Sheldonian Theatre

There is no car parking at the Sheldonian Theatre. There are five nearby Blue Badge parking spaces on Broad Street, and two on Parks Road. In addition there is pay and display standard parking on Broad Street.

 Please click on the link below to view a map of Blue Badge parking in central Oxford.

• Oxford Blue Badge parking map (PDF)

The main entrance to the Sheldonian Theatre is off Broad Street, there is a small flight of steps (no railings or nosings) leading through an archway with wrought iron gates, theatre entrance is directly in front of you.  The main entrance has three stone steps up (no railings or nosings) into the lobby area.

There is an additional set of steps (with railing but no nosing) off Catte Street, head towards the building directly in front of you and when you reach it turn right and follow the curve of the building to find the entrance.

If you require step free access there are two options to get into the Sheldonian courtyard in front of the building:

1. Broad Street

As you are facing the Sheldonian, there is a narrow doorway to the right of the steps which has a clear width of 73 cm.

2. Catte Street via the Old Bodleian

Come through the main entrance to the Old Bodleian, then go through the archway on the right side of the quad. The Sheldonian will be on the left.

Step free access from the courtyard into the building

There is a step free entrance into the Sheldonian Theatre; this is on the right hand side of the building as you are facing the entrance. If you wish to use this entrance please come to the main entrance, and a member of staff will assist you. Staff are able to see visitors approaching the entrance and will come out to assist when needed. 

Step free access at the rear entrance

For ceremonial occasions (such as Encaenia), the very large doors at the rear of the building are used by the University dignitaries to enter the theatre in procession. There is a step up into the theatre here – the theatre has a portable ramp which can be deployed as needed. It is advisable to contact the theatre in advance if you will be part of the procession and will require the ramp. 

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The main entrance has stepped access to the front desk where you can purchase tickets. There is also a step free entrance into the Sheldonian Theatre; this is on the right hand side of the building as you are facing the entrance. If you wish to use this entrance please come to the main entrance, and a member of staff will assist you. Staff are able to see visitors approaching the entrance and will come out to assist when needed. 

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Accessible toilets

There is an accessible toilet located off the corridor on the ground floor, as you enter from the accessible entrance pass along the corridor past the entrance to the theatre space (right hand side) and shortly after on the left is the accessible toilet. There is a small narrowing in the corridor that some larger wheelchair users might struggle with.

Standard toilets

The standard toilet blocks located within basement area of the Sheldonian theatre.

There are staircases leading down from the corridor that encircles the auditorium on the ground floor.

See floor plans for detailed locations.

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There are quite a few staircases in the Sheldonian but all have old wooden stairs.  Some have a tactile strip but most are just plain wood and the contrast is pretty poor too.

There are bannisters throughout, although again these are original and on the left hand side as you ascend, they are quite chunky and might be hard to grab for those that need them.

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There are of course many different types of door in this building. Most are held open to allow free flow around the corridors.  They are wooden panel doors; some have vision panels others do not.

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The Sheldonian Theatre’s main auditorium is open to the public – please see the venue’s website for details of the opening times. The venue is used for ceremonial University events, concerts, talks and lectures. It is also available to hire for private events. 

There is level access to the ground floor area of the auditorium only. All other areas can only be reached by stairs. While there is no fixed seating at ground floor level, chairs are usually placed at the ground floor while events are taking place. 

The seating is fixed tiered benches. At the lower levels the seating is covered, at the upper levels the benches are wooden. 

During University ceremonial events, the very large doors at the back of the building are opened. There are two steps here and a temporary ramp is available for use. Staff will be able to help with this. 

There is good induction loop coverage in the auditorium. Staff will be able to advise where to sit for the best sound. Please note that at some concerts and events, sound engineers will use their own equipment which may not be connected to the in-house induction loop. Please contact the venue for further advice. 
 

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The Cecil Jackson room is available to hire for talks, meetings and small receptions. The room is in the basement with stepped access only; there are a few semi-circular steps down from the stairwell to the main room. The stairs have no handrail; there is high contrast edging. The doors have vision panels and can be held open during events. 

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