Book a wheelchair
There’s a number of wheelchairs available for your use in the Park, provided free of charge. However, a returnable deposit will be required. It’s best to book a wheelchair ahead of your visit by calling 01420 22140 .
Facilities & Accessibility
What’s here?
At a glance
- Children’s play areas
- Café
- Facilities for disabled visitors
- Kiosks
- Toilets
- Landscaped garden areas
- Baby changing facilities
- Covered picnic areas
- Free on-site Parking
Accessibility & Mobility
To ensure all guests have a safe and pleasurable day, visitors using wheelchairs or with mobility issues can expect:
- A large, level, outdoor Park with wide paths and lots of room for everyone to circulate
- Paths that are flat with a mix of tarmac, shingle and grass and few gentle slopes, but no steps
- Assistance may be required with doors on some walkthrough exhibits
- Dedicated car parking area in main car park
- Accessible ramps into the restaurant and shop
- Specialised toilet facilities at the entrance and middle of the Park
- Admittance for fully trained assistance dogs – except in the walkthrough exhibits
- Free entry for carers with paying adult or child – remember to bring your proof of carer status
Support visitors with SEN and Sensory sensitivity
There are certain birds in the Park that can be noisy, smelly or surprising (sometimes all three at once!). Not everyone loves this, but anyone can download some free resources here, to help prep for the best possible visit:
Sensory map - marked with areas to be aware of and to unwind in.
Social story - so everybody knows what to expect on their visit.
Dogs
To keep our birds safe and to minimise biosecurity issues, dogs are not permitted into the Park (with the exception of assistance dogs). We ask you to please not leave your dog in the car during your visit to Birdworld. Read more about this on the
RSPCA website.
Assistance / Guide Dogs
Registered assistance dogs are welcome at Birdworld. When accompanied by and under the control of their owners we welcome dogs accredited by:
- Canine Partners
- Dog AID
- Dogs for Good
- Guide Dogs
- Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
- Medical Detection Dogs
- Support Dogs
- The Seeing Dogs Alliance
These are all member organisations associated with Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK). All ADUK dogs adhere to the highest health, behaviour/training and welfare standards as set out by Assistance Dogs International and the International Guide Dogs Federation. It is essential that we are able to guarantee such standards, to fulfil our biosecurity regulations, which is part of our Zoo Licensing requirements, and this is why we do not permit access to animals not registered with one of the above organisations.
Assistance dogs will be required to wear an identifying harness, jacket or lead slip at all times whilst on the premises. Please be aware entrance for a dog will be refused if identification cannot be provided. Please note there are certain areas where assistance dogs may not enter. Access to all animal walkthrough exhibits is not permitted due to biosecurity regulations. This includes Wetland Waders, Flamboyant Flamingos, and Penguin Beach. Access may also be restricted near to the enclosures of species where there is known experience of visualisation of dogs causing distress.
On arrival, owners will be asked to complete a disclaimer to verify the health of their assistance dog, acknowledge they have received and understand the map indicating the areas where assistance dogs may not enter, and agree to keep their assistance dog under close control. We regret we are unable to allow assistance dogs on site unless fully trained and may refuse entry unless training can be authenticated.
This policy was written with reference to the BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquaria) document ‘Biosecurity Advice for Permitting Assistance Dogs Entry into Zoos and Aquariums’ (January 2015).
Parking
You’ll find plenty of Parking spaces available for whenever you visit. There is no charge to Park at Birdworld.
There are also numerous spaces reserved for disabled badge holders, all located next to the main entrance.
Bicycles can be securely chained to a metal rack which is also next to the main entrance.