Overview

Upon arrival the first thing to encounter is a steep concrete slope from reception into the main park, I struggled to hold my chair back and the slope is too higher a gradient for someone to hold a wheelchair back from rolling safely. The pathways around the park are mostly broken concrete with plenty of pot holes to catch front wheelchair castors in. The majority of the animal enclosures have areas of bark chippings or turf from the pathway to the fencing ranging from 3-10 feet, these areas are very difficult to maneuver even for a seasoned active wheelchair user like myself. If you can get close to an enclosure then you are met by a 4ft secondary fencing which is quite thick in it's construction and obscures vision considerably, so much so it was impossible to capture any decent photographs of the animals. The lion enclosure viewing area was impossible to get to as the access is made of deep gravel and on a hill.

Transport & Parking

We arrived by car, the car park is very much on a par with the park itself, the parking surface and walkways are made up of broken concrete and gravel.

Access

Toilets

The accessible toilets were of a good size with plenty of room to maneuver, there is a small threshold step in the doorway but ok for an active user. biggest disappointment was that it also doubles as a baby changing room, there was a lady in with two children (around 5 years old) which led to me having to wait outside for 10 minutes.

Staff

Firstly I used the zoos website 'contact us' link 3 days prior to our visit but no one replied to my query. The young member of staff who served us when we arrived was what can only be described as patronising, She demanded proof of disability ESA/PIP letter so as myself and carer could gain the concessionary rate, to the point of saying that even though I was on holiday I should always carry these documents with me in order to get the concession.. Some staff training would be of benefit here; nobody will spend £2000 on a wheelchair in order to save £12, also expecting someone to carry personal documents which could leave them open to identity theft if lost isn't good advice either. We weren't offered a map or any information that would make our visit easier. Upon leaving my wife noticed a small notice on the outer door saying that some of the surfaces were uneven and may be difficult to access (huge understatement) however this was on the door that was open so would not have been seen upon arrival..!

Anything else you wish to tell us?

I would not recommend the zoo to friends and family, Sadly there were no special moments of any kind, the only exhibit I could see/access with any clarity was the koi pond. I would not visit again, the only saving grace from my visit is knowing that the entrance fee is helping the animals.