Accessible Britain

South of Grasmere you’ll pass the turning to another of Wordsworth’s homes, Rydal
Mount (partially accessible; contact 015394 33002), before reaching Ambleside, a busy
little town that makes a good lunch stop, with plenty of Blue Badge parking options.
Alternatively, stay in your car for some dazzling views over Lake Windermere, just out
of town. A couple of miles south of Ambleside, the Brockhole Lake District Visitor
Centre (www.brockhole.co.uk), with its wonderful gardens, accessible footpaths and
superb location on the shore of Lake Windermere, makes a good place to end your
drive – see p.118 for more details.
FOOD & DRINK aa In Ambleside, you’ll find delicious pizzas at Zeffirellis, on Compton
Road (015394 33845, www.zeffirellis.com), and a great vegetarian menu at nearby
Fellinis (015394 32487, www.fellinisambleside.com), on Church Street; both venues are
fully accessible. The Lakeside Café at the Brockhole Visitor Centre is another choice
spot for lunch.
098 Theatre by the Lake, Cumbria
Address: Lakeside, Keswick CA12 5DJ Web: www.theatrebythelake.co.uk Tel: 01768 7 74411 Hours:
performance days ticket office 9.30am until after the evening performance; non-performance days
9.30am–8pm (some parts of building close at 5pm) Dates: closed 25 Dec Entry: ticket prices vary
depending on seat and production [C]free
It may not be what you’d expect to find on the banks of Derwentwater, but Theatre by the
Lake – a registered charity funded by Arts Council England – has succeeded brilliantly
in bringing the dramatic arts to a part of the country more commonly associated with
bracing walks and cloud-shrouded landscapes.
You would be hard pressed to find a more beautiful setting, or such a relaxed atmosphere,
at a theatre anywhere else in the country. The audience is made up of locals, people on
holiday or a weekend break, plus a sprinkling of walkers still wearing their deerstalkers
and brandishing sticks – not your usual metropolitan theatre crowd. Opened in 1999, and
expanded since, the complex houses two stages: the large Main House which seats four
hundred visitors, and the one-hundred-seater Studio. Each summer season the company
produces a series of works, with an intelligently interlocking programme that enables
visitors to comfortably see several different plays over the course of a long weekend. In
addition, there’s a popular repertory programme running from May to November, and
the theatre hosts a string of annual festivals, including literature, jazz and film.
Reaching the venue is easy: there’s a huge council car park next to the theatre with
a dozen or so disabled parking bays just outside the entrance, and a wheelchair is
available to help with transfer inside. If organised in advance, auditorium seating can
be removed to create wheelchair spaces. The facilities for disabled people are generally
excellent, with lifts and accessible toilets on each floor. Pre-performance touch tours
of the set can be booked, infra-red handsets for the hearing impaired can be borrowed
from reception, and captioned and audio-described performances are scheduled for
certain shows: see website for details. Assistance dogs are welcome in all areas of the
building, and audio and large print versions of the programme can be requested.
THE NORTHWEST
117