As part of our series of blogposts on accessible attractions as recommended by Silver Travel Advisor, today we’d like to focus on the North Pennies, where there are plenty of accessible attractions for the Quingo scooter user to enjoy.
Accessible attractions in the North Pennines
The North Pennines is an area of outstanding natural beauty. Lovers of nature cannot help but appreciate the stunning landscape of open heather moors and peatlands, the spectacular sight of the dales and much more besides.
In recognition of these qualities, the North Pennines have been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). In addition to this the areas is also a European and Global Geopark, further reaffirming its heritage and attraction.
Eggleston Hall Gardens
Also known as the secret garden of the north, These attractive gardens are located at Eggleston Hall in the Teeside village of the same name. Gardening enthusiasts will appreciate the herbaceous borders, winding paths, shrubs, trees and streams. There have been gardens at Eggleston Hall since the late 16th century.
Part of the garden is a nursery selling a wide range of rare plants, all are in good condition and reasonably priced. The gardens are fully accessible, as is the shop and café, where the disabled toilet is located. Whilst much of the nursery and gardens are hard paths, around a third are grass paths. If you have further questions about accessibility, Eggleston Hall Gardens can be contacted on 01833 650 230.
Hamsterley Riverside footpath
Hamsterley Forest is an attractive area of mixed deciduous and coniferous plantations along the sides of the attractive Bedburn Valley. This delightful 2000 hectare oasis continues to be one of Durham’s most popular tourist destinations. Around 180,000 visitors come to enjoy the natural beauty of the attraction whilst work on accessibility has continued to be a key policy of the forest. It has become a centre of excellence for visitors.
The forest is located in-between Teesside and Weardale in the heart of the Durham Dales, some 10 miles west of Bishop Auckland. Forest roads are ideal for both mobility scooter and wheelchair users
There’s also a café with accessible toilets and a nearby car park. Over the years, the Forestry Commission has had a policy of making their forest accessible to all and a major amenity attraction for the area. Information on planning your visit can be found on their website.
Killhope Lead Mining Centre
In the Victorian era Upper Weardale was a major lead mining site, and one of these sites has now been restored to show what a 19th century mine was like. It’s one of the most complete lead mining sites in Britain with waterwheel, mine shop where the miners lived throughout the week and the machinery used to extract the lead ore from the waste rock. This is now a lovely site surrounded by wild flower meadows.
Great effort was taken to make the site as accessible as possible during the restoration efforts, meaning it’s mobility scooter friendly. There is level access to the reception area with a shop, café and small exhibition. There’s also ramped access to the upper floor of the mine shop and a disabled toilet located in the café.
Staff are aware of the issues facing visitors with limited mobility and are always more than happy to help. To find out more about visiting Killhope you can visit the website.
Been anywhere interesting on your Quingo recently?
As ever, if you’ve been on to visit any interesting attractions on your Quingo we’d be delighted to hear from you. You can email your stories and pictures by filling out the contact form on our website and we’ll feature them on our blog.