Lyme visual story

Deer in front of The Cage at Lyme Park, House and Garden — Deer in front of The Cage at Lyme, Cheshire | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

At Lyme we are committed to making everyone feel welcome. This Visual Story will help you prepare for you visit to Lyme and includes how to get around with information for what you might see and do.

Tell us how we can improve this page for you.

This page has been created by Lyme's access group, made up of staff and volunteers with lived experience of disability. This page will continue to be under development as we listen to feedback from visitors for what would be helpful. Please email us at Lyme@nationaltrust.org.uk with your thoughts.

Access for all

The National Trust is for everyone. We want our disabled visitors to have a great experience with us, and we are always working to improve the accessibility of the places we care for. At Lyme, we’re continually developing improvements for accessibility which are creative and sensitive to our surroundings. We work collaboratively with disabled people and disability organisations to develop these solutions and welcome comments from our visitors to assist our further improvement.

Find out more here

Before you arrive

Lyme is open every day, apart from 25December. The opening times for the house, garden, and estate vary throughout the year. You can find the opening times for your date of visit on our main page.

Download a map

To help you find your way, why not download a map before you visit?

Download Lyme's access statment

Lyme has partnered with AccessAble for a guide to Lyme. Click here to find out more

Quieter Times

Lyme is quietest on weekdays, particularly at the start the day. During school holidays Lyme is busy throughout the week with the quietest day to visit being Wednesday.

Getting here

Lyme is easy to reach by public transport and has car parking facilities availiable.

Pick up the shuttle bus from admissions, the car park, or outside the house for a lift up the drive. | © Hannah Ingram

Travelling by foot

There are lots of ways to access Lyme by foot. Most visitors access the property via the main entrance. There is a free minibus service which can collect pedestrians from the Admissions Hut and take them to the house and gardens and back. The minibus is run by volunteers and subject to availability, please ask a member of the team or give us a call beforehand on 01663 762 023.

The admissions hut at Lyme — If you're visiting by car, you'll stop at the admissions hut to buy your tickets | © Lathams

Travelling by car

The only vehicle access is from the main entrance on the A6 road. The road will wind down to the right and you will come to a cattle grid. After passing over the cattle grid, you will see the Admissions Hut. You will be greeted by a member of our Welcome team and will be asked to show your membership card or purchase your ticket.

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Accessible parking

Lyme has three places with accessible parking availiable. We would reccommend most visitors use the accessible bays in the main car park. For wheelchair users that need step free access to the house can gardens we would suggest parking in the Orangery Yard car park. Please let a member of our admissions team know if you need accessible parking.

The main car park for access to Lyme

The main car park has six accessible parking bays and one large designated space in the coach park section. The house and garden are 200 metres from the main car park via an uphill sloping footpath. Some visitors may find this hill steep so there is a free minibus service that will take you up the hill, please ask a member of the team in the kiosk for assistance. The minibus is run by volunteers and while it runs most days, is subject to availability. to check it's running please give us a call beforehand on 01663 762 023.

Entrance to the Orangery Yard Car Park — The Orangery Yard car park offers level access to the house and garden | © Jan-Christof Telford

The Orangery Yard for level access to the house and gardens

The Orangery Yard car park has five accessible parking bays. This area is primarily designated for wheelchair users who require level access to the house and gardens. From here you use a phone to ask for access to the house and gardens and can also collect an accessible garden guide. This car park is finely compacted gravel, with tarmac access road.

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Before you visit Lyme's house and garden

You don't need a pre-booked time to access the house and you can visit the house or garden in any order. Find out more on Accessable or see the information below

Visitors exploring the garden on a family trail, with a lake and the house in the background in Autumn at Lyme, Cheshire — Visitors exploring the garden on a family trail at Lyme, Cheshire | © National Trust Images/James Beck

Go through the House Courtyard for access to the house, garden, cafés and shop. | © Jan-Christof Telford

The North Front

The main entrance to the house and garden is through the North Front courtyard, which has a circle of cobbles and a compressed fine gravel path. The courtyard floor consists of large flat stone flags. Access to the house and gardens via steps is through the house courtyard.

The courtyard

There will be an information board as you walk through the archway which provides directions to the toilets, food and drink outlets, shop, and pre-loved bookshop. You will need to show your ticket or National Trust membership card at the Ticket Office before you visit the house or garden At busier times, such as weekends, there may be one or two Welcome volunteers. Welcome volunteers will be wearing a pink Lyme lanyard and they may be wearing a National Trust uniform. You can ask anyone wearing this lanyard for help, information, and directions.

Ticket Office

The Ticket Office is located on the far side of the Courtyard. You can purchase a ticket for the House and Garden and pick up information leaflets here. Our Welcome staff will greet you upon entering and are available to answer any questions about your visit. They will be wearing a National Trust lanyard and may be wearing a National Trust uniform. On busy days there may be a queue here.

An image of a door in the house courtyard with a sign that says Estates Office — You can also visit our Estate Office, where there will be a member of the team while the house and gardens are open. | © Jan-Christof Telford

Estate Office

If you need help please ask someone wearing the pink Lyme lanyard for help, information, and directions. You can also visit our Estate Office, where there will be a member of the team while the house and gardens are open. As you enter the House Courtyard, the Estate Office is located to the right and is labelled Estate Office. After entering the door, the office is through another door immediately to the right.

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Visiting Lyme's house

Explore the many rooms of the house and discover unusual objects and strange secrets as you walk through six centuries of family history at Lyme in Cheshire. The standard entrance to the House is from the ground floor courtyard via 17 stone steps with handrails. Most people spend between 30 minutes and one hour in the house.

The Entrance Hall at Lyme Park, looking toward the corner. It was created by Leoni from the old Great Hall in the C18th. the chimneypiece was inserted by Joubert in 1903. | © National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel

Look to the right of the courtyard for lockers and pram storage | © Jan-Christof Telford

Lockers for large bags, wheelchairs and prams

To protect the historic objects, large bags are prams aren't allowed in the house. We would recommend bringing a small bag or you can use a free locker available on the right hand side of the Courtyard, where you can put larger bags. There is also a £1 buggy park and a space to put children's prams or wheelchairs. If you need a larger bag, pram, or wheelchair for health reasons please let the team know and we'll see how we can help.

Go up 18 stairs in the courtyard to access the house | © Jan-Christof Telford

Entering the house

The main entrance to the house is in the courtyard. To access the house you will need to climb 18 stone steps. The door will likely be closed when you approach the entrance, a House volunteer will open the door for you, or you can open the door for yourself. Please note that there is step free access via the Orangery Yard Car Park.

More information about the house at Lyme

A volunteer wearing a pink lanyard — You'll be welcomed by a volunteer wearing a pink lanyard, or maybe someone in a National Trust uniform. | © Victoria Baker

Volunteers in the house

A House volunteer will be in the Entrance Hall and will greet you. They will be wearing a pink Lyme lanyard or may be wearing a National Trust uniform. House volunteers will be stationed in each room around the house. They can provide you with information about the room and help with any questions.

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Visiting Lyme's garden

Find out more about visiting Lyme's garden on AccessAble or see the pictures below

The lake and south front of Lyme Park, Cheshire — Lyme Park as Pemberley in the BBC's Pride and Prejudice | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

Entrance to the garden is through two archways in the courtyard | © Jan-Christof Telford

Visiting the garden (step access)

The standard access to the garden is through the Garden entrance on the far side of the courtyard when entering from the North Front. It is marked on the courtyard map and there are signs directing you to the entrance.

Step free access to the garden through the West Gate outside the house. If it's closed please ring the bell. | © Hannah Ingram

Visiting the garden (step free access via the courtyard)

There are many short flights of steps throughout the garden, and there is an accessible route around the garden avoids any steps or other difficult areas if you have mobility issues. If you would like access via the West Terrace Gate please press the bell and a member of the team will help you. Please let them know if you require an access map or guide.

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Visiting the parkland

Two deer at Lyme Park in Cheshire with the house in the background — Deer at Lyme Park in Cheshire | © National Trust Images / John Millar

A wonderful view of the house and Cage at Lyme — The view of the house from Knightlow Wood is something special | © National Trust/Garry Lomas Photography

Visting the estate at Lyme

Lyme is a 1400 acre estate consisting of managed parkland and moorland. The park is very hilly and includes some steep paths, particularly on the moorland. A large proportion of the park can be very challenging for people with limited mobility. The central area of the estate, near to the House and Garden, is relatively flat and accessible, but there are still a number of slopes.

More about the estate at Lyme

Pick up a walks leaflet from the Ticket Office

A free map of the estate and a leaflet with three suggested walking routes are available from the Ticket Office. These routes are also marked with coloured way markers in the park. A member of the Welcome team can provide you with more information about walking routes and finding your way around the estate.

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Animals at Lyme

Livestock

Lyme is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including herds of highland cattle, red deer, and sheep. There is also a designated deer sanctuary which cannot be accessed by the public. You may see some of our animals when exploring the estate and there will be signs letting you know where livestock is present. Please give them plenty of space to roam their home.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome in all outdoor areas, including the garden, on a short lead. There are some areas where dogs are permitted to roam off-lead under close control. For more information see our visiting Lyme with your dog page.

Toilets

There are toilets and accessible toilets located in the House, Garden, and Timber Yard.

Toilets near the house

The toilets and accessible toilets in the House are located on the ground floor. They are marked on the courtyard map and there is written signage to direct you at the House.

Toilets in the garden

The toilets and accessible toilets in the Garden are located in a building behind the herbaceous border. They are marked on the garden map and there is written signage to direct you in the Garden.

Toilets at the Timber Yard

The Timber Yard toilets are located at the entrance to the Timber Yard on the left hand side. They are marked on the estate map and there is written signage to direct you on the path to the Timber Yard. The accessible toilet is located at the entrance to the Timber Yard opposite the café.

Eating and Drinking

You can find places to shop for souvenirs and buy food and drink in two places, at the house and Timber Yard. These areas can be found on the map.

Food and drink at the house

There are two cafes at the House, the Ale Cellar and the Servant’s Hall, which are located on the ground floor. Here at Lyme, we'll always endeavour to cater for everyone's taste buds and needs. The food outlets with seating areas are set up to meet accessibility requirements. We can provide plastic cups with two handles and sip lids or straws. And we can also offer foam handles for cutlery. Just ask a member of the team if you need help. If you bring a reusable cup you will get 25p off your drink.

Find out more

A picture of the Timber Yard buildings, the floor is cobbled and there is outdoor seating on gravel. — Timber Yard | © Hannah Ingram

Food and drink at the Timber Yard

Formerly a joiner's workshop, the Timber Yard Café now serves a selection of cold sandwiches, wraps and baguettes, along with salads, a seasonal one-pot recipe or soup, scooped ice creams, and a range of cakes and scones. Here at Lyme, we'll always endeavour to cater for everyone's taste buds and needs. The food outlets with seating areas are set up to meet accessibility requirements. We can provide plastic cups with two handles and sip lids or straws. And we can also offer foam handles for cutlery. Just ask a member of the team if you need help. If you bring a reusable cup you will get 25p off your drink.

Find out more about the Timber Yard on AccessAble

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Alarms and annoucements

In the event of an evacuation, you will hear a siren and staff will show you to the nearest exit. A bell will ring in the garden half an hour before closing to indicate that the gardens are about to close. When you hear this please make your way to the nearest exit.

Discover more at Lyme Park

Find out when Lyme Park is open, how to get here, things to see and do and more.

Plan your visit

A view of the South Front of Lyme Park from across the lake with snow covered ground, Cheshire

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