Is Westminster Abbey wheelchair accessible?

Wheelchair access and the step-free route

Most of the church is step-free. Visitors enter at the North Entrance on Parliament Square, and the North Door, the Great West Door and the Cloister entrance in Dean's Yard all have step-free access. Manual wheelchairs can be borrowed free from an Abbey Marshal on arrival, subject to availability and with no advance booking. A few places have steps: 12 plus 3 to the Lady Chapel and the tombs of Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots; one step into each ambulatory side chapel; 5 steps from the church to the Cloisters, avoidable via Dean's Yard; and steps to the Chapter House.

• Step-free entrances — North Door, Great West Door, Cloister entrance in Dean's Yard.
• Lady Chapel — 12 steps plus 3.
• Cloisters — 5 steps from the church, or step-free via Dean's Yard.
• Shrine of St Edward — 10 steps and a steep ramp; open only for worship and some tours.

Free entry for carers

Disabled visitors and one essential companion enter free. The Abbey's FAQ says the companion does not have to be a professional carer, and the free tickets can be booked in advance on the Abbey's ticketing website. That makes the official ticket the clear choice over a paid listing. Two other groups also go free or nearly free: Universal Credit recipients pay £1, with proof on entry, and serving members and veterans of the UK Armed Forces go free with up to four family members, issued on arrival, space permitting. The full adult price for everyone else is £32.

The lift to the Galleries

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries, high in the 13th-century triforium, have step-free access by lift. The lift sits in the Weston Tower, holds 13 people and takes about two and a half minutes; the alternative is 108 steps, in 12 flights of nine. The Galleries need a separate timed ticket, £5 for adults, and registered disabled visitors enter free. Last entry is 2:00pm on weekdays, earlier than the church, so book the Galleries slot first if lift timing matters to you. Photography is not allowed inside the Galleries.

Accessible toilets and parking

Fully accessible toilets are in the Cloisters, reached by a step-free route from the church or through Dean's Yard. The Cellarium Café and Terrace is accessible too, with ramped access from Dean's Yard. There is no car parking at the Abbey, but there is a drop-off space outside the West Doors. Blue Badge holders in Westminster may use designated disabled bays, pay-and-display bays and some single yellow lines, subject to local conditions, according to the Abbey's FAQ. Westminster station on the Jubilee, District and Circle lines is about 300 metres away.

Help for deaf and blind visitors, and assistance dogs

A hearing loop covers the main building and is used at all services. The multimedia guide, included with every ticket, comes in a British Sign Language version, and printed transcripts are available in 14 languages. Blind and partially sighted visitors can use an audio-described version of the guide, on a device the Abbey supplies or as a shorter download to your own phone or tablet. Guide dogs, hearing dogs and other assistance dogs are welcome, on a lead and under control; other pets are not allowed.

• Deaf and hard of hearing — Hearing loop; BSL multimedia guide; transcripts in 14 languages.
• Blind and partially sighted — Audio-described guide on an Abbey device or your own phone.
• Assistance dogs — Welcome, on a lead and under control.