Accessible Britain
o4Nb301YbAS
o4Nb301YbAS
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
there are areas of the attraction that are still reminiscent of a working farm. Be aware<br />
that some of the flagstones and paths are slightly uneven and that some of the ramps<br />
for access between barns and to indoor and outdoor areas can be tricky for wheelchair<br />
users to negotiate independently. There is no step-free access to the upper level of the<br />
granary or to the tractor-towed cart-ride around the farm, however the friendly staff<br />
are on hand to assist if required.<br />
FOOD & DRINK aa The café/restaurant at the back of the largest building serves basic hot<br />
and cold food, including burgers, soup and sandwiches – at peak times it can be a little<br />
crowded but there are picnic areas if you want to bring your own sandwiches.<br />
083 Shrewsbury, Shropshire<br />
THE WEST MIDLANDS AND WEST COUNTRY<br />
Almost completely encircled by a loop in the River Severn, Shrewsbury’s town centre<br />
(www.originalshrewsbury.com) has the feel of an island, with water on all sides. It can<br />
be accessed via the Welsh Bridge in the west and the English Bridge in the east, their<br />
names neatly reflecting the town’s borderland location.<br />
One of the most beautiful market towns in <strong>Britain</strong>, Shrewsbury boasts a wealth<br />
of stunning, timber-framed black-and-white buildings, many of them dating from<br />
Medieval times. The Visitor Information Centre, on Barker Street, offers fascinating<br />
guided walking tours around the historic centre – with notice, these can be adapted<br />
to suit visitors with disabilities. The tours take in the best of the town’s medieval<br />
architecture, including gems such as the sixteenth-century Market Hall and a clutch of<br />
twisting, evocatively named streets and alleyways (knows as “shuts”), including Grope<br />
Lane and Fish Street – they’re manageable in a wheelchair, but some have uneven<br />
surfaces and lack drop kerbs.<br />
If the narrow streets leave you feeling a little claustrophobic, head over to the<br />
expansive Quarry Park, a beautifully landscaped riverside park, with plenty of rest<br />
benches and some inviting, accessible footpaths. Its centrepiece is “the Dingle” – a<br />
sunken garden sited in a former quarry, bursting with colourful flowers.<br />
Try to pay a visit to Shrewsbury Abbey (01743 232723, www.shrewsburyabbey.com),<br />
home of fictional detective Brother Cadfael, just across the English Bridge. Although<br />
much of the abbey was destroyed in the sixteenth century, it retains four massive<br />
Norman columns from the original church, plus an attractive stained-glass window<br />
and fourteenth-century tower. The ancient stone tombs are also compelling, and there<br />
is a memorial to local World War I poet Wilfred Owen. The abbey has level access, an<br />
accessible toilet and on-site parking with designated disabled spaces.<br />
Shrewsbury offers a good spread of on-street Blue Badge parking in the town centre, with<br />
bays at Shoplatch, Castle Street, St Mary’s Street, Claremont Street and Roushill. In addition,<br />
there are designated spaces in the Raven Meadows multistorey and the Abbey Foregate<br />
car park – or use the accessible park-and-ride service (see www.shropshire.gov.uk). As the<br />
town is spread over two hills you should be prepared for some steep inclines, which means<br />
that manual wheelchair users are likely to need assistance. There are a number of accessible<br />
toilets dotted around, including at the Market Hall. The Visitor Information Centre stocks<br />
copies of the Wheelchair User’s Guide to Shropshire, which has some information on<br />
Shrewsbury.<br />
100