Visitor information
Address
Lotherton Lane
Aberford
Leeds
LS25 3EB
Get directions with Google Maps
Opening hours
November
Estate: 8am – 6pm
Hall: 10am – 4pm
Wildlife World: 10am – 4pm
Last entry: 45 mins before
From 25 November
The Christmas Experience – hours vary.
Contact
Phone:
0113 378 2959
(10am – 4pm)
Leeds Ticket Hub (tickets):
0113 376 0318
(Mon – Sat, 10am – 4pm)
Email:
[email protected]
Facilities
- Adventure playground
- Play area
- Toilets
- Baby change
- Café
- Education facilities
- Picnic area
- Shop
Pushchairs & Access
Pushchairs and large motorised scooters are not permitted in Lotherton hall museum due to the historic nature of the property. We have a covered buggy park next to the entrance of the house.
Large bags in the house
If you have a large bag or backpack please either leave it in your car or store it in one of the lockers at the entrance of the house.
Access information
We aim to provide a friendly, accessible environment for all our visitors and the widest possible access to our buildings, exhibitions and collections.
Situated just outside Aberford, Lotherton is approximately 12 miles from Leeds. It is 4 miles from the nearest train station at Garforth. Lotherton is a 20-25 minute walk from the nearest bus stop in Aberford, along a public highway with limited footpaths. A 180 metre long drive leads up to the entry kiosk.
Accessibility guides
We are proud to be accessible for all visitors. If you or a member of your family has a disability, our dedicated guides on accessibilityguides.org contain lots of information to help you plan and prepare for your visit.
Visual stories
The Visual Story documents are guides to what to expect when you visit Lotherton Estate, including the House and Wildlife World. They include photographs and information so that you can prepare for your visit.
What3Words is a location app which provides exact location points based on 3 metre squares. Every 3 metre square of the world has been given a unique combination of three words which can be shared with friends and family, emergency services and more to pinpoint locations easily.
We have provided What3Words locations for key areas of our attractions to help you navigate your visit.
Carers
When a paying visitor needs the help of a carer, the carer can enter Lotherton for free.
Entrances
There is a gravel road leading up to Lotherton Hall museum. The museum has ramped access. The entrance is manual, opening inwards with a clear opening space. There is a bell on the information panel if you require help to open the doors.
The Courtyard Shop and Stables Café entrances are both level. The doors are both manual, opening inwards with clear opening spaces.
Wildlife World has level access across a wooden boardwalk and automatic doors at the shop. There are doors throughout the zoo to separate the enclosures.
What3Words
Estate entrance: ///forge.minority.dispensed
House: ///tripods.pronouns.wades
Courtyard Shop: ///activates.glass.frost
Stables Café: ///blush.mush.lakeside
Wildlife World: ///glitz.nags.soulful
Accessible toilets
There is a Changing Places and accessible toilet in the Stables Courtyard, and there is an accessible toilet in the house and café.
The Changing Places toilet has sufficient clear space to enable a wheelchair user and two assistants to access and manoeuvre around the room.
Baby changing
Baby changing facilities are available in the café, courtyard toilets and inside the house. We are a breast-feeding friendly site and you are welcome to breast feed wherever you feel comfortable.
Accessible parking
There are several accessible parking spaces in the car park nearest to the hall and Wildlife World. This car park is used as priority parking during the busier summer months. Access from the car park to the hall and Wildlife World entrances is via fairly gradual uphill paths.
Blind and partially sighted visitors
Guide and assistance dogs
Guide and assistance dogs are welcome to all areas. Dogs need to be kept on leads in the gardens and courtyard but are free to roam the rest of the grounds if well behaved and in sight. Water and bowls are available in the courtyard. You can find out more information about bringing your dog to Lotherton here.
Disabled visitors and wheelchair users
Lotherton Hall museum
Pushchairs/buggy’s are not permitted in the museum. You may leave them in the buggy park outside the entrance to the museum.
A proportion of the museum is accessible.
There is a lift to the first floor which provides access to the Fashion Galleries and three other rooms. A further two rooms and two bathrooms are only accessible via a chair lift.
Due to the historic nature of the hall and its displays, larger motorised wheelchairs and scooters cannot navigate the visitor route, so these aids are not permitted. Light wheelchairs are available to borrow for use in the house. Please note that we are only able to accommodate one wheelchair at a time upstairs due to our evacuation procedures.
The School Room, used by pre-booked groups, is inaccessible to wheelchair users but an alternative can be offered. Please discuss any access needs with the Learning and Access Officer when booking your visit. Notice is required in advance of your visit to ensure we can offer an alternative on the day.
There is seating around the museum including folding seats, which are available for visitors to use.
Wildlife World
Wildlife World entrance is accessible via a wooden boardwalk and through the gift shop.
Immediately outside of the gift shop there is an upwards slope on a gravel path.
There are a number of push/pull gates and ropes to prevent the animals from leaving their dedicated enclosure areas.
There are gravel paths around Wildlife World.
The Nocturnal House is on a slope and is accessible through two sets of plastic screen curtains. It is purposely kept dark during visiting hours for the nocturnal species in this enclosure.
Grounds and Gardens
The majority of the grounds and gardens are accessible. Due to its historic design, the Edwardian Garden is not fully accessible to wheelchair users, but can be viewed from vantage points.
Manual and push wheelchairs may struggle on some of the gravel areas.
Wildlife World is fully accessible but some pathways are fairly steep and gravelled in parts.
The courtyard and Stables Café are fully accessible.
Borrow a wheelchair or mobility scooter
One manual wheelchair is available from reception to use within the museum. Unfortunately we cannot provide assistance to get around the house for wheelchair users. Another manual wheelchair is available from the Stables Café which can be used in the grounds.
Three outdoor mobility scooters are available from the welcome cabin to use on the estate which can be booked in advance.
Please email us at [email protected] in advance of your visit if you would like to discuss specific access needs.
Hearing impaired and deaf visitors
There are no induction loops at Lotherton.
Special Educational Needs and Access
Please visit our dedicated Special Educational Needs and Access page for more information about how we try to make Lotherton inclusive and accessible for people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Access provision for groups
There are areas within Lotherton Hall museum that are touch and handling friendly, particularly the Servants Rooms on the ground floor.
If a member or members of your group require access provision, please contact us at least six weeks in advance of your visit.
VAQAS
Lotherton estate is a member of the Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS). The VAQAS is a scheme which ensures high quality experiences at tourist attractions, including a commitment to respect the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 by making reasonable adjustments to improve service for disabled people.
Contact us
If you would like more information before your visit, please contact us:
