Registering for Assistance/Help With BookingsPlease email us at info@mountainfest.co.uk or call us on 01539 732567 if you would like to share your accessibility requirements/book wheelchair spaces/book companion or carer tickets, or ask us any questions, and we will be happy to help. Our phone lines are open 9am–5pm.
If you would like to read this webpage content on a PDF document or for us to read any of this information to you, please call or email us, we are happy to help.
Tickets and Carer/Companion Ticket SchemeWe offer one free ticket for carers/companions for those with other accessibility requirements – please call us please call us via 01539 732567 and we will book these seats for you.
Booking Wheelchair SpaceAll of the venues we work with for film and speaker events have wheelchair spaces available. This year, we are trialling a ‘Wheelchair Booking Pass’ to enable wheelchair users to book directly onto events. To book a wheelchair space or try the Wheelchair Booking Pass, please contact Indus at indus@mountainfest.co.uk.
Please reserve your wheelchair space with us by Thursday 13th of November. If you are using a Wheelchair Booking Pass, you can reserve wheelchair spaces in Screens One and Two in the Brewery Arts Centre up until the event start time.
Wheelchair/Mobility Equipment HireYou can hire mobility equipment equipment from:
The South Lakes Mobility ShopUnit 6, Library Road, LA94QB01539 734600
The Red CrossAynam Mills, Kendal01539734289
Safe Spaces New for 2025, we have a dedicated safe space in Basecamp – the Pilgrim's Refuge is a warm and welcoming yurt, where low-key sessions will be taking place at various points over the Festival, including morning meditations and gentle live music. This can be used as a refuge from the busy atmosphere of Basecamp; a place to sit by the wood burner and enjoy some peace and quiet. For a Queer safe space, we are working with the Elsewhere Bar, who are hosting the social event Queer Connections on Friday at 8pm. We also work with the Unitarian Chapel to provide a relaxed, multi-faith space in the centre of town.
English Language Subtitled ScreeningsAll of our English language subtitled films are tagged with “Access – English Subtitles” on our ticket booking platform. We aim to subtitle all feature films and films in collections – any films in our collections that aren’t subtitled will be noted on the ticketing site.
Blind, Visually Impaired, and d/Deaf AudiencesOur Best of Kendal: Accessible Screening is a curation of some of our favourite films from this year's interntaional film competition – this event will have Audio Description, descriptive subtitles, and British Sign Language interpretation. The UK Premiere of Champions of the Golden Vallery will also feature Audio Description and descriptive subtitles. We work closely with Find It Film, who provide accessibility consultancy – one result of this partnership is our new Festival Trailer, which is also audio described with descriptive captioning.
Auto-captioned EventsWe are working to introduce live auto-captions to our events, a technology we hope to trial at some events this year – these will be labelled on our ticketing platform as “Access – Live Auto-captions”.
Basecamp AccessibilityDuring the Festival, there will be 80+ free talks from athletes, adventurers, filmmakers, charities, and community groups, taking place across our four Basecamp stages. We now have Bluetooth Headphones available at both our Bothy and Adventure stages, enabling you to filter out the background noise and engage with each conversation.
Basecamp is wheelchair accessible with step-free access. This is a busy space and can be difficult to navigate at its busiest times. Therefore, we have introduced Quiet Hours – Friday 9:30-10:30am and Sunday 9:30-10:30am. Our scheduled talks on the Basecamp Stages will be calmer and more low-key and we will encourage a quiet atmosphere across partner organisations and Festival-goers.
Our Basecamp stages are also wheelchair accessible via ramps. Due to the layout of the stage and seating, the ramps are brought out whenever required – they are not permanently fixed as this would mean removing the front row of seating, which we want to be accessible for those who need to sit at the front to lipread or require extra legroom. We have new Priority Seating signs which will be placed on the front row of seats at these stages – these seats are to be offered to anybody who needs them.
Relaxed ScreeningsOur relaxed screenings will take place in the Brewery Arts' Digital Lounge – here we have a selection of films that are also being shown elsewhere at the festival. The lights will not be dimmed all the way, the audio will be slightly quieter, and you will be free to move in and out of this space as you need. These are labelled "Access: Relaxed Screening".
Festival MapWe have now launched our Interactive Festival Map with further information about the accessibility of our venues and of the local businesses around Kendal that we are partnering with or recommend you visit over the Festival. Sunflower LanyardsIf you use a sunflower lanyard and are happy to wear this at the Festival, this will help our volunteers identify anybody who might need additional help or time to access our events.
Blue Bay ParkingClick here for a map of parking in Kendal – this can be filtered to show only Blue Badge spaces.Online FestivalIf you are unable to join us in person or prefer tuning in from your own home, a huge amount of our Festival content will be availble to watch online – see our Kendal Mountain Player page for more information.
Accessibility by VenueHere is a list of the accessibility provisions of each venue we work with. For further questions, please ring us at 01539 732567 or the relevant venue, using the phone numbers below.
Basecamp• Phone: 01539 732567• Address: Kirkland, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 5AL• Wheelchair access: Yes – please bear in mind this is a very busy space. Quiet Hours are between 9:30-10:30AM on Friday and Sunday.• Accessible toilets: Yes, near the Abbot Hall Gallery.• Lift: N/A• Wheelchair space: yes, seating at our stages is easily rearranged so we can ensure there is space for wheelchair users to watch talks. We will have a number of marked Priority Seats for those who need them.• Blue Badge parking: Peppercorn Carpark, 3 x spaces.• Assistance dogs: Dogs are permitted in the Food Court and Abbot Hall Car Park areas of Basecamp. Only assistance dogs are permitted inside the tented Basecamp area as this is a busy space.
Leisure Centre• Phone: 01539 729777• Address: Burton Rd, Kendal LA9 7HX• Wheelchair access: Yes• Accessible toilets: Yes• Lift: Yes• Wheelchair capacity: 2 x wheelchair users with companions.• Blue Badge parking: 8 x spaces
Brewery Arts Centre• Phone: 01539 725133• Address: 122A Highgate, Kendal LA9 4HE• Wheelchair access: There is wheelchair access to each screen.• Accessible toilets: Yes• Lift: Yes• Wheelchair capacity: 2 x wheelchair users with companions in all venues other than the Theatre, which has space for 4 x wheelchair users and companions.• Blue Badge parking: 4 x spaces, free for Blue Badge Holders for 3 hours with clock disk.• The Theatre is located on the ground floor in the main foyer.• The Cinema building is accessible via either the steps, an external access ramp, or the lift in the main foyer.• The Digital Lounge is to the right of the Cinema building and fully accessible.• The Studio is situated on the 3rd floor, accessible by lift.• The Malt Room is on the mezzanine floor, accessible by lift.• All external staircases are short, have handrails and are interspersed by landing areas. Wheelchair accessible toilets are located on all floors.• Venue Accessibility Page• Venue Walkthrough Video
Kendal Town Hall• Phone: 01539 885430• Address: 9a Lowther St, Kendal LA9 4DA• Wheelchair access: Yes• Accessible toilets: Yes• Lift: Yes• Wheelchair capacity: 9 x wheelchair users with companions.• Blue Badge parking: 6 x spaces behind Town Hall, not owned by venue.• The Assembly Room is on the first floor and has disabled access by passenger lift with exception to the balcony.
The Box at Kendal College• Phone: 01539 814700• Address: Station Road, Kendal, LA9 6BT• Wheelchair access: Yes• Accessible toilets: Yes• Wheelchair capacity: 2 x wheelchair users with companions.• Blue Badge parking: limited spaces at the adjacent Kendal Museum car park.
Abbott Hall Social Centre• Phone: N/A• Address: Dowker's Ln, Kendal LA9 4DN• Wheelchair access: Yes• Accessible toilets: Yes• Lift: N/A• Wheelchair capacity: Seats can be removed to make space for any wheelchair users.• Blue Badge parking: 2 x spaces at the building, plus 3 x spaces in neighbouring Peppercorn Lane Car Park.
The Venue at The Barrel House• Phone: 07823 347763• Address: Unit 10, Castle Mills, Aynam Road, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 7DE• Wheelchair access: Yes• Accessible toilets: Yes• Wheelchair capacity: Furniture and seating can be rearranged to accommodate wheelchairs.• Blue Badge parking: No
Kendal Climbing Wall• Phone: 01539 721766• Address: Unit 27, Lake District Business Park, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 6NH• Wheelchair access: Access to reception via either a ramp or a few steps. Access to our main roped climbing areas is possible for those with limited mobility or in a wheelchair. However, some climbing facilities are located upstairs to which there is no access other than via stairs.• Lift: No• Accessible toilets: Yes• Wheelchair capacity: N/A• Blue Badge parking: No, but there is on-site parking with unmarked bays.• Please ring the wall if you have any questions about using the facilities with any additional accessibility requirements.
Bakery No.4• Phone: 07500 772134• Address: 40 Woolpack Yard, Kendal LA9 4NG• Wheelchair access: the main part of the cafe is wheelchair accessible, but the 1st floor is accessed by a set of stairs.• Lift: No• Accessible toilets: No. Toilets are accessed by a short set of steps.• Blue Badge parking: No, the nearest accessible parking is M&S car park.
The Elsewhere Bar• Phone: 01539 241654• Address: 5 Wainwrights Yard, Kendal LA9 4DP• Wheelchair access: the main part of the bar is wheelchair accessible. The upstairs mezzanine is accessed by a set of stairs.• Lift: No• Accessible toilets: Yes• Blue Badge parking: No, the nearest accessible parking is Booths car park.Quaker Tapestry Museum • Phone: 01539 722975• Address: Friends Meeting House, Stramongate, Kendal LA9 4BH• Wheelchair access: enter via the Stramongate entrance for step-free access with automatic doors.• Lift: N/A• Accessible toilets: Yes• Blue Badge parking: there is a small car park with one disabled space. Kendal's multi-storey car park is 100 yards away.