Accessibility
The Visitor Centre
Access at The Visitor Centre at Batsford is specially designed to be accessible to everyone. Inside you’ll find the Arboretum entrance, Garden and Gift Shops and Garden Terrace Café all on one level as well as disabled toilets.
Car parking
Designated disabled parking is available immediately outside the main Visitor Centre.
From the main car park, disabled visitors can access the main building via a purpose built ramp which leads down to the level area and into the main entrance
The Plant Centre
The Plant Sales area is accessible via a series of gently sloping paths specifically designed to comply with disabled access regulations.
The Arboretum
The Arboretum is situated on a hillside and may prove a challenge to less mobile visitors.
About 25% of the Arboretum is accessible by manual wheelchairs and smaller electrically powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters. We recommend that users stick to the main Tarmac drive through the centre of the arboretum.
Wheelchair users are not charged an entrance fee for the Arboretum. Carers are charged a concession rate.
Tramper mobility scooters
Batsford offers less able visitors greater access to the Arboretum thanks to our all-terrain vehicle called the Tramper.
Visitors can hire one of our Tramper for a single two-hour slot only at 10.00am, 12.00pm or 2.00pm each day.
We provide a short training session for Tramper users to ensure they’re comfortable using the Tramper before they set-off into the arboretum.
Please note, the following requirements are essential for your safety when using a Tramper:
- The maximum weight to operate a Tramper is 25 stone (159kg).
- You should be able to read a vehicle number plate from a distance of 6 metres and have no significant visual impairment that would prevent you from reading safety signs, avoiding obstacles or other hazards
- You should have sufficient upper body strength, upper limb mobility and hand dexterity to grip both Tramper handlebar grips securely and operate the twist grip
Tramper hire costs £3 per session (plus arboretum entrance fee). Members of the Countryside Mobility scheme can hire our Tramper for free, just paying the normal concessionary entrance fee.
Please note, our drop-off point and disabled parking at the front of the building is limited; if you require a wheelchair to get through the building to get to the Tramper hire area, please let us know when you call to book the Tramper, or ask a member of staff when you arrive.
To book the Tramper, please call us on 01386 701441.
To find out more about the South West Countryside Mobility Scheme and which other venues have Trampers, please call 01392 459222
