Accessible Britain

Foreword
Former BBC programmemaker
Emma Bowler has
worked as a writer for everyone
from The Times and The
Guardian to The Practising
Midwife. Emma lives in leafy
Devon with her two children
– eleven-year-old Archie
and nine-year-old Ben – her
husband Mike, who doubles
as her mobility scooter
mechanic, and Border Terriers
Topsy and Twiglet. She enjoys
exploring the countryside on
her Tramper, writing, reading,
wildlife and travel. One day she
hopes to go on the ultimate
wildlife holiday – somewhere
like Costa Rica, Madagascar
or Borneo….
Welcome to the sixth edition of the Rough
Guide to Accessible Britain, brought to you
in collaboration with Rough Guides and
Motability Operations. Kofi Annan, the former
Secretary-General of the United Nations
once said, “Knowledge is power. Information is
liberating.” And I think this is particularly
true when, as disabled people, we have access
obstacles to overcome wherever we go. The
Rough Guide to Accessible Britain is so useful
because it is packed with information. Our team
of disabled reviewers have checked and updated
all the attraction reviews, which means that
wherever you go you’ll know what to expect –
and you can concentrate on having a great time
rather than worrying about access.
For this edition, we have included some
exciting new attractions in each region. There’s
something fascinating about the story of ships
and I suspect two newcomers to the guide – the
Titanic Belfast and the Cutty Sark – will be potential
rivals to one of my family’s firm favourites,
the SS Great Britain. However, if ships
don’t float your boat (sorry I couldn’t resist…),
then Trengwainton Garden in Cornwall and the
Callanish Standing Stones in Scotland both look
like a feast for the senses. Although I also rather
like the idea of a chocolate feast at Cadbury
World, if I’m honest.
The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain isn’t
just about taking in the ambience of a place:
there are several more active suggestions including
attractions where you can have a go at
white-water rafting, sailing, gliding and even –
for the more adventurous – coasteering, where
you can do cliff jumping, rock scrambling,
adventure swimming and experience water
features such as the “toilet flush” and “washing
machine” – it all sounds very intriguing, doesn’t
it? And even if you can’t swim, apparently that’s
no excuse! Dare you try something new?
Wherever you decide to go or whatever
activity you are game enough to try – have a
great day out!
6
Emma Bowler