Birdland | 21st October 2019 

Accessibility Rating 

Physical 

Three out of five 

Sensory 

Four out of five 

Location: Birdland
Rissington Road
Bourton-On-The-Water
GL54 2BN

Parking

There isn’t a car park at Birdland however there is a public car park a short walk from Birdland. There are 2 accessible spaces which are at the side closest to the walkway to Birdland. Blue badge holders can park here for free all day.

There are public toilets in this car park that charge 20p for entry, and an accessible toilet that requires a RADAR key. The toilet is large enough to fit a wheelchair user and an assistant and has an automated sink and hand dryer at a lowered height.

The route to Birdland is flat and on sturdy ground. It involves leaving the car park at the end near the toilets and journeying along the pavement. This only takes a couple of minutes.

Entrance and reception

There is a slight ramp to enter the reception at the entrance and is gained via a single push door. A wheelchair user may need assistance in holding this open. The reception counter is all at a lowered height making it easy for a wheelchair user or person of smaller stature to communicate with the receptionist. Once a ticket to Birdland is purchased the receptionist will guide individuals to the entrance. This is another single manual door which a wheelchair user may need assistance with.
The reception is easy to navigate and has plenty of space for a wheelchair user to get around easily.

Access around Birdland

Once outside, the pathways are wide and spacious and have good viewing with low boundaries for the enclosures. There is large signage along the route that describes what to expect around Birdland.
There are numerous sections to Birdland, these include: Meet the Birds, Penguin Shore, Jurassic Journey, Indoor Discovery Zone, Encounters Area, Desert House and Out of Africa. All of these areas are accessible for a wheelchair.

There are numerous “you are here” maps around Birdland which is a great way to make maps immediately less confusing.

There are lots of picnic benches and resting spots located around Birdland which is great for people with limited mobility. There are also some sheltered spaces in case of bad weather.

Penguin Shore

Penguin Shore is a great opportunity to get very close to the penguins. During our visit one penguin was wandering around right next to us and it was great entertainment. There are numerous viewing areas for the penguins, some are high up and involve climbing some steps, but there is also spots on ground level where you can see under the water. There is also a spot that is perfect viewing for people of a smaller stature or wheelchair users, this area has a sign requesting that wheelchair users and pushchairs are given priority.
Care should be taken around Penguin Shore as there is a brick missing on the ground meaning a wheelchair user could potentially get stuck or damage their chair, additionally this may be a trip hazard. The manager of Birdland informed us that they were aware of this issue and it is caused by tree roots under the surface. There are plans in place for the trees causing the issues to be removed from the root and placed elsewhere.

Accessible toilet near entrance

Once you are inside Birdland the closest toilet is near the Penguin Shore, which only takes a few minutes to get to. The accessible toilet here has a heightened toilet seat which makes it easier for a wheelchair user to transfer to and from the toilet. The toilet is too small, and it is a struggle to fit a wheelchair user and assistant. Additionally, the bins are very large and get in the way of transferring, making it very difficult.

Flamingo Point Café

Flamingo Point Café is in a great location offering lovely views of Flamingo river from the outside tables. There are numerous snacks and lunch options on offer such as warm pasties. The café has easy access and is spacious, and a wheelchair can comfortably sit underneath the tables, with easily moveable chairs. There is a lowered counter with the till on it so a wheelchair user can communicate with the staff and make a payment with ease.

Accessible toilet in Café

There is an accessible toilet in Flamingo Point Café. There is a sliding door to the toilet that is locked by a latch on the inside. This may be difficult to use for somebody with limited dexterity. The toilet is large and leaves plenty of space for a wheelchair user and assistant. However, the toilet itself is only 41cm from the ground. This is 7cm lower than the average wheelchair and therefore would be very difficult to transfer to. There is a dropdown grab-rail on the right of the toilet and a vertical rail on the wall next to the toilet. The toilet is quite far from the wall and this may make the grab-rail hard to reach. All the amenities are at a lowered height.

Hatchery and Nursery

There were some delightful chicks in the Hatchery and Nursery. There is a glass screen on the side of the encloser which enables wheelchair users to see them with ease

Jurassic Journey

The Jurassic Journey is great fun for children and sets you a task of getting yourself out of the wooded Jurassic world and into safety. There are life-size dinosaur statues within the wooded area with information points that are a reminder that todays birds are descendants of dinosaurs. Within the Jurassic Journey is the Dino Dig where you can dig for your own fossils and bones and discover dinosaur eggs.
The dinosaur eggs are in a lowered cabinet which can be viewed with ease by wheelchair users or people of a smaller stature.
The fossil digging section will be quite difficult for a wheelchair user to join in as it is based on the floor and involves sitting on ‘rocks’.

Indoor Discovery Zone

The Indoor Discovery Zone has plenty of bright coloured and interesting fish to look at, as well as other exciting small animals. It is quite dark in there to make it easier to see the fish, but this may be quite hard for people with a visual impairment to adjust to.
The exit door in the discovery zone is very narrow and may be difficult for a larger wheelchair to fit through.

Out of Africa and Pandemonium of Parrots

Out of Africa and Pandemonium of Parts are two areas that both offer a great experience of some very large and amazing birds. This is all accessible and is very easy to get around.

Gift Shop

The gift shop is open plan and very spacious. It is extremely tidy and very easy to see the gifts on offer. There is plenty of space for a wheelchair user to look around without causing obstruction.