Venue Description

Castle Rushen is located in the ancient capital of the Isle of Man, Castletown. The impressive limestone fortress was once home to the Kings and Lords of Mann. Founded by the Norse king Reginald in the late 1100’s, Castle Rushen was developed by successive rulers between the 13th and 16th centuries. During its time it was used as a fortress, royal residence, a mint and even a prison. Today Castle Rushen is considered to be one of the best preserved medieval castles in Europe.

Accessibility

Castle Rushen is a medieval fortress and the Castle keep (main building) has a spiral staircase and a historic staircase to access the upper levels. There are no alternative methods for accessing the upper floors. Wheelchair users are restricted to exploring the inner bailey (Castle grounds) and courtyard of the Castle keep. Motorised scooters are permitted in the Castle grounds, but caution should be exercised on the uneven ground. It is our policy that carers accompanying a disabled visitor are admitted free of charge to all Manx National Heritage sites.

Awards List

Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence.

Toilets

Castle Rushen has two accessible toilet cubicles, one within the male toilet block and one within the female toilet block. There is level access to all toilets, which are located 100 metres from the main entrance way. There is a steep downward incline leading to the toilet block.

Staff

The Castle Rushen team receive customer service and disability awareness training – and are always happy to help. We work with a range of partners across the Island to ensure our sites and collections are accessible, engaging and inspiring to a broad range of users – and are always seeking to improve our services for visitors.

Assistance dog facilities

Assistance dog exercise facilities

Castle Rushen has a grassed inner bailey where dogs can be exercised on a lead.

Other assistance dog facilities

Assistance dogs are welcome and a water bowl is available at reception, please ask.