Accessible Britain

playing legends. The interactive archives are fascinating – the club’s countless stories of
success are recorded, alongside the tragic Munich air crash.
If you come for a match, and make contact in advance (disability@manutd.
co.uk), you’ll be very well looked after. It’s impressive that the normal business of the
stadium is just as accessible as the tour. Services for disabled supporters are second to
none, with hundreds of wheelchair-plus-companion seats available, including forty with
their own sockets for live commentary. All seats are within easy reach of accessible toilets
and accessible food outlets. Be sure to make early contact – tickets are at a premium.
On arrival, you’ll be personally greeted and directed to a choice of disabled parking
spaces. The excellent service continues throughout: there are lots of helpful staff, and
everywhere is well lit, clearly signposted, smooth and step-free, with ramps or lifts
where needed. Individual helpers are available too. Old Trafford has a well-established
disabled supporters group (MUDSA) who will gladly help you on any access issue. Feel
free to ring them on 0845 2301989.
FOOD & DRINK aa “The Old Trafford Experience” includes the Tour, entry to the Museum
plus a meal at the Red Café for a very reasonable £25 (children £18). The café is completely
accessible, and a good place to study your complimentary copy of the Disabled
Supporter’s Booklet. Always busy with fans, this comfortable and welcoming space is
open every day except match days.
111 Anderton Boat Lift, Cheshire
THE NORTHWEST
128
Address: Lift Lane, Anderton, Northwich CW9 6FW Web: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/Anderton-boat-lift
Tel: 01606 786777 Hours: Apr–Oct daily from 9.30am–4 or 5.30pm; Nov–Mar check website for exact times
Dates: Visitor centre Apr–Oct open daily with river cruises and lift trips; Nov, Dec, Feb & Mar check website for
open dates Entry: [D]£8 lift only/£5 river trip only/£12 combined [C]free [A]£8/£5/£12.50 [5–16s]£5/£5/£9.50
[under 5s] free [Con]£7/£4.50/£11; [Fam] £22/£14/£34.50. Visitor centre and grounds free
Built in 1875 to haul cargo boats from the River Weaver up to the much higher Trent
and Mersey Canal, the 72-foot-high Anderton Boat Lift is a remarkable feat of Victorian
engineering. Following a multi-million-pound restoration project, visitors can marvel
at the machinery, take a ride through the lift and continue on a river trip through the
beautiful Cheshire countryside, or simply take in the view from the coffee shop.
The main entrance is in the modern, fully accessible visitor centre, where an
interactive exhibition on the lift’s workings and history has plenty to captivate both
adults and children. Once you’ve learned all about it, head over to the real thing for a
fifty-foot vertical ride through the lift itself inside a glass-roofed boat, the Edwin Clark.
This can be followed by a leisurely half-hour river cruise – or you can explore the site’s
other attractions, which include a play area and a maze. There is a nature park too,
home to a dragonfly pond and stunning wildflower displays in late spring and early
summer. From here, paths strike out through the picturesque Northwich Woodlands
(www.northwichwoodlands.org.uk) along the riverside, the canal and north to Marbury
Country Park, whose magnificent arboretum and avenues of limes recall its days as a
grand country estate. Check the website for special events such as Santa Cruises in
December and children’s activities throughout the year.