Parking during the Christmas Market
Visits between 8 November to 14 December
During the Christmas market (8 Nov - 14 Dec), car parking arrangements at Chatsworth will be different to those you are used to. View a car park plan here.
Entry to the market is free. However, all visitors, including blue badge holders, who wish to park at Chatsworth during the Christmas market must pre-book either Christmas at Chatsworth, Christmas in the Garden or an appropriate Christmas market car park ticket, before arrival. Tickets cannot be purchased on the gate.
On arrival, please display your blue badge clearly so our parking marshals know to direct you to the next available accessible parking space.
Once the main car park is full, we will be parking vehicles on trackways across the parkland and operating a tractor and trailer shuttle service between numbered shuttle stops and the market. The tractor and trailer shuttle service is wheelchair accessible.
Please take care when driving on the metal trackways.
In wet weather, the metal trackways and ground around them may become muddy and slippery. Please wear clothing and footwear suitable for muddy, slippery and wet conditions. We will not accept responsibility for damage to clothing or footwear. We also recommend you have access to a torch.
Drop offs
During the Christmas period, visitors may be dropped off and collected by a licensed taxi outside the security lodge, next to the main house entrance. It is not permitted for vehicles to park or wait in this area. If you book a return trip by taxi, you must be ready to board as soon as it arrives.
Christmas is the busiest time of year at Chatsworth, and we must monitor parking capacity closely. We are therefore only able to allow drop offs and pick ups by licensed taxis, or by visitors with market parking tickets valid for the date of arrival.
We reserve the right to limit, refuse or delay entry to drop offs/pick ups to safely manage vehicle movement and capacity on site. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Accessing the market
The market is located on an incline, Lodge Hill, and pedestrian trackway is used for access to non-paved areas.
Accessible toilets, including a Changing Places facility, are located close to the house entrance at the bottom of Lodge Hill. There is also an accessible toilet in The Carriage House Café at The Stables.
You may find it useful to view a map of Chatsworth (note that the market is located on the grassy areas between icons 12 and 16).
Access buggy shuttle service
Please note that during the market (8 Nov - 14 Dec) we will not be operating an access buggy shuttle service between the car park and the house entrance/lodge.
However, this service will run between the house entrance/lodge and the garden entrances and Stables.
If you require this service, please contact us in advance of your visit for more information and availability, call 01246 565400, and select option 1 for Visitor information, then option 2 for Accessibility.
Parking from 15 December to 4 January
All visitors, including blue badge holders, who wish to park at Chatsworth must pre-book either Christmas at Chatsworth, or a Christmas in the Garden ticket before arrival. Carer tickets must also be pre-booked.
Tickets cannot be purchased on the gate.
Please display your blue badge on arrival so our car park marshals can direct you to the next available accessible parking space. You may also pre-book a blue badge parking space when you book your tickets online - these are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Access buggy shuttle service
We offer an access buggy shuttle service between the house entrance/lodge and the car park, garden entrances and Stables.
If you require this service, please contact us in advance of your visit for more information and availability, call 01246 565400, and select option 1 for Visitor information, then option 2 for Accessibility.
Taxi pick up and drop off only
Visitors with accessibility requirements may be picked up and dropped off by taxi at the north lodge by the house entrance.
Entry tickets must be shown on arrival at the pay booths for scanning. Taxis must not be left unattended at any time.
We reserve the right to refuse, limit or delay entry to drop offs/pick ups in order to safely manage vehicle movement and capacity on site.
In the House
There is a lift in the house, allowing access to the entire visitor route for visitors with restricted mobility.
Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year. During this period, there is likely to be a short wait to use the lift. Please build this into your itinerary for the day.
Electric scooters cannot be used inside the house, however, other smaller mobility aids may be used.
Garden
The garden light trail is accessible to visitors who use manual wheelchairs and electric scooters, please take extra care on steeper slopes. You may find it helpful to have access to a torch.
Parts of the light trail route are two-way traffic, and therefore may be busier. There are also areas with flashing lights and music, which some visitors may find uncomfortable. View a map of our light trail to familiarise yourself with these areas and if you need assistance, please ask a member of our team when you visit.
If you are visiting the garden during the day, our accessibility map of the garden shows detailed routes of varying length and ease so you can find the best route to your favourite areas. You can also pick up a printed copy of the accessibility map at any garden entrance point.
The sensory garden is fully accessible to visitors who use manual wheelchairs and electric scooters.
Book a manual wheelchair
We have some manual wheelchairs available for use in the house, garden and farmyard.
These are available for hire and must be added to your order when you book tickets online. They are subject to availability.
You can collect your booked manual wheelchair from the house entrance underneath the flagpole.
Book a mobility scooter - garden only
We also have a small number of mobility scooters available for use in the garden only on a 2 hour timeslot.
These must be added to your order when you book online, and are subject to availability.
These can be collected from the garden entrance and are available for use in the garden only.
Farmyard and playground
The farmyard entrance is at the top of the main car park. A lift and a ramp provide access to all parts of the farmyard.
Please be aware that much of the playground is a woodland site with uneven terrain and a soft bark surface. The paddocks and picnic area are accessible via a gently sloping footpath.
There are accessible paths leading to the adventure playground towers.
Toilets
There are accessible toilets near the house entrance, in the Carriage House restaurant in the Stables, and in the farmyard. There are no accessible toilets in the garden.
There is also a registered Changing Places facility near the house entrance, which is over 12sqm. Please click here for more information about Changing Places facilities.
Park
The Kissing Gate was installed in 1999, allowing access to the park from Baslow. It allows wheelchair access to the park without leaving a gap through which grazing stock might escape.
Shops and restaurants
The shops, Carriage House and Cavendish restaurants are fully accessible; although space is limited inside the garden shop.
Please note that areas of the Stables courtyard have cobbled floors.
Farm shop and café
The Chatsworth Farm Shop and its café are 1.5 miles from the house, in the village of Pilsley; both areas are accessible for visitors in manual wheelchairs. There are four bays reserved for Blue Badge holders.
Assistance dogs
Assistance dogs are welcome in the house, garden, farmyard, playground and park. Puppies in assistance dog training are welcome in the house as long as they are house-trained and are on a short lead. Please bear in mind that we reserve the right to refuse entry.
Carer tickets
Visitors with disabilities may bring an accompanying carer free of charge when paying for a full-price ticket. Carer tickets must be pre-booked online. Supporting documents are required at the entrances.
We accept the following documents as proof of eligibility:
- Proof of Disability Living Allowance
- Proof of Attendance Allowance
- PIP letter
- Access Pass
- Disabled Person's Railcard
- Max Card
Here to help
If you have any further questions regarding accessibility, please contact us on 01246 565400, and select option 1 for Visitor information, then option 2 for Accessibility.
