Accessibility statement

The Donkey Sanctuary has produced this guide for visitors giving information about travel and facilities available on arrival.

The information below is also widely available in leaflet form from tourist information points in the area.

Getting here

• Opening hours and directions via car, public transport, bicycle and foot can be found on our Sidmouth page.
• Accessible taxis are available in neighbouring towns, including Sidmouth, Seaton and Honiton.
• Shop-mobility scooter, wheelchairs and other equipment are available for hire from Sidmouth and Honiton. We have a limited number of manual wheelchairs and two mobility scooters* available to pre-book, a fully refundable £20 deposit is required. Please contact us if you’d like to pre-book one of these for your visit. You will be required to sign an insurance disclaimer before the equipment is released to you.
• RADAR toilets are available in a number of nearby towns, including Sidmouth, Seaton, Honiton and Branscombe. Keys are available from local Tourist Information Centres.
• Visitors alighting from the bus stop on the main road (A3052) can reach the main entrance via a pathway signposted with The Donkey Sanctuary not via the main road. This pathway has no lighting.
• Information can be provided in advance of visiting by calling main reception, during office hours Monday to Friday on 01395 578222.

*Weight limit on scooters; 26 stone (165kg) and 19 stone (120kg)

Arrival and car parking facilities

• Admission to the sanctuary and car parking are free.
• The main car park has facilities for approximately 110 cars plus 14 designated disabled spaces, located nearest to the visitor centre – all parking is on stone chippings. All spaces are of equal size. There is a slight gradient from the furthest away parking space to the nearest parking space in relation to the entrance of the visitor centre.
• Surface potholes and surface flooding may occur after prolonged rain fall. There is a slight gradient from the entrance to the car park to the visitor centre. The main visitor car park has a dropped kerb either side of the pedestrian crossings. There is a coach lane between the car park and the tarmac arrival area. The coach lane can be used to drop off visitors with limited mobility. There are two pedestrian crossings to facilitate crossing of the coach lane. There are no speed bumps, or traffic calming devices. A cattle grid is located across the main vehicle entrance, with a side entrance for pedestrian access.
• An overflow grass car park is used at the peak of the season and for special events, providing space for a further 600 cars. The overflow car park is located within approximately 200 metres of the main car park - access to a tarmac pathway is available after crossing Dunscombe Lane. The car park is mostly grass and therefore can be muddy after periods of prolonged rain. There are no disabled spaces – priority will be given to visitors with limited mobility in the main car park. The pedestrian entrance and exit are through a willow arch. The gate into the sanctuary has a pull up leaver.
• The main car park has limited lighting, the overflow car park has none; the attraction closes at 4pm from November to February and 5pm the rest of the year.
• The heart of the sanctuary has mostly a hard standing surface although there are slopes with a range of gradients over much of the attraction that need to be traversed to reach donkey paddocks and indoor attractions.
• Access to the main facilities is via tarmac or concrete surfaces. There are stairs and a slope down to the visitor centre. There are handrails for the stairs and most of the slope, however the last section has none. The final part of the slope has a steeper gradient to the first section.
• All central walkways are wide with plenty of benches, the walkways are a combination of grass, matting and stone and have a range of gradients and feature slopes with adverse cambers. After prolonged rain the grass and matting walkways become muddy and in some instances are closed. Please ask our visitor team to highlight these to you.
• There are two free electric car charging points. They are available on a first come first served basis. The Donkey Sanctuary takes no responsibility for loss of charging cables if cars are left unattended.
• All welcome and directional signage is large format with white text on a brown background.
• Our visitor team meet all guests in the visitor centre, please ask them if you have any specific requirements.
• You can call ahead to speak to a member of our visitor team by calling the main reception number 01395 578222.

Main entrance

• There is one main vehicle entrance, signposted from the first roundabout from the A3052. Visitors on foot, cycle or bus can enter the site at various points; the most accessible entrance is the main vehicle entrance.
• Visitors are free to wander the grounds of the sanctuary; many choose to go through the visitor centre on arrival.
• Visitor information containing text and a map will be given on arrival at the visitor centre. A large format map is available on request.
• The entrance has wide, automatic sliding doors for wheelchair access. Benches are situated outside the doors and wheelchairs can be requested from Visitor Centre staff for a £20 fully refundable deposit.
• To reach the Exhibition Barn there is a lift as well as two sets of stairs. One set of stairs is located next to the lift.
• All merchandise is clearly priced; many items are at a low level; assistance can be provided by staff. The centre has good lighting, a level, easily negotiable surface with a separate entrance and exit; pens and paper are available from staff.

Restaurant

• The Kitchen restaurant is centrally located on the site within easy access of the car park; there are no steps to negotiate. It has both indoor and outdoor seating.
• Outdoor wooden picnic benches allow wheelchair access.
• Internally there are wide aisles between tables. The wooden flooring is easily negotiable. The tables and chairs are of a sturdy, pine construction. There is also a number of highchairs for use by families with small children. The restaurant is well-lit with clear signage and menus on each table.
• Food is ordered at the service counter and brought over to you. If your circumstances require food to be delivered to your table, please request this when ordering. Drinks are collected at the point of ordering.
• There are two separate picnic areas located away from the restaurant for visitors who have purchased takeaway food or brought their own refreshments. One of the areas in only accessible via a grass and stone pathway up a steep gradient.

Outdoor facilities

• Please ask for a free map before exploring outdoors, this will help you navigate the many pathways and locate toilets including those with disability facilities.
• A children’s play area is provided, there is a slope running from top to bottom. No dogs are allowed in the play area.
• The walks around the main facilities are wheelchair and pushchair friendly but do incur gradients, some of which are steeper than others. There is a combination of tarmac, concrete and firm, grass surfaces. After prolonged rain the grass tracks are not suitable for walking and are closed.
• All walkways are wide with plenty of benches. These areas include sections with adverse camber, indicated with signs. Please ask our visitor team to highlight these to you.
• Other walks are a very challenging, with steep inclines, stiles, steps and uneven surfaces, for example the Field of Dreams and the walk to the sea.
• In some areas, access is via wooden gates; some are fitted with specially designed catches for ease of use. On the more challenging walks there are stiles and kissing gates.
• Lighting is limited to the main route - the sanctuary closes at 4pm from November to February and 5pm during the rest of the year.

Public areas - general (inside)

• Inside public areas include Visitor Centre, Exhibition Barn, Understanding Donkeys Zone, Bat Beacon, Dr Svendsen’s Hut, The Kitchen restaurant and Gift Shop.
• All inside public areas are located at ground level - there are no steps to negotiate but there are inclines, some more steep than others. All indoor areas have side-hinged doors. They are clearly sign-posted with large format signs. Lighting levels are good.

Public areas - general (outside)

• Seating is available in The Kitchen restaurant and picnic areas.
• Numerous benches are located throughout the site.
• The Donkey Sanctuary is a No Smoking (Including E-Cigarettes) venue, this includes all walkways and gardens.

Public areas - toilets

• There is a WC block located in the Visitor Centre, near The Kitchen and a second block next to the main car park. Those in the Visitor Centre and next to the main car park are easily accessible with a wheelchair and have dedicated disabled facilities. There is also one disabled toilet located in The Kitchen restaurant.
• Baby changing facilities are available in both toilet blocks, with non-slip flooring and facilities for visitors with limited mobility.
• Doors are side-hinged; one block has a cubicle with an outward opening door. Each block has a cubicle with grab-rails.
• Hand-washing facilities are designed for ease of use by visitors with limited mobility, with lever taps.

Map of the sanctuary

To help plan your visit, please find our map of the sanctuary here.