Accessible Britain

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West Farleigh Leeds rne Peckham B2015 Lenham B2010 Loose Langley YALDING A227 B2163 A20 Hadlow Coxheath denborough A26 East Linton Sutton Charing Peckham Valence Tonbridge B2162 Westwell A28 A228 A229 Egerton Wye B2017 gh A20 9 6 A21 Staplehurst Smarden Bell Southborough Ashford Willesborough Stowting Brenchley Smarden Great Chart 10 Brabourne urst Horsmonden Frittenden A20 B2068 Smeeth GOUDHURST Sissinghurst Bethersden Biddenden A28 Kingsnorth Sellingde A262 M20 Stanford 11A 12 A262 High Haldon Shadoxhurst KENT Aldington ge 11 B2169 Finchcocks A2070 A229 Cranbrook Saltwood Sandgate B2067 nt Scotney Castle Woodchurch Blisington Lympne Hartley TENTERDEN A21 Bedgebury B2067 Hamstreet HYTHE 267 Pinetum Benenden B2086 A28 B2082 B2080 Warehorne Burmarsh B2100 Wadhurst Flimwell Newchurch A259 Hawkhurst Rolvenden Small Hythe Romney erfield A229 A268 Appledore Ticehurst Snargate WITTERSHAM Marsh Dymchurch Newenden Mayfield Brenzett St Mary in Etchingham Hurst Green the Marsh St Mary’s Bay Fairfield Burwash A21 Ewhurst Northiam Brookland NEW ROMNEY Ashes IDEN Old Peasnarsh B2244 A28 A259 Romney Littlestone on Sea Robertsbridge Beckley A268 B2165 B2075 Staplecross Playden Greatstone on Sea Walland Heathfield Brightling Cripp’s Corner RYE Lydd A2100 Boad Oak Udimore Marsh Dallington B2096 Whatlington B2089 RSPB Sedlescombe Rye Camber Dungeness EAST SUSSEX Winchelsea Harbour Battle Nuclear Power A259 Station A21 Westfield A271 Catsfield A2100 A28 Pett English Channel B2204 Crowhurst B2093 Fairlight Cliff End Ore Tudeley THE SOUTHEAST Medway Rother Rother Levels Brede Hastings Royal Military Canal 0 5 miles 037 Drusillas Zoo Park, East Sussex Address: Alfriston BN26 5QS Web: www.drusillas.co.uk Tel: 01323 874100 Hours: summer (BST) daily 10am–6pm, winter daily 10am–5pm; last entry one hour before closing Dates: closed 24–26 Dec Entry: peak prices shown; savings available off peak [D]£16 [C]free (DLA letter required) [A]£16 [2–16s]£16 [Con]£15 [Fam]£31–77.50 depending on family size “No Ordinary Zoo!” claims Drusillas on their promotional material, and therein lies the appeal of this attraction: while most children love looking at animals, it’s all too easy to get a bit fur-fatigued. The joy of Drusillas is that it is a zoo and play park rolled into one, and the compact nature of the site means you can happily hop between the two. There aren’t any lions, tigers or bears here, but instead, plenty of cute and cuddly creatures that families can get up close to, not least in the walk-through Lemurland, which is populated with friendly ring-tailed and black lemurs. It is possible to pop up in a glass dome in the middle of the meerkat enclosure too. The penguin feeding session is delightful. Subtly woven in, education is part of the package. The zoo is peppered with fun “finding-out facts”; kids can stamp their animal-spotter guides; and activity points around the park – the Zoolympics Challenges – test human skills against animals. Can your children hold their breath as long as a penguin? Either way, they’ll definitely enjoy monkeying around in the outdoor animal-themed and soft indoor play areas. Throughout the attraction, access is good. Paving is concrete or tarmac, there aren’t any steps to negotiate and there are places to rest. A sensory trail has been designed for visually impaired visitors (50p at entrance kiosk), and all the enclosures have low-level viewing, which is great for wheelchair users and small children. There are wheelchairs 50
available on request, subject to availability and a £20 refundable deposit: you’ll need to book in advance on 01323 874100. How much of the play equipment is accessible depends on a child’s individual mobility, but the trampoline in the Go Bananas area is flush to the ground, and there are two round team swings and some boat-style swings that a smaller child could lie in. The Thomas the Tank Engine steam ride – that can be enjoyed endlessly! – has an accessible carriage and, because it has a separate queue, there is less of a wait for a ride. There are a number of accessible toilets around the park, but by far the most spacious are in the toilet block next to Amazon Adventure. FOOD & DRINK aa The Explorer’s Café provides decent family meals such as pasta, fish and chips or sausages, at a reasonable price. 038–039 Brighton Royal Pavilion and Museum Address: The Royal Pavilion, 4–5 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton BN1 1EE; Museum and Art Gallery, Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton BN1 1EE Web: www.brightonmuseums.org.uk Tel: 0300 0290900 Hours: pavilion: Apr–Sep daily 9.30am–5.45pm, Oct–Mar daily 10am–5.15pm, last admission 45 minutes before closing; museum: Tue–Sun 10am–5pm Dates: pavilion closed at 2.30pm 24 Dec, all day 25 & 26 Dec; museum closed Mon (except bank hols), 1 Jan & 24–26 Dec Entry: pavilion [D]£9.50 [C]free [A]£11.50 [5–15s]£6.20 [Con]£9.50 [Fam]£17.70–£29.20, discounts for local residents with ID (utility or council tax bill). Museum [D]£4 [C]free [A]£5 [Con]£4 [Fam]£7.80–£10.60, local residents free THE SOUTHEAST Built to impress by the Prince Regent, later George IV, the Royal Pavilion in Brighton is a unique combination of eccentric architecture and sumptuous interior design. From outside, with its Palladian symmetry and meringue-like topping of onion-shaped domes, the Pavilion looks like a cross between Buckingham Palace and the Taj Mahal. Inside the Chinese styling is as extravagant as George IV’s lifestyle was scandalous. And while it may not be to your taste, you can’t fail to be impressed by the opulence of the decoration – known as Chinoiserie – the quality of the craftsmanship and the ambition of the design. Probably the most impressive example is the Banqueting Room. Here, suspended from the domed ceiling, a red-tongued silver dragon clutches a thirty-foot chandelier, weighing more than a tonne, from which extend six more fire-breathing dragons. The grandeur persists as you move through the ground floor rooms and culminates when you arrive at the Music Room with its breathtaking domed ceiling, lined with 26,000 individually made hand-gilded scallop shells. There aren’t many places to sit and rest on the way round, but manual wheelchairs are available to borrow, and the staff are helpful and happy to lend a hand. Unfortunately, the first floor is only accessible by a flight of thirty shallow stairs with a handrail. If you can manage the stairs, you can visit the bedrooms used by George IV’s brothers and Queen Victoria’s bedroom. But if you can’t, rest assured the highlights are downstairs. Just across the beautiful Pavilion Gardens – about one hundred yards away – you’ll find the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. The museum is free and small enough to be a perfect addition to your visit. Inside you will find collections of world art, fashion and style, local Willett’s pottery, and a fascinating collection of photos of old Brighton. The most eye-catching exhibits are in the museum’s diverse twentieth-century collec- 51
Page 1 and 2: THE ROUGH GUIDE to Accessible Brita
Page 3 and 4: Enjoy even more fun, family days ou
Page 5 and 6: Contents Click on any chapter to go
Page 7 and 8: About this book Designed to be good
Page 9 and 10: HERITAGE HIGHLIGHTS IWM Duxford (E.
Page 11 and 12: Brockholes Nature Reserve (Northwes
Page 13 and 14: London 001 The Roundhouse 002 Wembl
Page 15 and 16: It’s the colour of the pitch - su
Page 17 and 18: On the site of the London 2012 Olym
Page 19 and 20: LONDON ZSL London Zoo FOOD & DRINK
Page 21 and 22: The tour starts in the MCC Museum w
Page 23 and 24: LONDON Royal Opera House FOOD & DRI
Page 25 and 26: LONDON London Transport Museum ther
Page 27 and 28: Ideas aa Art and sculpture Tate St
Page 29 and 30: 016 Westminster Abbey Address: 20 D
Page 31 and 32: hop-on/hop-off at any stop along th
Page 33 and 34: the Painted Hall and chapel. There
Page 35 and 36: 023 Horniman Museum and Gardens Add
Page 37 and 38: 024 Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire
Page 39 and 40: Parents of any disabled child will
Page 41 and 42: If you’d rather go sightseeing, h
Page 43 and 44: FOOD & DRINK aa The sizeable Studio
Page 45 and 46: In 1842, when the young Charles Dar
Page 47 and 48: grotto and birds of prey centre 10a
Page 49: populated by grazing sheep and the
Page 53 and 54: Beach: Address: The Estate Office,
Page 55 and 56: Emirates Spinnaker Tower THE SOUTHE
Page 57 and 58: 043 Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Br
Page 59 and 60: and the tidal pools, as well as aro
Page 61 and 62: centre whose residents range from d
Page 63 and 64: Temple of Flora and Palladian Bridg
Page 65 and 66: 051 Haldon Forest Park, Devon Addre
Page 67 and 68: you can pre-book bikes with trailer
Page 69 and 70: Weymouth and Portland National Sail
Page 71 and 72: Octavia the octopus always draws a
Page 73 and 74: Trengwainton Garden THE SOUTHWEST p
Page 75 and 76: Lincoln Cathedral 059 Lincoln Cathe
Page 77 and 78: Ideas aa Animal sanctuaries Bolderw
Page 79 and 80: Holkham Hall Reserve: in summer you
Page 81 and 82: FOOD & DRINK aa The T&D café bar o
Page 83 and 84: a wheelchair, while benches provide
Page 85 and 86: Southwold Pier side and in all the
Page 87 and 88: Wicken Fen is one of Britain’s ol
Page 89 and 90: depending on what you most fancy se
Page 91 and 92: field Cavendish AM LE field Pentlow
Page 93 and 94: floor has a large step up to it, bu
Page 95 and 96: M6 M1 Barrow-in-Furness The West Mi
Page 97 and 98: A619 080 Peak District Scenic Drive
Page 99 and 100: a boat across it or admire it from
Page 101 and 102:
084 RAF Museum Cosford, Shropshire
Page 103 and 104:
Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museu
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FOOD & DRINK aa The on-site café i
Page 107 and 108:
Severn Valley Railway Northwood), a
Page 109 and 110:
091 Royal Shakespeare Company, Warw
Page 111 and 112:
Hereford Cathedral FOOD & DRINK aa
Page 113 and 114:
WWT Slimbridge mile. To take the wh
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M18 The Northwest MID LOTHIAN Berwi
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South of Grasmere you’ll pass the
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it’s a fairly steep hundred-yard
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103 Brockholes Nature Reserve, Lanc
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Southport Pier 105 Airkix Indoor Sk
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the whole site (even the sewer syst
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installations in a converted docksi
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Anderton Boat Lift Blue Badge holde
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M18 The Northeast and Yorkshire 113
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smooth, solid surfaces, although it
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Designed by Sir Norman Foster, the
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fully accessible bus, with a wheelc
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efreshments, call in at the friendl
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Betty’s Tea Rooms, Harrogate If y
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Roundhay Park of here sits The Mans
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(book in advance). The museum has a
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Yorkshire Wildlife Park 128 Magna S
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Families are particularly well serv
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130 Callanish Standing Stones, West
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Fort George (twenty degrees) onto t
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which you can reserve in advance. A
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Sitting in the heart of the Cairngo
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St Andrews itself isn’t easily ac
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(with a disabled toilet) about a hu
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all but the most limited hand funct
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143 Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh Addres
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provide a stunning backdrop to the
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yards away from the house are the t
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M6 Wales ISLE OF MAN Barrow-in-Furn
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Electric Mountain landscape of Snow
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153-154 Llangollen Wharf and Pontcy
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Benar, turn off the A496 just befor
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Celtic Quest Coasteering When swimm
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159 Garwnant Forest Visitor Centre,
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some of the concrete surfaces insid
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163 Wales Millennium Centre, Cardif
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Northern Ireland Oronsay Colonsay J
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mobility. If you want to visit the
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(June-Aug Sat & Sun & bank hols), a
Page 193 and 194:
the lives of more than 1500 passeng
Page 195 and 196:
Grand Opera House, Belfast with dis
Page 197 and 198:
Ulster Museum Discovery Zones - nat
Page 199 and 200:
Ideas aa Heritage Fountains Abbey (
Page 201 and 202:
Useful contacts This chapter featur
Page 203 and 204:
advice on available facilities for
Page 205 and 206:
than state what is possible. Predic
Page 207:
Credits Reviewers: Claire-Louise Ba
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Accessible Britain

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