No. Access is normally 6am to 10pm, seven days a week, and that includes weekends and bank holidays (check your site's page). Outside those hours you can only get in if we've agreed extended access with you in advance: our terms say agreed extended access runs at the hours written on your Cover Sheet (the front page of your storage agreement) and may carry an extra charge. So if you know you'll need to come before 6am or after 10pm, ask us before you book, not on the night. Cheltenham's published hours disagree with each other, so check them with the team there first. Our Chipping Norton and Shipston-on-Stour pages say round-the-clock access can be requested.
The hours at a glance
Access hours are when you can let yourself in with smart entry and get to your unit. Office hours are when our team is there to help. You don't need the office to be open to visit your unit.
| Day | Getting to your unit | Our office (usual hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 6am to 10pm | 9am to 6pm |
| Saturday | 6am to 10pm | 9am to 2pm |
| Sunday | 6am to 10pm | Closed |
| Bank holidays | 6am to 10pm | Phone help may be limited |
Bath and Dorking keep different office hours. Bath's office is open 8.30am to 5pm on weekdays and 9am to 3pm on Saturdays. Dorking's is open 8.30am to 5.30pm on weekdays and closed at weekends. Your site's number is on its location page, or call us on 0800 2545585.
Our short answer to Is Wigwam open 7 days a week? says times may vary by location. Cheltenham is the site where that matters. Its page currently shows two different sets of access hours: "Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm; Weekend and Bank Holidays, 10:00am to 4:00pm", and also "Unlimited Free Access: 6am to 10pm". Because the two disagree, don't rely on either. If you store there, or plan to, confirm the hours with the Cheltenham team on 01242 800270 before an early or late visit.
Before 6am or after 10pm
Clause 13 of our terms covers this. It says that if we have agreed to give you extended access outside normal hours, it is available "between the hours indicated on the Cover Sheet, subject to You paying any relevant additional charges".
Three things follow from that:
- it has to be agreed with us first, so you can't turn up at 11pm and ask;
- the agreed hours are written on your Cover Sheet. Otherwise your access is during the access hours we post for your site (clause 12), which is normally 6am to 10pm;
- there may be an extra charge on top of your storage fee.
If you think you'll need it, raise it when you get your quote or call 0800 2545585. We'll tell you whether it can be arranged at the site you want and what it would cost. Our Chipping Norton and Shipston-on-Stour pages say round-the-clock access is available on request at those sites. If that matters to you, confirm it with the site before you book, and make sure any agreed hours and charges are on your Cover Sheet.
Without an agreement, plan to be finished and off the site by 10pm. If you're worried about running late, ask the team when you move in how leaving the site works at yours (the gate, doors and alarms).
If you genuinely need to reach your things in the middle of the night, every night, it's fair to compare. Some operators offer round-the-clock access at some of their stores. Access Self Storage, for example, says many of its stores offer it free (terms and conditions apply) and points customers to each store's own page for details. Whoever you choose, ask them to confirm the hours for that particular store in writing.
Bank holidays and Christmas
Bank holidays are ordinary access days: 6am to 10pm, the same as any other day. What changes is how easy it is to reach our team by phone, so if you're moving in over a long weekend, get your booking confirmed and your smart entry set up before the holiday starts.
Christmas is the time to check ahead. Last Christmas our team worked shorter hours and the office was closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, while customers could still get to their units as usual. Festive hours can vary by site, so if you're counting on a Christmas Eve or Christmas morning trip to collect presents, confirm with your site in the week before.
When the hours can change
Your right to get to your unit is during the access hours we post, and on the terms of your agreement (clause 12). The same clause lets us change those hours temporarily, to other reasonable times. It's a temporary change, and we'll try to warn you beforehand by a notice at the site, by text or by email, though the clause allows us to make it without notice. If the gate won't open during normal hours, check your texts and emails from us first.
We can also refuse access to the site or your unit if money is owed on your account, or if we consider the safety or security of anyone, any unit or anything stored at the site is at risk (clause 15). And if you change your phone number or email, tell us in writing within 48 hours (clause 28), so any warning about hours actually reaches you.
Planning around the hours
Moving house
Plan to have the van unloaded before 10pm. If a late completion or a delayed removals van could push you past that, call us beforehand: extended access has to be agreed in advance. If it can't be, ask your removals firm whether they can hold the load overnight and deliver in the morning.
Shift work and trades
The 6am start means you can collect tools or stock before an early shift, and 10pm lets you drop things back after a long day. A visit at 8am on the way home from a night shift, or at 6pm before a 7pm start, is within hours. If you work nights, plan your visits for your days off or either side of your shift. Our guide to overnight storage for tools goes into this in more detail.
Business stock and helpers
Anyone you send to your unit, such as a colleague, a removals team or a friend, gets in during the same hours as you. For stock and deliveries, see receiving stock at a self storage unit.
Booking with us
If 6am to 10pm, seven days a week, fits the way you'll use your unit, get a price online or call us on 0800 2545585. If you'll need to come earlier or later, ask about it on that same call, so anything we agree is written onto your Cover Sheet from day one.
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