Accessibility at RHS Garden Wisley

RHS Garden Wisley lies between Cobham and Ripley in Surrey, off the main London to Portsmouth road (A3) south of Junction 10 of the M25. Follow the brown tourist flower signs on the A3 and M25 to the RHS Garden. Car parking is free.
 
For Sat Nav users the address is: RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB.

The closest stations are West Byfleet (four miles) or Woking (seven miles). There are no taxis on standby at West Byfleet. 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 715 Kingston to Guildford via Wisley, hourly, Monday–Saturday. On Sundays and public holidays this service runs every 90 mins – with diversions. For more information visit the Stagecoach website.

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

The Northbound (towards Kingston) bus stop is situated in the large layby on the A3 just past the turning to Wisley Lane and is 650m from the main garden entrance. The shelter is on a raised curb which is inaccessible to a person who is a wheelchair user. There is no direct crossing to enter Wisley’s grounds with entrance requiring crossing Wisley Lane and then walking down the verge to enter by the main entrance and onto the footpath that comes out by the Barn.
 
The Southbound (towards Guildford) bus stop is situated in the layby on the opposite side of the A3 from Wisley Lane. Entrance to the garden is gained via a footbridge which connects to a footpath that leads directly to the garden, a route that totals 700m to the main garden entrance. The footbridge is stepped and is not accessible to wheelchair users, nor is the footpath into the garden which takes you through a wooded area.

When you travel to Wisley by taxi, we offer a discounted rate for garden entry. There is a designated drop off point outside the entrance.

The gardens are accessible and there is a recommended wheelchair route through the garden available from the entrance. However, please note that some areas – such as the Rock Garden – are not fully accessible due to the nature of the garden. Plans of our recommended routes are available and staff will be happy to advise on any areas which may not be accessible. 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.

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

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

There is designated parking 50m–300m from the garden entrance. Accessible parking and dedicated family parking is available within 200m of the garden entrance. If during busy periods you require special assistance with parking and do not have a Blue Badge, please make the parking attendants aware upon arrival and they will be able to direct you to a suitable parking space.

There is a designated drop-off point outside the entrance. Arrangements can be made for small coaches in the coach car park area nearest to the entrance.

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

There are 20 manual wheelchairs available at the garden entrance for ‘on-the-day’ use.

A limited number of mobility scooters are available to hire free of charge. Please call 01483 224234 to book a scooter in advance of booking a garden entry timeslot to ensure availability. Bookable during office hours Mon–Fri. Staff at the entrance will provide training and take a refundable deposit.

Arrangements can be made to bring the scooter to your car if the distance from the accessible parking to the garden entrance will present a challenge. Please mention at time of booking.

Adapted unisex WCs are available before the entrance, in the main catering facilities, the Old Laboratory and RHS Hilltop. Accessible without assistance to manual wheelchairs only. Additionally, there is a ‘changing places’ facility with a hoist and bench in the Welcome building and an accessible toilet with a hoist in RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science.

• Hearing loops are installed in the Welcome building visitor entrance
• Hearing loops are installed in the Garden Room of RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science
• Hearing loops are installed in the Lecture Theatre, Advisory Office, Plant Collecting and the Wolfson Laboratory of the Old Laboratory

• Large print guides and a social story for the Old Laboratory building and permanent exhibitions are located at the entrance to each room

Led by British Sign Language (BSL) tour guides, there are specific tours designed exclusively for visitors who are deaf or who use British Sign Language. These tours offer seasonal walks and a fascinating overview of the heritage and history of RHS Garden Wisley. At the end of the tour, enjoy the other spaces and facilities in the garden.

More tours to be confirmed.

• Free car parking is available all year and accessible parking is signposted as you enter the site
• There is family parking marked in car park 1
• There is accessible parking marked in car park 2 (nearest to the entrance)
• There are no marked accessible / family parking bays in car park 3
• There is a designated drop-off point 80m from the Welcome building entrance
• In order to avoid the steep slope leading from car park 1 to the Welcome building, please follow the accessible route signs

• The entrance to the garden and admissions area is on the ground floor, through an accessible door
• WCs, including adapted unisex WCs, are located to the left hand side before you enter the admissions area
• There is a ‘changing places’ facility with a hoist and a bed located through the Welcome building entrance to the left hand side as you enter the garden
• The facility is 12sqm in size with a non-slip floor and features emergency alarm, changing bench (height adjustable, adult sized, wall mounted), tracking hoist (ceiling, loop), peninsular toilet, height adjustable washbasin, privacy screen, colostomy shelf, paper roll (wide tear-off roll to cover bench, as well as standard paper roll) and large waste bin
• Once tickets have been purchased or membership card is shown, visitors can pass through a set of accessible doors in the admissions hall through to the gardens

Maps of the garden can be found below:

• Downloadable PDF: Wisley garden map (263kB pdf)
• Online interactive: Wisley interactive garden map
• The map shows the main route suggested for wheelchair users and pushchairs in good conditions
• Inclines around the garden are indicated on the map, some of which are steep
• Steps are marked on the map
• There are seating areas located in all areas of the garden

General information

• Adapted unisex WCs are available before you enter the garden, in the Food Hall, Terrace Restaurant, and Glasshouse Café. These are accessible without assistance to manual wheelchairs only

Welcome building

• A ‘changing places’ facility with a hoist and bench is located in the Welcome building
• The facility is 12sqm in size with a non-slip floor and features: emergency alarm, changing bench (height adjustable, adult sized, wall mounted), tracking hoist (ceiling, loop), peninsular toilet, height adjustable washbasin, privacy screen, colostomy shelf, paper roll (wide tear-off roll to cover bench, as well as standard paper roll) and large waste bin

RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science

• Adapted unisex WCs are available in the RHS Hilltop building, located 30m from the RHS Hilltop entrance. These are accessible without assistance to manual wheelchairs only
• An accessible toilet with a hoist is located in the RHS Hilltop building, 35m from the entrance
• The facility is 7.8sqm in size with a non-slip floor and features: An emergency alarm, changing bench (height adjustable, adult-sized, wall mounted), tracking hoist (ceiling, loop), peninsular toilet, height adjustable washbasin, colostomy shelf, paper roll (wide tear-off roll to cover bench, as well as standard paper roll) and large waste bin

The Old Laboratory

• The nearest adapted unisex WCs are located in the Old Laboratory building 25m from the Glebe Terrace entrance in the main corridor. These are accessible without assistance to manual wheelchairs only
• ‘A changing places’ facility with a hoist and bench is located in the Welcome building 120m away from the Glebe Terrace entrance via a step-free route

• The entrance has volunteers present to answer queries
• The building is located at the top of a steep incline hill approximately 520m from the Welcome building entrance via step-free access
• The recommended wheelchair route through the garden is available from the main entrance staff and under the ‘In more detail: grounds and gardens’ section
• There are respite seating areas located in the Hilltop Live area at the back of the atrium
• 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
• There is a Visitor Assistance vehicle stop approximately 60m from the entrance to the RHS Hilltop building
• Hearing loops are installed in the Garden Room
• Adapted unisex WCs are available in the RHS Hilltop building, located 30m from the RHS Hilltop entrance. These are accessible without assistance to manual wheelchairs only
• An accessible toilet with a hoist is located in the RHS Hilltop building, 35m from the entrance
• The facility is 7.8sqm in size with a non-slip floor and features: An emergency alarm, changing bench (height adjustable, adult-sized, wall mounted), tracking hoist (ceiling, loop), peninsular toilet, height adjustable washbasin, colostomy shelf, paper roll (wide tear-off roll to cover bench, as well as standard paper roll) and large waste bin

• The entrance has volunteers present to answer queries
• The building is located approximately 125m via step-free access from the Welcome building entrance
• There is step-free access to the building and visitor experience through the Glebe Terrace entrance
• The recommended wheelchair route through the garden is available from the main entrance staff and online under the ‘In more detail: grounds and gardens’ section
• There are respite seating areas in the Wolfson Laboratory and the Hall
• The building does not allow access for mobility scooters. There is an undercover area to park mobility scooters
• The building is accessible to wheelchairs
• There are additional wheelchairs available at the Glebe Terrace entrance to use in the building if required
• There are two levels to the visitor experience. The upper level can be reached via a lift located in the Wolfson Laboratory room. The lift to access the lower and upper levels measures 148cm deep and 100cm wide and has a weight limit of 410kg
• The nearest adapted unisex WCs are located in the Old Laboratory building 25m from the Glebe Terrace entrance in the main corridor. These are accessible without assistance to manual wheelchairs only
• A ‘changing places’ facility is located in the Welcome building 120m away from the Glebe Terrace entrance via a step-free route
• Large print guides and a social story for the Old Laboratory building and permanent exhibitions are located at the entrance to each room
• Hearing loops are installed in the Lecture Theatre, Advisory Office, Plant Collecting and the Wolfson Laboratory
• Subtitled audiovisual is installed in the Lecture Theatre and the Wolfson Laboratory. A full audio transcript is available within the large print guide of each room

• The Glasshouse is entered by accessible doors, approximately 2m effective clear width
• There are similar doors adjacent for exit
• Circulation routes around all zones are wide enough to allow easy movement
• Internal steps, ramps and a lift provide vertical circulation between zones
• These are generally accessible for disabled visitors alongside families with buggies

• Access is obtained by following the accessible route shown on the Wisley site map
• There are no steps around the Alpine Houses, although there are some steep slopes on the approach to this area from either direction
• The nearest WCs are located in the Glasshouse Cafe, approximately 325m away from the Alpine Houses

• The hide is approached along a gravel pathway which steepens at one point over a length of about 4m
• The path is made of coarse gravel which may be difficult for wheelchairs and for people using sticks
• There is a 2.5cm lip up from the gravel pathway on to a timber decking
• There is level access in to the hide
• The door opens outwards operated by a lever handle
• The upper level has windows to the long side overlooking the oxbow lake
• The windows are 105cm to the lowest level of the window frame
• There are two benches without arms or backs
• There are stairs to the lower level which are 77.5cm wide
• There is a circular timber handrail on the left-hand side, descending
• The lower level is similar to the upper level, with window at the same height and benches
• The nearest WCs are located in the Food Hall, approximately 750m away, or 130m if the Stone Pine Café is open

• There is a level approach from car park 3 entrance through accessible doors
• The café is entered via accessible doors and the majority of seating is loose both inside and out
• The nearest WCs are located to the left of the Welcome building entrance, approximately 50m away

• There is a level approach from the gardens via a porch
• The Food Hall is entered via accessible doors
• The seating area consists of tables and loose seats with some fixed booth seating
• There is an exit via an accessible door back to the porch. This door is exit only and therefore cannot be opened from within the porch
• WCs (including adapted unisex WCs) are located at the back of the Food Hall through a set of manual double doors
• There are also adapted toilet cubicles in the Terrace Room area of the Food Hall accessible through manually operated doors from the porch at the entrance to the Food Hall

• There is level access from the garden
• There is an accessible door into the restaurant
• There is both fixed and loose seating
• WCs (including adapted unisex WCs) are located in the restaurant within a corridor directly to the right of the entrance through a manually operated door
• There is also a fold down baby changing mat

• There is an accessible door, followed by a right turn into a single large café space
• There is easy access to service counters and the seating is loose
• There are separate exit doors out to a large terrace with a button operated powered door that opens outward
• There is a 3cm lip down on the line of the threshold
• The WCs are at the back of the café, including a unisex adapted WC with a separate standing height wash basin and a baby change table
• There is also a further unisex adapted toilet on the other side of the terrace which includes a baby changing table

• The café is located via an accessible route approximately 90cm from the Welcome building
• There is a ramp into the café through a manually operated door
• Seating is a mixture of loose and fixed inside, and is loose outside
• The unisex adapted WCs are located through a manually operated door diagonally opposite (left) of the entrance, and then through a second manually operated door to the left
• There is also a baby changing table in this WC

• There is level access to the Garden Centre via accessible doors
• There is level access to the Garden Centre from the garden via accessible doors
• WCs are located to the left of the Welcome building entrance

• The Wisley Library is fully accessible and located in RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science
• There is level access to the building and the library and entry is through accessible, automatic doors
• There is a height-adjustable table available for those users in wheelchairs or using other mobility aids
• Seating is loose throughout the library and staff are happy to move seating to make study areas accessible for all
• The nearest WCs and accessible WC are located around 100m away in the Hilltop Atrium. The closest ‘changing places’ facility is in the Welcome building