Accessibility
At Stowe House, we want everyone to feel welcome and enjoy their visit. We’re committed to making the house as accessible as possible while caring for its historic features.
There is wheelchair access to all floors, though some areas may have uneven flooring due to the building’s heritage. If you need any assistance, our friendly team of staff and volunteers are always happy to help—just ask.
If you have any specific access requirements or would like more information ahead of your visit, please get in touch at via email. We’d love to make your experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
Accessible Parking
Stowe House has two entrances to accommodate your visit:
If you’re visiting the house only, please use the school entrance. Pre-booking is required, so be sure to contact us in advance.
If you’re visiting both the National Trust Gardens and Stowe House, you can access the site via the main National Trust entrance.
Contact Us
Arriving Directly to the House
For access to the Stowe School entrance please use postcode – MK18 5EH.
If you prefer not to visit the National Trust Gardens or require parking closer to the house, you can arrange access through our private Stowe School entrance.
To ensure a smooth experience, please contact us by phone or email in advance. This allows us to coordinate with our security team and book your access to the estate.
There’s ample car parking at the house. We call this area the North Front. The surface of the area where you’ll park is tarmac. However, some areas around the house vary from tarmac to gravel to cobbled paths.
You’ll be met by a member of the Stowe House team who’ll show you the way into the house.
Directions and Map to Stowe HouseAccess via National Trust Stowe Gardens:
For access via National Trust Stowe please use the postcode – MK18 5EQ.
The gardens of the National Trust Stowe are partly accessible, they include uneven and hard gravel paths, steep slopes, and are slightly hilly. Please call or email in advance to book manual wheelchairs, mobility vehicles, or festival trollies for transporting heavy bags or picnics. They’re available for hire for either a morning or afternoon slot. We recommend booking these at least a week in advance of your visit for best availability.
New Inn is the National Trust’s Visitor Centre at Stowe. There’s plenty of accessible car parking at New Inn.
We suggest you bring your own mobility buggy or wheelchair to use from the car park to New Inn if required.
The welcome area, café, shop and toilets are fully accessible. Due to the historic nature of the building some of the restored Parlour Rooms within New Inn have limited access.
Distances:
Travelling from New Inn to Stowe House:
New Inn to Bell Gate (downhill) 500m (0.3 miles) 10-15 minutes.
Bell Gate to Stowe House entrance via the Rotunda and the Grotto (gradual incline) 800m (0.5 miles) 20-25 minutes.
Returning from Stowe House to New Inn:
Stowe House entrance to Bell Gate via the Temple of Ancient Virtue and Elysian Fields (gradual decline) 1060m (0.66 miles) 20-25 minutes.
Bell Gate to New Inn (uphill) 500m (0.3 miles) 10-15 minutes.
All timings are approximate and when travelling at a leisurely pace.
For more information on accessibility at National Trust Stowe call 01280 825009.
Carer Tickets
Accompanying carers receive free entry to the house.
Manual wheelchairs are available to use free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. They can’t be reserved in advance, as we have a limited number. Please ask a member of staff on arrival for more information. These wheelchairs are for indoor use only.
We have a mobility scooter that is available to hire during school holidays only. Please contact us in advance of your visit to book.
Email us
Telephone: 01280 818006
We have two platform lifts:
Lift one operates between the South Front outside ground level and the internal ground floor level in the Welcome Centre.
The dimensions of the lift are: 137cm x 80cm (54″ x 31″)
The maximum weight capacity is: 44 stone (280kg/616lbs)
Lift two operates inside the house between the ground floor and the first floor of the House.
The dimensions of the lift are: 140 x 80 cm (55” x 31”)
The maximum weight capacity is: 62 Stone (400 kg / 881lbs)
We have two accessible toilets on the ground floor of the House.
The accessible toilet within the Visitor Centre is a left transfer.
The accessible toilet in the centre of the House (on what we call Plug Street) is a right transfer.
Guide Dogs
Trained assistance and medical alert dogs are welcome inside the house. Unfortunately, due to conservation concerns and the nature of the items on display, we do not allow emotional support animals to enter the house.
Our Tour Guides are very happy to tailor their tour to your requirements.
Although we don’t currently have a tactile tour, our team is happy to indicate objects which are safe to touch.
We also have a large print guide of the house for when we’re open for ‘Explore at Your Own Pace’. Please ask the team at the ticket desk when you arrive.
We have an audio loop at the House welcome desk and a screen displaying information about admission prices and tour times.
We’re currently unable to offer any British Sign Language tours.
Transcripts of the Tour Guide Script are available at the visitor centre desk.
Our Talking Portraits are interactive and are located in the Discovery Centre. All three portraits have subtitles. To turn the subtitles on you place the palm of your hand over the word ‘subtitles’ on the interactive table.
The quietest time to visit the house is between 2.00pm and 3.00pm (winter hours) and 4.00pm (summer hours). Peak visiting periods are weekends and school holidays.
Evacuation
We have two evacuation chairs on the first floor of the visitor route so that if the worst were to happen, we can safely evacuate visitors with mobility impairments.
Our team are trained to operate the equipment and are regularly briefed on evacuation procedures.