Accessibility
Woodside Wildlife Park is a fully accessible visitor attraction. We strive to make sure the park is suitable for everyone, so a visit to Woodside is as enjoyable as possible.
We trust the following information will help you prepare for your visit to the park.
Tickets
We offer discounted concessionary rates for visitors with disabilities. These can be purchased online or at our main desk.
We do ask for proof of disability on admission as we offer discounted prices. This could be evidence of DLA or PIP, Blue Badge (along with photo ID) or a Medical Letter confirming disability. We try our best to treat all our visitors the same, but certain disabilities are not visible, so please do not be offended by our staff asking.
Parking
We have dedicated disabled parking bays right outside our main entrance.
If these spaces are full, just pop in to reception and let us know. We will arrange for staff spaces to be freed up closer to the entrance, or we can even park your car for you and return it to reception when you’re ready to go home.
Wheelchair Users and Limited Mobility
We are a fully accessible visitor attraction so visitors with wheelchairs and limited mobility can easily access our entire site.
Unfortunately, we do not hire out mobility scooters or wheelchairs at the park.
You will find a spacious, easily accessible toilet located near the entrance to the park.
Assistance Dogs
Following a risk assessment and on site practical testing, alongside our veterinary health plan and biosecurity measures. We have concluded that due to an unnecessary risk to the animals we can only allow assistance dogs and emotional support animals into the Car-Park, Court Yard, Toilets & Tearoom.
Woodside Wildlife Park reserves the right to complete reactive risk assessments in individual circumstances.
Click Here to View Full Assistance Dog Protocol & Risk Assessment
Visitors with Autism
A few suggestions to help you get the best out of your visit:
- Plan Ahead – Sometimes it is reassuring to know what to expect during your visit. Please Contact Us a day or two before your arrival, so you have a better idea of show times and to find out about any other events which may be taking place on the day.
- Visit Us Often – If the prospect of an entire day at Woodside is overwhelming, we have an Annual Membership Scheme (see section below) to enable you to visit us as often as you like.
- Avoid Busy Days – For visitors who prefer not to be here during busy times, we recommend you visit Woodside outside of the school holidays and on weekdays where ever possible. We generally find Monday and Friday are our quietest days.
- Avoid Crowds – If you have particular issues with crowds or queues, please visit reception, where we will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have.
Dietary Requirements
In our Tea Room we have a wide variety and range of food available including vegan, gluten free, dairy free and more. If you have a specific dietary requirement or food allergy, please speak to a member of our catering team who will be more than happy to help you.
Small Children
Children’s lunch boxes may be purchased in our Tea Room, however are welcome to bring your own if you prefer. A microwave for your use is available in the main café, should you need to heat any food and our staff can provide jugs of boiling water if required.
We have baby changing facilities in our toilet block.
You are welcome to breastfeed your baby in any area of the zoo. If you prefer a more private area, please speak to a member of staff as we will ensure a room is made available to you.
Woodside is fortunate to be situated on a flat site, so there are no large hills to climb with small children.
Animal Experiences
Our Animal Experiences often involve working in non-public areas and whilst most of our experiences are suitable for visitors with disabilities, others may not be. Please Contact Us a day or two before your visit or when booking to check.
Enjoy Your Visit
Woodside Wildlife Park is a fully accessible visitor attraction. We have tried to cover everything to make your visit a safe and enjoyable one. If there is anything we have missed or you have any further questions, please call us on 01522 754280, get in touch via our Contact Us page, or message us on Facebook
Sustainability at Woodside
Alongside participating in global Conservation and Education programmes, Woodside is dedicated to reducing the parks environmental impact and educating others on how they can do the same.
Enhancing on site Biodiversity
We encourage a wide range of local wildlife to our site with a range of wooded areas, nest boxes, Bat Boxes, native species wild planted areas, high nectar/seed species areas, hedgerows (planted and pruned to allow fruits, seeds and nesting habitats) & shelter belts.
Implementing & Encouraging Renewable Energy Sources
Throughout the continued development of the park we aim to add as much renewable energy and sustainability solutions as possible, this included but is not limited to;
- Ground Source Heat Pumps.
- Solar Panels.
- LED lighting.
- Condenser Boilers.
- No on site vehicles (foot power only!)
- Heating and lighting timers to meet minimum energy requirements & reduce wastage.
Responsible Sourcing & Packaging
Within our catering and retail facilities, we aim to reduce all packaging waste where possible. Coffee is locally sourced, Fairtrade & Rainforest Alliance approved. All ingredients & products are palm oil free or RSPO approved.
All construction is used with recycled building materials if possible eg recycled sand & gravel, sustainably sources building materials are used eg FSC timber if possible.
Improving Awareness
We will educate sustainability to visitors with signage & exhibits around the park.
Waste Management
We are reducing the amount of waste being sent to landfill, implementing recycling across the waste streams throughout the park.