There is plenty of accessible parking of Heslington Lane and the campus is mainly flat with pretty good paths although some were a bit bumpy where tree roots had pushed up the surface. Nothing my powerchair couldn’t cope with though!
York university campus
Ducks, geese and squirrels are in abundance and there are lots of interesting trees and plants. There are information boards to identify the wildfowl so I can now tell a Barnacle Goose from a Canada Goose!
Geese are a feature of York university campus!
This is a modest visit and happens to be just a few minutes’ drive from our house. I have only been out in our Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle a few times and found it very tiring the last time, when we went to a garden centre out-of-town. Therefore, a short trip to somewhere that I knew would be really easy was just what was required and on a sunny, breezy summer afternoon this was really quite idyllic.
York university campusYork university campus
I’m hoping that the more I get accustomed to going out in the WAV, the less tiring it will be. It’s brilliant to be able to sit “up front” as the visibility is so much better and you don’t feel like a taxi passenger!
Accessible parkingPath from the carparkCoots on their nest
A quick trip to York University campus for some fresh air and wildlife spots made a change the other day and led me to wonder what will become of students’ university experience in the future and other changes we might see in our towns and cities.
York University campus
Obviously, the campus was quiet because it is August although the grounds people are making the most of this to do a bit of work: I thought our way was going to be blocked but as we got closer, discovered that some trenches that had been dug had been filled in but not yet tarmac-ed so were passable, just a little bit bumpy. The stream looked a bit neglected and overgrown but the ducks and coots didn’t seem to mind and there were absolutely loads of geese. Perhaps being undisturbed all this time has meant they have bred more?
York University campus
Campus felt like a bit of a wildlife haven as we also saw a dragonfly and a couple of squirrels as well as a variety of ducks – you can identify them on various information boards. Some of the trees were starting to look distinctly autumnal, mainly the horse chestnuts which were laden with conkers.
York University campus
I found myself wondering if the campus will ever again be as busy as it used to be. I gather that universities are expecting a lot fewer international students but that courses are filled with homes students. Perhaps some people are thinking they may as well become a student as there are fewer jobs around.
York University campus
I wonder though if some students will elect to go to their local universities so that they can continue to live at home as student accommodation may be less inviting in the current climate. I’m sure the student experience will be different for at least a year or two and I can imagine a situation where large lectures are given online only and face-to-face contact is limited. It’s a shame as a large part of being a student is going away from home, becoming independent, meeting loads of new people, doing things as a group and so on, all of which will become more difficult when social distancing is involved.
York University campus
Of course, it’s not just being a student that will change. Do you think in the future that more people will work from home and therefore there will be more demand for houses with enough space for a workstation, more houses with some outside space? I have often wondered what the best solution is to the fact that more people get things delivered to their homes with the increase in online shopping, but there’s nobody in to receive parcels. That issue might be solved with more home-working just as people do even more on-line shopping.
York University campus
Perhaps a long time in to the future, we will have cities that have a smaller shopping area in the centre, larger out-of-town shopping areas with easy parking and access and lots more people living in suburbs where the houses have gardens. Perhaps there will be more shops and services in the suburbs so people don’t need to drive so much. But where does that leave city centres? There has been much debate about this; I even contributed a tiny bit to it myself with a letter in the Guardian suggesting that all city centres ought to have a lifelong-learning centre which would bring people in who might go for a drink or meal and buy, for example, art or craft supplies or cooking ingredients depending on the class they are going to. People might also come into a city centre for the library, cinema, theatre, live music, skating or bowling and other things that you can’t do online such as trying on clothes. Perhaps some of these office blocks which aren’t needed any more could become city centre accommodation or some kind of community space. If communal activities are to continue, they will need more space if physical distancing is still an issue.
York University campus
I don’t suppose there will be any sudden changes but wouldn’t it be wonderful if gradually we became less dependent on cars and townscapes became more accessible to all?
It can be depressing thinking about a future continually affected by Covid restrictions but it is nevertheless interesting to speculate about how things might be done differently.
Our trip back to Northumberland meant some slightly different arrangements but also new places to visit: an accessible promenade and some rather bumpy gardens!
Private garden, Fox Cover, Doxford Cottages
Because of the virus, holidaymakers had been asked not to turn up before 5pm in order that the cottages could be thoroughly cleaned and we managed to time it so that we turned up on the Saturday at 5.05! Instructions had been added to the cottage information file about Covid and the visitors’ book had been put away and nobody had written it since before the lockdown but otherwise the cottage was just as we remembered, comfortable, clean, spacious, well-equipped and with good decor. Sue, the manager, appeared on the Monday to check everything was all right, but wouldn’t step inside. Later in the week we saw some of the cleaners in PPE: the new rules were being taken very seriously.
Fox Cover, Doxford Cottages
The surroundings are wonderfully peaceful: no traffic, just the susurration of the trees and the cawing of the rooks.
The peaceful surroundings of Doxford Cottages
We had stayed at Fox Cover at Doxford Cottages last year but whereas then I thought it was almost ideal and we rebooked it straightaway (and thank goodness we did! I don’t think we would have found anything at short notice) this time it seemed a bit more of a struggle to deal with the practical arrangements.
Parking area, Doxford Cottages
In the preceding weeks, I had made a real effort to work on my balance so that I would feel more confident in a new setting and that did help but it is difficult when grab rails are in different places and chairs are a different shape! Really deep armchairs can be a bit problematic for anyone who is not particularly tall as you need to get the right combination of cushions to feel comfortable but there was a really good selection of different sized cushions!
Sitting room, Fox Cover, Doxford Cottages
With grab rails, shower seats etc, it’s a case of needing to feel sure that things won’t budge when you grab them or lean on them. This place does not claim to have the top level of accessibility but, given that it is wheelchair accessible and they have made an effort with some grab rails, they could just do with having a bit of a rethink and making it even better. As ever, different people need different help but that’s why there are industry recommendations for layouts that suit the most people.
Kitchen and dining area, Fox Cover, Doxford Cottages
We weren’t planning to do anything much, we knew the weather was going to be dodgy on some days and we wanted to get the balance right so as not to come back from holiday needing a holiday! The weather was glorious on the Sunday so we spent most of the day in the garden, then on Monday when the weather turned and was wet most of the day, we were able to sit in the conservatory, looking out at the trees. We were thoroughly chilled by now so on the Tuesday we ventured out to the somewhat unfortunately named Spittal to see the sea. Spittal promenade is a low key affair but very easily accessible and with good parking in well-marked bays for Blue Badge holders. We hadn’t seen the sea since visiting Northumberland last summer and very refreshing it was too and with distant views of Holy Island and Bambrugh Castle. There were plenty of other people about and we exchanged hellos while remaining suitably distanced.
Spittal PromenadeEasy parking at Spittal Promenade
On the Wednesday we went to Howick Hall Gardens. I had seen them recommended in the cottage visitors’ book and on Euan’sGuide and they would be a great place to visit for the able-bodied as they are very extensive. In a good-sized scooter they would probably be a bit bumpy but for a power chair it really was a bit too uneven in places as the paths are mainly all grass.
Howick Hall GardensHowick Hall Gardens
Some of it was no more uneven than our lawn at home but there were some tree roots and other obstacles which made it a bit tiring to deal with while the threshold into the Sensory Garden was just impossible to even attempt.
Rather tricky entrance to the Sensory Garden, Howick Hall
I was glad to have gone because I wanted to see what it was like and it was a great change of scene with some lovely plants. The visitor centre was closed except for a ticket counter where a member of staff gave us a map of the grounds with the access of all groups marked. It wasn’t a very detailed map and as we left, we asked for the usual map which described the path surfaces so I would recommend asking for both maps if you are a wheelchair user or accompanying one.
Bog Garden, Howick Hall
The Thursday was mainly drizzly again then the Friday was an absolute corker, really hot and sunny. We thought we would have a brief trip to Bamburgh to get another glimpse of the sea, but as I suspected, even though it was about 10am when we got there, it was heaving so our vague plan of perhaps parking somewhere with a view of the sea was impossible. On the way there was a lovely, clear view of the Farne Islands and we got a glorious view of the silvery waves, the beach, and the castle behind.
Bamburgh Castle and beach
Back at the cottage, a chap had turned up to trim the hedges. He wasn’t going to be long so we wandered back down the lane under the shady trees and discovered there were lots of little mice in the bank under the hedge. Doxford Cottages are something of a haven for wildlife: every day we saw a woodpecker or two, seven or eight chaffinches all at once, a nuthatch, pheasants, rabbits and a squirrel as well as the mice and lots of crows, jackdaws, house-martins and many other birds.
Driveway to Doxford CottagesP1000765
I really recommend this cottage if the access is right for you. It’s a great cottage in lovely surroundings and there is plenty to do in the area. I know the bathroom arrangements can be make or break for many disabled people and, guess what? We forgot to take photos of the bathroom! You can see the shower area on the cottage website and they provide a good adjustable height shower seat and also a toilet seat raiser if you wish (and were happy to provide measurements). The toilet has a vertical grab rail to the left of it but as it is not a back-to-the-wall lavatory, the rail is too far back to be useful and the drop-down rail to the right of the loo is a bit too far away to lean on but of course that won’t be a problem for everyone. It’s also great that it is possible to sit at the dining table in a wheelchair! The dressing table is also at an accessible height.
Wild rabbits, Doxford Cottages
This may have been a little tiring physically at times but it was great to have a change of scene (I’d not been away from the house since the lockdown) and be in such peaceful surroundings. It was also very mentally refreshing to have a break from the news: we just checked the local weather and national headlines once a day and didn’t look at social media at all. We didn’t even have the radio on, just lots of our favourite CDs and only got a newspaper on the days when we were out and about.
Woodpecker, Doxford Cottages
I’m glad that we went on some ‘exotic’ holidays when we did as we have them to look back on. I certainly have no intention of flying until the airlines have sorted out accommodating wheelchair users properly. Besides, even if I was able-bodied, the thought of having to wear a mask for hours on end in the airport and on the flight is not very appealing. At the moment, simple staycations are right for us. I think a shorter break would suit me better as far as not getting too tired goes and as we are no longer bound by school holiday dates, I can see us doing a short break in the autumn or spring (or both!) in future. Maybe not at this cottage but we shall enjoy exploring other options!
Private garden, Fox Cover, Doxford CottagesEntrance to Fox Cover, Doxford Cottages
Well, not so sure. This is the first time in 30 years that Berwick Kaler has not starred in the York Theatre Royal pantomime although he did write and co-direct it. He also appeared in the filmed section which has become an annual fixture.
The auditorium, Theatre Royal (dezeen.com)
I don’t think the issue was the lack of Berwick so much as that the pantomime can be a bit hit and miss. Some years you come away having laughed solidly all the way through, other years not so much although it is always very good with plenty of audience participation, great sets and costumes, no smut and Wagon Wheels aplenty!
Whether you like it or not is, of course, subjective. It was always going to be tricky continuing the pantomime after Berwick’s retirement but I think they have succeeded very well, particularly as the usual cast were all in there.
Foyer, Theatre Royal (dezeen.com)
Like last year, we had places in the Dress Circle, only this time on the side nearest to where you enter. The accessibility is just great, the lift is spacious and you don’t need to back out of it as it has doors on more than one side. They could maybe have created a wider corridor outside the lift but were probably restricted by the space available and have done the best they can. It would be good to know what their policy is on evacuation of wheelchair users in case of fire. Obviously, it’s not something you want to think about but I suppose one should.
The staff are all incredibly helpful and pleasant and the honeycomb ice-cream is delectable. The pantomime runs until 25th January.
As usual, we parked in Duncombe Place, braving its horribly rough tarmac.
Will we go next year? There’s plenty of time to decide.
It had occurred to me that after all this rain, Fairburn Ings might be flooded but it was a lovely sunny day so we thought we’d go anyway.
Distant views, Fairburn Ings
Fairburn is quite near Ledsham where we have been to the
Chequers Inn on many occasions and is easily accessible from the A1.
It was steeper than this looks!
The Ings are managed by the RSPB and they have reclaimed
former coal mine spoil tips to create different types of habitats for a variety
of wildlife.
Decent path surface, Fairburn Ings
The paths are generally quite fine gravel and there are also boardwalks. Most of the boardwalk areas were inaccessible due to flooding but the small bit we were able to do, part of the duck and swan feeding platform, was a great surface. We could have explored much further around the site than we did but it would have involved a long and quite steep slope so we just admired the view and turned around. There are various hides, all of which have level entry. There is really good access information on their website.
Entrance to visitor centre, Fairburn Ings
The visitors’ centre has level access and a power-assisted door
and sells lots of RSPB gifts as well as birdfeeders and food. It doesn’t have a
cafe but it does have a coffee machine and snacks and a little seating area
where you can eat or drink. There are loos including a unisex accessible one.
Accessible loo, Fairburn Ings
The staff member who welcomed us was really helpful,
pointing out on the map which parts of the Ings were best for wheelchair users
and which were not flooded!
Boardwalk and flooding, Fairburn Ings
Entry is free for members of the RSPB and for Blue Badge
holders (non-members are charged £4 per car).
This is definitely a place to revisit once the floods have
receded!
Our summer holiday this year was a very modest affair but
really relaxing and restorative just as a holiday should be.
Accessible entrance to Fox Cover
We had decided ages ago that we would “staycation” this year
in anticipation of Brexit-related chaos after the previous deadline of 31 March
(is that right? It’s all such a mess!). I don’t know if it’s because we
therefore weren’t geared up to a longer holiday or to going abroad or whether
I/we would have felt like this anyway but the thought of a long journey, even
one broken up into stages (or perhaps particularly one broken up into stages
with several different places to stay) would have been an utterly exhausting
prospect!
Fox Cover, Doxford Cottages
As it was, the journey up to Doxford Cottages only took three hours. We started out on the A1 but as there were signs flashing up that there was congestion ahead we switched to the A19 for a while. There was sunshine and showers on the way with one particularly monsoon-like downpour, fortunately not in heavy traffic, when even the wipers in superfast mode couldn’t cope. That meant it was particularly lovely to arrive at the cottage, Fox Cover, in sunshine!
Parking and drop off area for Fox Cover, Doxford Cottages
I’m sure any wheelchair user would agree that it’s also
quite a relief to arrive at an unknown destination and find that it is, indeed,
wheelchair accessible.
Fox Cover, Doxford Cottages
One of the first things we spotted on arriving was a really
cute little rabbit and we saw plenty more during the week as well as various
other wildlife spots, including a weasel, a mouse, woodpeckers, squirrels (they
used to have red squirrels which would have been lovely but grey ones are appealing
too!) nuthatches, chaffinches, lots of rooks and also bats.
Lots of cute bunnies live near Fox Cover!
Our delivery from Food Heaven arrived so we were
all set for a relaxing time. I’d been having a somewhat stressful time at work
so the complete switch off was very necessary. I barely looked at my personal
emails and certainly didn’t access work ones or accessed any social media and
we just caught the headlines on television now and again.
Peaceful surroundings at Doxford Cottages
Reading, doing puzzles and jigsaws was the order of the day.
Yes, it’s tame but it was also blissful.
There are a number of accessible things to do in the area.
Knowing that the weather was not going to be terribly good, we had only really
planned to go to the Alnwick Garden and to the coast.
The weather did exactly what was forecast: it rained solidly
all Sunday but we had planned to just relax that day anyway. On Monday we went
to Barter Books,
a huge second-hand book shop in the old station in Alnwick. It has a slightly
bumpy threshold but is accessible and has an accessible loo and a few
designated parking bays right outside the door.
Accessible and entrance to Barter Books, Alnwick
We have been here before but not for a few years; they have
developed the café since our last visit but there is still the same relaxed
atmosphere and, of course, thousands of books!
The Grand Cascade, The Alnwick Garden
The next day, as the forecast was good we headed to Alnwick
Garden (see my separate, more
detailed review). I had read reviews of this on Euan’sGuide
and knew it was accessible, which indeed it was as long as you don’t mind a
bumpy ride. Many of the surfaces were very uneven but it was a pleasant visit
overall and the walled garden is really attractive. I contacted the gardens
once we were home and they said that improving the path surfaces is part of
their development plans and they are going to include millions of fibre-optic
lights in them so that the gardens can open at night.
The Ornamental Garden, Alnwick Gardens
Another day we explored the coast which is lovely and
unspoiled with huge sandy beaches and big skies. We went as far as Bamburgh, an
immensely impressive castle which we had visited before when I was perfectly
mobile so this time we just admired the outside. I’m afraid I’ve been a very
bad blogger and not taken anything like enough photographs.
The Ornamental Garden at The Alnwick Garden
Because these days doing lots of visits is quite tiring,
it’s really important to us to have a cottage with pleasant surroundings and
preferably a good view. This cottage has that in spades and we have even booked
to go back next year. It’s important for us to get cottages booked up in plenty
of time as there are not that many cottages which are exactly suitable and with
the sort of surroundings we want. We had rather hoped we would be able to book
it for a short break but it was only available to book for a whole week during
the times when we want to go so we decided to go back next summer. I promise I
will take more photos next year!
Breezy Knees
Gardens has a September Garden which is a sight to behold. I really
recommend these gardens for everybody but they are especially good if you are
on wheels.
Even the approach to Breezy Knees Gardens is colourful!
We
visited Breezy Knees before, in August 3 years ago so it was interesting to
see how it has developed. As you might imagine, this time the September Garden
was at its peak and looking really fabulous and colourful.
September Garden, Breezy Knees
In other parts of the gardens, there were still plenty of
roses and myriad other plants: I suspect there will be something of interest at
any time of year.
There are a few gates to negotiate
This time, instead of using my scooter, I used my Powerchair
which did mean that we had to avoid some of the paths as they would have been
too rough. Dilemma! I am less keen on using the scooter these days, preferring
the chair but the scooter makes accessing the loo rather difficult. Using the chair
mean some of the paths would be very bumpy but you can more easily access the
loo if you need it!
Rather narrow loo doorway!Accessible loo, Breezy KneesThe car park, Breezy Knees
The car park is still very rough with loose pebbles although
someone if else was driving they could pull up next to where the tarmac path
starts to drop you off then move the car.
You could use this as a drop-off point if the gravel car park is a problem
There was less of a bump entering the reception/shop than I
remembered. Exiting it there is rather a bump which, because of the way the
threshold is designed would have been worse coming back through but the staff
member serving us said she would be happy to open the gate for us when we left.
Plenty of autumn colour at Breezy Knees
This is where the difference between a manual wheelchair and
a Powerchair is crucial: a manual wheelchair can be tipped to get over the
threshold, whereas a Powerchair can’t and many places which say they are
wheelchair accessible are not actually accessible with a Powerchair.
What can I say?
Staff attitudes are hugely important. This place is clearly
trying to make itself accessible (there are also plenty of benches for anyone
on foot who needs a rest) and the staff are welcoming, friendly and helpful. Their
website says that any new areas will have tarmac paths. I’m quite happy with
gravel as long as it’s the really fine type called self-binding gravel and even
grass is fine as long as it’s firm, although of course this depends on the
weather.
Gravel path, Breezy Knees
This visit was a lovely experience all round: seeing so many
beautiful flowers and shrubs was very restorative in these chaotic times!
We might have found our favourite cottage of all, plus some
thoughts on what adjustments should owners of accessible cottages make?
Do you come over all ‘hotel inspector’ when you stay
somewhere? We tend to, whether it’s a hotel, B&B or cottage, but with Fox
Cover at Doxford Cottages, there’s not much you could improve on!
Accessible entrance to Fox Cover
A cottage for two, it has a spacious sitting room / dining room
/ kitchen, large bedroom, bathroom with both a bath and a roll-in shower and
there is also a conservatory to sit in which overlooks the private garden and
the woods beyond.
Looking out from the courtyard garden at Fox Cover
It is one of nine cottages created from the old coach house
and stables on the Doxford estate in Northumberland, all of which have
beautiful décor. It was clean, comfortable and very well equipped, including
up-to-date local information.
Fox Cover, Doxford Cottages
Fox Cover is fully accessible, being step-free and with wide
doorways. There were grab rails in the bathroom by the shower and the loo. Inevitably,
everybody needs rails in different places but it did strike me as slightly odd
that the ones in the bathroom were placed as if you were left-handed. In the shower
area, the rails were on the left if you were to use them to stand up from the
shower seat (provided on request) as were the shower controls and there was no
drop-down rail to the right of the loo to lean on when standing up but there
was one on the left. There is a recommended setup for loos and washbasins that
many holiday cottages don’t adhere to it. In some cases I think this is so that
the loo can be used by people who prefer either a right-hand or left-hand
transfer but I suspect it ends up being not ideal for anybody. Perhaps cottage
owners should simply state whether it is a right-hand or left-hand transfer or
even create an accessible cottage for each configuration. Anyway, we coped but
for many disabled people, the bathroom arrangements are a deal breaker. It
staggers me that some places advertising themselves as disabled-friendly don’t provide
photos of the bathroom. Having said that, I have been very remiss in not
photographing the cottage interior myself – there are pictures on their
website though.
The owners have some equipment they can lend and are happy to
answer questions – I asked about the height of the bed, for example. A bit high
for me so we used a portable step. As a general principal, I think providing
normal height furniture should be the rule, with the possibility of ‘raisers’
if people need different heights. Having said that, a lowered hob in the
kitchen would have been useful. This sort of adjustment makes things accessible
for everybody: lowered kitchen surfaces are not inconvenient for non-wheelchair
users.
I really appreciated that I could sit at the dining table in
my power chair with no problem. In the past two places we stayed, Normandy
last summer and Norfolk at
Easter, we had to prop the table up on books which was far from ideal. The
dressing table was also a good height for a wheelchair user. At Valley View in
Herefordshire the height of the dressing table was adjustable!
Parking and drop off area for Fox Cover, Doxford Cottages
You can park right outside the cottage on the tarmac driveway to unpack or for drop-off and pickup but you need to move car to a gravelled area for more longer term parking. This was fine for us as Pete does the driving but if a wheelchair-user was the driver and couldn’t negotiate the gravel this could be problematic.
The lake, Doxford Cottages
For the more mobile, there is a track down to a lake in the grounds. There was quite a lot of flooding when we were there but even without that you would need a sturdy all-terrain scooter to explore the estate.
The path to the lake, Doxford Cottages
The Doxford
Cottages website has loads of useful information (although not an
accessibility statement) such as what you will find in your cottage including a
welcome pack of a bottle of wine, local honey, some tea and coffee and a pint
of milk. They also mentioned a local company, Food Heaven that provides meals and
other food items delivered to your cottage. We ordered three different ready
meals and quite a few other items such as ham, eggs, bread, fruit and
vegetables. A very friendly delivery driver turned up with it just after we’d
arrived and helped to unpack: if you aren’t there they unpack it and put things
in the fridge, bread bin etc. I’m not sure I would recommend them particularly
though – the meals were tasty but the other things weren’t particularly
special. Although it’s good to use local shops and services, it’s no good if
the items aren’t things you would choose anyway and shops aren’t always
accessible. There are supermarkets in Alnwick to stock up – we went to the
local Sainsbury’s during the week which is very modern and accessible.
Barter Books in Alnwick is accessible!
Although it rained quite a lot, we had lovely sunshine for
our trips out and just chilled out on other days with books, magazines, puzzles
and, yes, a jigsaw and did plenty of sitting outside in the peace and quiet.
Even before we had entered the cottage we had spotted a rabbit and saw many more
during the week plus a weasel, mouse, at least one woodpecker everyday –
sometimes two or three at once! – nuthatches and half a dozen or more chaffinches
plus, on the last evening, bats flying around! There are seed feeders opposite
the sitting room window which are refilled every day.
Lots of cute bunnies live near Fox Cover!
I did feel a little bit inclined to keep this place to
myself as it is so nice but as we have booked it for a week next summer
already, I may as well share!
The Grand Cascade, The Alnwick Garden
There are a number of accessible things to do nearby – we visited Barter Books in Alnwick and the Alnwick Garden, reviewed separately. The coast is lovely too and we will try out some more places next year.
The Alnwick Garden prides itself on its accessibility but what a bumpy ride!
We enjoyed our visit to The Alnwick Garden: the weather was sunny. the walled garden is lovely and it was good to see somewhere with accessibility designed into it from the start but some of the path surfaces were so bumpy that it was rather annoying. There are lots of very positive reviews on Euan’sGuide so I feel a bit ”bah, humbug” being negative but I found the constant jolting very tiring.
The Grand Cascade, Alnwick Garden
A couple of years ago, I think I would just have been
grateful that somewhere was accessible. Now, I tend to question why places
aren’t more accessible and what could be done about it? I’ve emailed the
gardens on the subject.
Entrance to the Ornamental Garden
The walled Ornamental Garden at the top of the slope is very
attractive as is the Rose Garden and there were lovely wild flowers by the side
of the path as you came down through the Cherry Orchard, but that’s not enough
to draw me back. It’s designed to be very child-friendly and there were plenty
of children really enjoying the little streams in the Ornamental Garden, the
various fountains in the Serpent Garden and the swings in the Cherry Orchard,
in fact some families were literally camped out on the lawn area below the
Grand Cascade but I didn’t see much interest in the giant-themed features such
as a huge pair of boots or a giant-sized pie, perhaps because of the notices
warning you not to climb on them.
The Ornamental Garden, Alnwick Gardens
It is clearly a very commercial setup: there is a large shop
and cafe, all very accessible and the plant centre, in fact many of the plants
around the gardens had signs saying that they were available to buy in the
shop. On the other hand, they also do lots of community outreach such as
activities for over 55s and for young people. They also lend out wheelchairs
and mobility scooters which you should book in advance.
The Ornamental Garden, Alnwick Gardens
We arrived by car and followed signs for Accessible Parking.
There are many members of staff in attendance to help and I’m pretty sure we
were directed to a general parking area but as the staff were aware of our Blue
Badge we had plenty of space as the next car parked leaving us ample room. Apparently
there is designated Blue Badge parking but this was the summer holidays so
perhaps it was full. It was up hill from there to the ticket office (we hadn’t
booked in advance) then through the main gates onto the terrace with plenty of
café tables and a view of the Grand Cascade. We had been given a map of the
gardens with the accessible routes marked but still managed to get a bit lost
as we made our way to look at the Serpent Garden and Rose Garden. I think maybe
I slightly missed the point of the fountains in the Serpent Garden, they just
seemed a bit dull to me! We wound our way through woodland to the top of the
slope on fairly good paths: other reviewers comment on this being rather hard
going for those pushing somebody in a wheelchair but at least there are benches
all round the gardens for a rest.
The slope down through the Cherry Orchard
The Ornamental Garden at the top is absolutely lovely with
little streams, good paths everywhere and some beautiful flowers and shrubs.
From there along to the Cherry Orchard the path was rather
rough and then the snaking path through the orchard was very rough indeed as the
tarmac surface had been worn away in many places plus the bends are quite sharp
so you had to concentrate on your steering. Towards the bottom, there were some
beautiful wildflowers growing amongst the grass.
Wild flowers, Alnwick Garden
Once we were on the flat we then encountered the worst bit
of path of the lot near the Poison Garden. This had a queue so we gave it a
miss.
We had a look in the shop which was light, airy and spacious
with lots of souvenirs, gardening books, some tools (very decorative and
expensive!) the usual jams and chutneys and also a small exhibition by a local
artist. We didn’t partake of anything in the café which was ‘food-court’ style:
different outlets but with central tables which I think were
wheelchair-friendly. There were also some very civilised accessible loos,
accessed via a spacious lift to the basement level. There are other accessible
loos around the site. Apparently the Treehouse tearooms are also accessible via
a ramp.
The Ornamental Garden
It was a pleasant visit and I would happily visit the
Ornamental Garden again but wouldn’t be inclined to pay the entrance fee just
for that! It’s great that access has been built in to the place, it is far more
than just a token effort but I feel less and less inclined these days to accept
poor access and to me, being constantly jolted constitutes poor access. I’ll be
interested to see their reply to my email about the path surfaces. I’ll keep
you posted!
Burnby Hall Gardens, Pocklington are renowned for their fabulous collection of waterlilies but there is a lot more to the gardens and they are brilliantly accessible – I just can’t quite decide which type of path I like best.
The Upper Lake, Burnby Hall Gardens
They have been doing some restoration and improvements so there
aren’t so many waterlilies as normal just now (they hold the national collection)
but plenty were out and looking lovely and there is much more to see. It’s
years since we have visited and they have created new paths since then and new
areas to explore, such as the Victorian Garden, Aviary Garden and a shady walk
with hydrangeas each side as well as the revamped rockery.
The Rock Garden, Burnby Hall Gardens
In the reception area/shop they gave us a map which is also on their website although the hydrangea path must be very new as it’s not marked. It was made of what I believe is called self-binding gravel: very fine gravel, claylike in texture and great for wheels. Other paths were resin, such as the ones in the Rock Garden which is lovely and smooth or tarmac with just a couple of loose gravel or bark chip ones which are easy to avoid if your wheels can’t cope with it. I also gave the path to the stumpery a miss as it was too bumpy.
Accessible viewing platform at Burnby Hall Gardens
It was easy to get right to the water’s edge too as there were viewing platforms especially for wheelchair users. Actually, I only remember one of them and you reached it by going over the grass but this was very smooth – more so than our lawn at home! I guess the gravel paths are the greenest option as they are permeable but might get muddy in wet weather.
Smooth paths at Burnby Hall Gardens
It was very busy when we were there but it was never a problem
and there was a lovely atmosphere – everyone was enjoying themselves! There is
a café selling cakes and light snacks with indoor and outdoor seating, accessible
loos (didn’t use them but got a photo and they look very civilised!) and
baby-changing. There were also plenty of benches as you go round.
The café, Burnby Hall GardensAccessible loo at Burnby Hall Gardens
The museum is accessible too. It houses artefacts gathered
by Major Percy Stewart, who lived at Burnby Hall, which is now council offices,
during his travels around the globe during the early 1900s. Stuffed animal
heads might not be to everyone’s taste but there are plenty of other
interesting objects and some interactive parts.
The Stewart Museum, Burnby Hall Gardens
The shop sells gifts and postcards and the staff were helpful and friendly. There is plenty of parking although not enough Blue Badge bays – there were a number of people using scooters and chairs and no wonder when it is so accessible – they hold an Age UK award for accessibility. Pete dropped me off then found a space elsewhere. There are details about parking on their website.
The Victorian Garden, Burnby Hall Gardens
We will definitely be going back – perhaps at different time of the year to see the garden in different moods. It’ll be interesting to see it develop as the lilies and rockery plants return to their former glory. I also like supporting somewhere so committed to making themselves genuinely accessible – they deserve our business.
accessibilityreviews 