs are located just off the foyer on the ground floor
• An additional accessible WC is located via a lift from the ground floor to the first floor
• The lift is fully accessible
• The library is located on the ground floor with double doors that are propped open during operating times

• Bettys Café Tea Rooms are our caterers on site
• The entrance to the restaurant/café is adjacent to the garden entrance and is easily accessed from the car parks
• The door is a manual push type
• Manual wheelchairs are available for use within the tea rooms and there is sufficient space around the restaurant/café for both mobility vehicles and wheelchairs
• Unisex accessible WCs are located at the back of the restaurant

• A path from the garden leads you directly to the Garden Centre
• Alternatively, it can be accessed before going into the garden via a separate entrance visible from the car park, with level access and double automatic doors
• Unisex accessible WCs are located adjacent to the Garden Centre entrance
• The Garden Room within the bookshop is not accesible due to the steep gradient of the ramp
• All other areas of the Garden Centre are fully accessible and staff are available to assist with taking any purchases back to your vehicle

• Unisex accessible WCs and family change facilities are located just outside the main garden entrance and Bettys Café Tea Rooms and also in the Bramall Learning Centre
• Ambulant accessible WCs are located in the garden near the Old Bath House and Tea House
• All accessible WCs are fitted with a red alarm cord
• Accessible WCs in the Learning Centre are located on the ground floor
• An additional accessible WC is located on the first floor via a lift from the ground floor
• The lift is fully accessible