Accessibility

We welcome visitors with physical, sensory and learning disabilities. Our team will do all they can to ensure that your visit is both comfortable and enjoyable. Please read our Accessibility Statement for detailed information on the physical layout of the House.

We have also worked with AccessAble so you can find out about our facilities before you visit. AccessAble’s surveyors assessed our venue to create a Detailed Access Guide. Click here to find the Detailed Access Guide to Elizabeth Gaskell’s House.

If you have questions regarding your visit or would like more specific information please email enquiries@elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House and Garden has step-free access throughout with full access for wheelchair users
We have a lift to all floors
Access ramp at the side of the House to avoid the front stepped entrance
Wheelchairs, mobility scooters and other walking aids can be used within the building and in the Garden
Accessible toilets on the lower ground and first floor. If you require a Changing Places toilet during your visit, the nearest one to us is in Manchester Museum, which is 0.57 miles away from Elizabeth Gaskell’s House. Their address is Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL.
We have 2 bookable accessible parking spaces available on-site for Blue Badge holders. Please phone us on 0161 273 2215 or email enquiries@elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk to book a space. If you do not book we cannot guarantee there will be a space available during your visit.
Registered careers may visit free of charge with a paying visitor
Only trained assistance dogs, including guide dogs, are permitted inside the House, including in the Tea Room. Emotional support animals including dogs are not permitted inside the House.(Drinking water for assistant dogs isn’t supplied as standard so please ask if any is required)
Braille copy of the House guide book is available on request at the welcome desk and we can also provide large print copies of most of the reading material – please ask on arrival.
Recommended quiet times to visit are Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, outside of school holidays
The majority of the collection and furnishings in the House can be touched and chairs sat on – our volunteers will advise
Volunteers provide verbal interpretation in most of the rooms. Please let them know if you need any special accommodations (e.g. if you would like them to speak louder/quieter, more slowly or if you would like them to describe objects visually.)

If you have questions regarding your visit or would like more specific information please email enquiries@elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk.

We welcome feedback and ideas on how we can make Elizabeth Gaskell’s House more accessible, so please do tell us what we need to do better when you visit.

You can also read our Accessibility Policy by clicking here

“My mother-in-law uses a frame and it was all accessible – great lift, no issues at all and wonderful ramps” – Visitor feedback from March 2024

Family Friendly Information

Come, ring the doorbell and stand on the same doorstep as many of Elizabeth’s famous friends. Ask one of our friendly volunteers for a Children’s Trail (led by Cranford, Elizabeth’s Cat) and have fun discovering what life was in a Victorian House with our activity baskets for younger visitors.

Children’s Trail
Accessible for prams, buggies and wheelchairs
Baby-change facilities
Breastfeeding welcome throughout the house
Our Tea Room has snacks and drinks available for younger visitors
Limited Space for Buggy Parking but you are also welcome to take your pram around the House
Check our What’s On page for family friendly activities

Information on Elizabeth Gaskell’s House in other languages

We have a guide on Bloomberg Connects which can be translated into over 50 languages. To access our guide you need to download the app onto your phone. You can do this before or during your visit. You can also access it on your desktop browser by clicking this link.