Deerhurst Flower Festival 2026 Access Statement
Dates: Saturday 29 August to Monday 31 August 2026
Opening times: 10.00am to 5.00pm each day
Location: St Mary’s Church, Deerhurst, GL19 4BX
what3words: wept/tram/koala
Deerhurst Flower Festival takes place at St Mary’s Church, Deerhurst, a historic rural church reached by a small dead-end lane. Clear event signage will be in place throughout the village to direct visitors to the church and temporary car park.
Experienced stewards and volunteers will be available throughout the event to assist visitors.
Getting here and parking
Parking is available in a field approximately 50m from the churchyard entrance, with access via a gently sloping footpath over the flood defences.
A designated drop-off/pick-up point is located beside the churchyard entrance, with seating nearby. Volunteers will be on hand to help visitors arriving and leaving.
During the festival, the lane will operate as a one-way system. It leads towards the car park, and vehicles leaving should continue in the one-way direction towards the south-east corner of the field and Apperley Road. Drivers should take care when joining the road, as traffic may approach from either direction.
There will be car park attendants to help guide drivers and support safe traffic flow.
Access from the Car Park to the Churchyard, Church and Priory Lawn/Garden.
There is a mix of gravel paths, grassed areas and uneven rural ground.
The car park is a grass field normally used by cattle. Although the grass will be cut and efforts made to fill divots before the event, the ground may still be slightly rough or uneven.
The route from the car park to the churchyard crosses the flood bank. A handrail is in place to help visitors on the slight slope.
The main path from the churchyard entrance to the church is a wide gravel path with a gentle initial slope. The pea gravel may make wheelchair pushing a little more difficult in places, but assistance is usually available from volunteers.
There are largely step-free routes to the main event areas, although some surfaces may be uneven.
Detail of the Festival layout and facilities
Churchyard entrance: This is through a wide gate adjacent to the main drop-off/pick-up point where volunteers available are to assist as necessary.
Church: From the churchyard entrance it is slightly under 100m along a wide gravel path to the church where the main flower displays are located.
Going through the wide doorway of the church, there are a small number of steps largely at the entrance. Most are low, and where there are larger level changes, ramps are provided. The church can be considered as generally suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Visitors should still take care, as there are trip hazards. Warning signs will be in place and individual steps will be marked with hazard tape or white paint.
The church is well lit, and seating is available in the pews.
Priory Lawn / Garden: Between the churchyard entrance and the church and access is via a wide gate. There is a slight ridge at the entry onto the gravel path, but it is very small. The Priory Lawn/Garden is where the refreshments/tea tent, the bar, the entertainment and the stalls are situated. Plenty of seating is available. There’s a mix of gravel paths and lawns which are essentially level.
Toilets: In the churchyard and adjacent to the church. Includes accessible facilities and temporary toilets. These will be signposted.
Please note, there will not be a toilet in the car park this year.
Odda’s Chapel: In the chapel, there will be an Arts and Craft exhibition showcasing work by local artists and makers.
The chapel is located near the car park entrance just before the road comes to an end and is approximately 200m from the churchyard. The chapel is directly accessible from the road via a gate and a short gravel path. The chapel doorway is wide and has a step, for which a ramp is provided.
Inside the chapel, there is a significant step at the mid-point. This step does not have a ramp, as a ramp here would itself create a trip hazard. The chapel is well lit.
Please note that surfaces around the chapel may include uneven stone and gravel, and there is no seating available in this area.
Note: Pedestrian access is possible from the church along the road or from the car park. In both cases, visitors may be walking near or against the flow of cars, so extra care is needed.
Additional information
Dogs are welcome at the Festival and can enter the church and the Priory Lawn/Garden. Please keep dogs on leads at all times. Water bowls will be available.
Cyclists may leave locked bicycles inside the churchyard near the church gate, provided they are kept clear of busy access routes.
Latest Update – 26th June 2026