Accessible Britain

Ideas aa Safari Parks
Highland Wildlife Park (Inverness-shire PH21 1NL; www.highlandwildlifepark.org)
This two-hundred acre safari park and zoo, with drive-through and walk-through sections
is splendidly set within the Cairngorms National Park, and is home to three polar
bears – the only ones in Scotland!
Knowsley (Prescot L34 4AN; www.knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk) A conservationled,
drive-through wildlife sanctuary with active breeding programmes, where you
can come face to face with all manner of exotic animals from emus to elephants.
Woburn Safari Park (Bedfordshire MK17 9QN; www.woburnsafari.co.uk) With a wide
range of animals from around the world, as well as rides and indoor activities to keep
kids occupied in poor weather, Woburn offers an excellent day out. Thorough access
info on their website too.
127 Yorkshire Wildlife Park, South Yorkshire
Address: Warning Tongue Lane, Doncaster DN4 6TB Web: www.yorkshirewildlifepark.com Tel: 01302
535057 Hours: daily mid-Mar–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov–mid-Mar 11am–3.30pm; park may close
during adverse weather Dates: closed 25–26 Dec Entry: prices vary depending on the season: see
website for details
THE NORTHEAST AND YORKSHIRE
Yorkshire Wildlife Park describes itself as “an award-winning walk-through wildlife
experience”, which neatly sums up this enjoyable family attraction just outside Doncaster.
Footpaths lead around a variety of walk-through areas, where many of the animals
are free to wander around, often venturing up close to visitors before shying
away. In South America ¡Viva! you can walk among troops of playful squirrel
monkeys and capybaras, the largest rodents in the world, while over in Lemur
Woods you can hang out with three species of lemurs. Some areas, such as the
Wallaby Walkabout, allow you to pet the animals. The more predatory creatures, meanwhile
– including a pair of Amur tigers, the world’s most endangered big cat – are
viewed from raised, wheelchair accessible walkways. The park is also home to anteaters
and lions, as well as England’s only polar bears, Victor and Pixel. Children will
enjoy the adventure playground and the huge, indoor Monkey Playhouse, with its viewing
area into the baboon reserve, though these have no special disabled provision.
Access to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park is good, with plenty of disabled parking spaces,
a low-level payment window and a ramp down to the courtyard, where trails lead to
the wildlife areas. All the trails and walkways are wheelchair accessible; most paths
are fairly level, with a hard surface of packed earth, though there are a few gravelly
or uneven parts where wheelchair users may need some assistance. There are six
wheelchairs available to borrow (book ahead) and three fully accessible toilets; the one
in the café also has a hoist. Assistance dogs are welcome at the park, but can’t be taken
into the animal contact areas.
FOOD & DRINK aa There are outdoor picnic areas plus accessible cafés and kiosks dotted
throughout the park.
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