Blind or partially-sighted
Access
The Castle is situated at the top of a steep hill.
Castle Hill with the bandstand on the right. ©
There nine stone steps up to the entrance door.
Stone steps in to the building. ©
Then a further 11 stone steps up to the Inner Hall. After the first seven steps there is a landing area.
Stone steps up to the Inner Hall ©
Alternative access to the Inner Hall and State Apartments is via a platform lift on the North Terrace. The lift is operated by Castle staff, a Warden is positioned at the top and the bottom of the lift. The lift measures 232cm wide x 145cm long.
The plarform lift from the North Terrace to the Inner Hall ©
There are then six steps down to the State Entrance.
The view down to the State Entrance from the Inner Hall ©
A second platform lift is available for step-free access. Staff will clean the lift buttons after use.
The platform lifts in the Inner Hall ©
There are 25 steps in the Armoury Staircase which leads to the State Apartments.
Access to the State Apartments is also possible via a lift, next to the Cloakroom, in the Inner Hall. The lift is managed, with appropriate distancing, by Castle Wardens.
St George's Chapel
There are 3 stone steps into St George’s Chapel. An alternative entrance without steps is available, please ring the bell at the main chapel entrance. Hand sanitiser is available at the entrance. Inside the Chapel there are six sets of steps (minimum 1 step, maximum 3 steps) all of which have access ramps.
Stone steps into St George’s Chapel ©
Flooring and surfaces
Most rooms are carpeted with thick pile carpet or polished wooden floors.
St George's Chapel has stone floors. In some outside areas the ground is cobbled and uneven. As Windsor Castle is an historic building, the floors may be uneven and visitors should take care.
Visual aids
Orders of Service are available in large print for use during Services in St George’s Chapel. Some Orders of Service are available in Braille.
Audio Tour
Non-descriptive multimedia tours, on touch-screen devices, are available for free in:
- English
- French
- German
- Spanish
- Italian
- Japanese
- Chinese
- Brazilian Portuguese
- Russian
Devices are wiped down before use and cleaned on return. Visitors who require headphones are encouraged to bring their own where possible.
Assistance animals
All registered assistance dogs are welcome, wearing their designated jacket or lead slip. Non-registered dogs, and emotional support animals, are admitted at the discretion of staff on a case-by-case basis. Due to conservation concerns these animals cannot be guaranteed entry.
Staff reserve the right to ask visitors to remove their animal if it is deemed not to be behaving appropriately. Arrangements will then be made for the visitor to return without their animal. Please contact [email protected] for more information.
Shops
There are four shops at Windsor Castle, they are located in the Middle Ward, the Billiards Room, the China Museum and St George’s Chapel. There is an ice cream van on the North Terrace. All shops are on one level and accessible, with stone or carpet flooring. Middle Ward shop is the largest with easy access and plenty of room to manoeuvre. There are clear routes through all shops and capacity will be limited. There are hand sanitiser stations at entrance point and all shops are operating cashless.
In St George's Chapel, the Cloister shop is on a level with stone flooring.
Toilets
Accessible toilets are located on the North Terrace and off the Inner Hall. The North Terrace toilet requires a RADAR key, please ask a Warden if you do not have your own key.
The East Terrace and Garden
During weekends in August and September the Castle’s East Terrace will be open to visitors. Access to the Terrace is from the end of the North Terrace, past the entrance to the State Apartments and the toilets. There are three sets of six steps down to the lower garden level, there is no handrail. Wardens on the Terrace can share information about the lower garden level with visitors who are unable to access it.
The ground is a mixture of concrete slabs and hard gravel.
There is some bench seating on the Terrace and in the garden area.
Visitors should be aware of the lower points in the Terrace wall, as you approach, and the drop below.
Assistance dogs are welcome on the East Terrace and in the garden area. Visitors are asked to keep to the paths.
