Blind or partially-sighted
If you require a free access companion ticket please call or email the Specialist Sales Team:
+44(0)303 123 7324 or [email protected]
Access
The Castle is situated at the top of a steep hill.
Castle Hill with the Jubilee bandstand on the right. ©
There nine stone steps up to the entrance door to the Inner Hall.
Stone steps up to the Inner Hall ©
Then a further 11 stone steps up, after the first seven 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.
The platform lifts in the Inner Hall ©
There are 25 steps in the Armoury Staircase which leads to the State Apartments.
The Armoury Stairs ©
Access to the State Apartments is also possible via a lift, next to the Cloakroom, in the Inner Hall. The lift is managed 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
Floors are covered with thick pile carpet or polished wood.
The Queen's Gallery ©
St George's Chapel has stone floors and 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
A Descriptive audio tour, produced in conjunction with Vocaleyes, is available free of charge from the audio desk in the Moat Road building.
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 assistance 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 Lower Ward and St George’s Chapel. 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. 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.
Descriptive Zooms
Free Descriptive Zoom talks run on the first Tuesday of the month, from 2pm, and explore a different item in the Collection. For more information please see below.
