Longleat was first opened to the public in 1949 and was the first stately home to become a major tourist attraction, the house is also considered one of the best examples of Elizabethan architecture.  The grounds of Longleat are set in more than 900 acres of landscaped parkland and also has a further 8000 acres of woodlands.  The attractions include the Safari Park, Longleat House, Grounds and Gardens, Various Mazes, The Butterfly Garden, Pet's Corner, Safari Boats and Loads more.  The safari park is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and was the first Safari park in the UK.

Upon arriving at Longleat, the first thing that stood out was the parking, there was ample disabled parking, even when we visited on the Saturday we never had a problem finding a space.  We were greeted by Tim Bently, Lord Bath and his Labrador puppy, and also Head of Pets Corner Darren Beasley. When you receive your tickets and information, it clearly states which areas of the park are accessible by wheelchair, areas where you will require assistance and also inaccessible areas. Obviously it is disappointing not to be able to visit certain places, but the house and grounds were built over 400 years ago, so it would be almost impossible to make changes to these sections. The hedge maze is an example of this, as it has taken years for this to establish and with the nearly 3 kilometres of pathway and a number of wooden bridges, it would be unrealistic to expect them to change it and I would not even attempt this if you are in a wheelchair or have difficulty in walking.

The other attraction that was not accessible was the safari boats and you need to go on this if you want to visit the Gorilla Island. On this occasion we carried Ethan onto the boat, but this would be very difficult if the person was heavier. We have been told that they are getting two brand new boats which are completely accessible and they have clearly signposted an accessible route to get to the boats, so they are taking the right steps.

We used our own vehicle through the Safari Park itself, so access there was not an issue and there was plenty of staff around to help if you got into trouble.  One thing to watch though, is the monkeys, they see to have a particular liking for Renaults which made it hard when trying to recover the car parts that had been removed while going through their enclosure.

Overall the few days we spent at Longleat was a great experience and the children really enjoyed it.  Although there are always going to be areas that can be improved with regards to access, they have the right attitude and are keen to make the necessary changes needed to make the park accessible to everyone.  It is the small touches that are really noticeable, such as making special cutlery available in the restaurant and it is obvious that they are conscious of accessibility in the park. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending Longleat and we will definitely visit again if we get the opportunity.