Health & Safety

Please wear suitable clothing and footwear (i.e boots) for your trip around the garden which will extend to around 1 1/2 miles and involve some steep slopes if you opt for the longest routes.

Slipping and tripping hazards are very real in a woodland garden like Caerhays especially after spring gales and heavy rain. Please therefore stick to the paths at all times and proceed with particular care when conditions are wet underfoot.

The woodland gardens and pathways were laid out and created long before modern health and safety requirements were even thought of so please explore carefully.

The garden does contain hidden hazards especially for children (e.g steep slopes and quarries) and it is therefore essential that children are accompanied at all times.

Those with disabilities should seek more detailed help and advice on arrival.

During adverse weather conditions the gardens may be closed for safety reasons. Details will appear on the notice board near the beach.

While the Caerhays Estate has taken reasonable measures to eliminate risks for visitors it is not possible to remove every conceivable risk in a woodland garden of this sort. The responsibility for the safety of visitors should therefore be seen to be shared between visitors and the Estate.
Dogs are welcome in the gardens on leads.

Disabled & Reduced Mobility Access

Caerhays gardens are situated on a tall hillside and, consequently, the routes to the top of the gardens and back down towards the castle are steep. Some of the garden is therefore not easily or readily accessible for wheelchair users. There are also some steps on the last piece of the Blue Route garden walk which are impossible for wheelchair users to negotiate.

Between mid February and mid June, when the gardens are open to the public we have disabled parking available at the castle, please come through the gates opposite the beach and drive up to the castle, where you will be directed to the parking area.

Close to the disabled parking area we have our tea rooms and toilets which are easily accessible for wheelchair users.

Elderly or disabled visitors should not however be put off from enjoying those parts of the garden which are flatter and more easily accessible. In particular the area around the castle and the Green Route up the main drive which is tarmacked, is readily accessible to wheelchair users.

The Red Route is also designed specifically for those who do not want to walk very far and there are several seats along the way as indeed there are throughout the garden.

Those wheelchair users who have help and are accompanied should be aware that the main garden paths are wide and reasonably hard underfoot. Once the paths to the top of the garden have been negotiated the core of the main garden is then fairly flat. By using the Green Route back to the castle the steps on the Blue Route can be avoided.

Please note there are water hazards within the grounds and parental supervision is required at all times.

THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT ELDERLY AND DISABLED VISITORS SHOULD ASK FOR ADVICE ON ARRIVAL TO ENSURE THAT THEY ENJOY THEIR VISIT TO THE FULL.