Accessible Britain

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FOOD & DRINK aa You’ll find a full pre-theatre menu available upstairs in the light and airy Friends’ Gallery (give at least 24 hours’ notice for booking) where you can relax with a glass of wine while taking in views of the lake. 099 Brockhole, the Lake District Visitor Centre, Cumbria Address: Windermere LA23 1LJ Web: www.brockhole.co.uk Tel: 015394 46601 Hours: information centre & shop 10am–6pm, or 4pm in winter; café 10am–5.45pm, or 3.45pm in winter Dates: closed 25 Dec Entry: free; car parking £2 first hour; 40p per 20 mins thereafter; maximum £8 THE NORTHWEST Developed by the National Park Authority as the chief Lake District visitor centre, Brockhole perfectly represents the area in miniature, with its elegant buildings, mature gardens, woodland walks and breathtaking lakeshore views. Come here to collect information on a wide range of Lakeland attractions, or simply to enjoy the place in its own right. The visitor centre is housed in a handsome Victorian residence, along with the café and shop. Outside, thirty acres of beautiful gardens spread out along the shore of Lake Windermere, offering stunning views towards the distant Langdale Pikes. Paths snake between lovingly tended flowerbeds, shrubs, borders, magnolias and rhododendrons, taking in a wildflower meadow and a tract of woodland (look out for deer, foxes and badgers). Amusements for kids include an indoor play area, an adventure playground, Tree Top Trek, pony rides, bikes and crazy golf. Down by the lakeshore, you can hire kayaks and rowing boats, or catch the ferry across the lake, depending on the season. Blue Badge holders can use the small car park right next to the visitor centre. In addition, there are several disabled parking bays down in the main car park from where Brockhole, the Lake District Visitor Centre 118
it’s a fairly steep hundred-yard walk on a smooth tarmac surface up to the entrance. Alternatively, you can pre-book the “Brockmobile” electric bus that ferries less mobile visitors between the car park, visitor centre, grounds and lakeshore jetty. The house, café and shop are perfectly accessible, and there are well-appointed accessible toilets next to the visitor centre and in the main car park. The paths around the gardens and down to the lake have a hard-packed surface, manageable in a wheelchair, though there are some steep gradients where you may need help; a few paths have steps, which you can easily avoid. There’s a comprehensive map of the grounds and visitor centre on the website to help you plan your trip. The adventure playground has a swing suitable for disabled children. FOOD & DRINK aa The very reasonably priced café-restaurant is fully accessible, and has a delightful outdoor terrace with terrific views. 100–101 Walls Drive Trail and Ravenglass and Eskdale Steam Railway, Cumbria Walls Drive Trail: Address: Ravenglass CA18 1SW Web: www.lakedistrict.gov.uk Tel: 015394 46601 (Lake District Visitor Centre) Hours: no closures Dates: no closures Entry: free Steam Railway: Address: Ravenglass CA18 1SW Web: www.ravenglass-railway.co.uk Tel: 01229 717171 Hours: check website for timetable Dates: check website for seasonal variations Entry: [D]£13.20 return/£7.50 single [C]£13.20/£7.50 [A]£13.20/£7.50 [under 5’s] free [5–15s]£6.60/£3.70 [Fam]£37; dogs £1.50; 5-day Ratty Rover [A] £40; [5–15s] £20; [Fam]£105 Ravenglass is the only coastal village in the Lake District – a wonderfully quiet spot, where mountain scenery gives way to coastline, a world away from the tourist hotspots of Bowness and Ambleside. Following the undemanding Walls Drive Trail takes you through magnificent Cumbrian countryside, culminating at some significant Roman remains. Ravenglass car park is large and has accessible toilets – it’s an excellent base to set off from and is clearly signposted on the only road that leads into the village. The beginning of the walk skirts the station of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Steam Railway: when you leave the car park, head towards the railway bridge, and then follow signs to the Roman Bath House. The path slopes slightly from the car park but quickly becomes level and is compactly surfaced along the entire scenic trail. After around thirty minutes of smooth progress, you reach the ruins of Glannoventa – a huge Roman fort, perhaps once one in a string of defences built along the northwest coast. Much has been destroyed and, apart from earthworks, all that now remains is the Bath House, one of the largest existing Roman structures in England. It’s possible to get inside and look around – the level grass surface is firm if a little muddy following heavy rain, and there is an information panel and a bench to rest on nearby. From Ravenglass to the Bath House and back is little more than a mile. The village is small and accessible, with smooth, level roads and pavements throughout – its huge natural harbour is well worth a look when you return. If you’d like to see more of the area, the steam THE NORTHWEST 119
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THE ROUGH GUIDE to Accessible Brita
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Enjoy even more fun, family days ou
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Contents Click on any chapter to go
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About this book Designed to be good
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HERITAGE HIGHLIGHTS IWM Duxford (E.
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Brockholes Nature Reserve (Northwes
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London 001 The Roundhouse 002 Wembl
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It’s the colour of the pitch - su
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On the site of the London 2012 Olym
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LONDON ZSL London Zoo FOOD & DRINK
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The tour starts in the MCC Museum w
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LONDON Royal Opera House FOOD & DRI
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LONDON London Transport Museum ther
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Ideas aa Art and sculpture Tate St
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016 Westminster Abbey Address: 20 D
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hop-on/hop-off at any stop along th
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the Painted Hall and chapel. There
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023 Horniman Museum and Gardens Add
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024 Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire
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Parents of any disabled child will
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If you’d rather go sightseeing, h
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FOOD & DRINK aa The sizeable Studio
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In 1842, when the young Charles Dar
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grotto and birds of prey centre 10a
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populated by grazing sheep and the
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available on request, subject to av
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Beach: Address: The Estate Office,
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Emirates Spinnaker Tower THE SOUTHE
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043 Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Br
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and the tidal pools, as well as aro
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centre whose residents range from d
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Temple of Flora and Palladian Bridg
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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
Page 105 and 106: 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
Page 115 and 116: M18 The Northwest MID LOTHIAN Berwi
Page 117: South of Grasmere you’ll pass the
Page 121 and 122: 103 Brockholes Nature Reserve, Lanc
Page 123 and 124: Southport Pier 105 Airkix Indoor Sk
Page 125 and 126: the whole site (even the sewer syst
Page 127 and 128: installations in a converted docksi
Page 129 and 130: Anderton Boat Lift Blue Badge holde
Page 131 and 132: M18 The Northeast and Yorkshire 113
Page 133 and 134: smooth, solid surfaces, although it
Page 135 and 136: Designed by Sir Norman Foster, the
Page 137 and 138: fully accessible bus, with a wheelc
Page 139 and 140: efreshments, call in at the friendl
Page 141 and 142: Betty’s Tea Rooms, Harrogate If y
Page 143 and 144: Roundhay Park of here sits The Mans
Page 145 and 146: (book in advance). The museum has a
Page 147 and 148: Yorkshire Wildlife Park 128 Magna S
Page 149 and 150: Families are particularly well serv
Page 151 and 152: 130 Callanish Standing Stones, West
Page 153 and 154: Fort George (twenty degrees) onto t
Page 155 and 156: which you can reserve in advance. A
Page 157 and 158: Sitting in the heart of the Cairngo
Page 159 and 160: St Andrews itself isn’t easily ac
Page 161 and 162: (with a disabled toilet) about a hu
Page 163 and 164: all but the most limited hand funct
Page 165 and 166: 143 Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh Addres
Page 167 and 168: 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
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the lives of more than 1500 passeng
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Grand Opera House, Belfast with dis
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Ulster Museum Discovery Zones - nat
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Ideas aa Heritage Fountains Abbey (
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Useful contacts This chapter featur
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advice on available facilities for
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than state what is possible. Predic
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Credits Reviewers: Claire-Louise Ba
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Accessible Britain

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