Category Archives: Accessible Routes

Accessible Routes

Quingo Scooters Accessible Restaurants

We’ve probably all been there at one time or another. Arriving at a restaurant, looking forward to a great meal with family and friends, only to discover that they have made no effort to make it accessible for people using a wheelchair or a mobility scooter. The great news is that more and more of the UK’s best eateries are increasingly aware of their responsibilities to all customers, whatever their mobility needs. Today, there are a huge range of great places to dine out across the country, so here is Quingo Scooters pick of just some of the best of them.

  1. Deanes EIPIC, Belfast

We head over to Belfast first, and the stunning EIPIC. It has quite rightly earned a Michelin star for its incredible food, which is of the highest quality. It is fresh, seasonal, and as inventive as you would expect from a chef who has worked in some of the best restaurants in the world. The restaurant is also really welcoming for guests with all sorts of mobility needs, and you will find accessible entry and toilets, as well as friendly and helpful staff too.

  1. German Gymnasium, London

So, this one sounds a bit odd, but bear with us. First of all, the German Gymnasium (which used to be a gym, unsurprisingly) is on our list of accessible restaurants partly because it is an award winner. Not a Michelin star this time, but instead for its toilets, which have been recognised with an award for their excellent accessibility standards. That aside, the rest of the restaurant is also fully accessible, and the food is gorgeous. There is (as you might have guessed) a German theme, and we particularly loved the Black Forest Ham with marinated kohlrabi.

Editorial credit: Peter Moulton / Shutterstock.com

  1. The Hand at Llanarmon, Wales

Pub food doesn’t always get the best reviews, but The Hand at Llanarmon in Wales is widely acclaimed as one of the best gastropubs in the UK. You will find it in the wonderful ‘Valley of the Poets’ (also known as the Upper Ceiriog Valley) and it is a welcoming place, with a roaring log fire for those cold winter days. The food is great too, with everything from traditional pub favourites like freshly battered fish and chips through to a sumptuous slow braised shoulder of Welsh lamb with gravy. Best of all, it is fully accessible, and has guest rooms where you can stay too.

  1. OX184, Edinburgh

This industrial style eatery in Edinburgh is really popular with wheelchair and mobility scooter users as there is easy access and plenty of room to manoeuvre. The food is great too: they have a wood fired grill and their grass-fed Scottish beef is just gorgeous. We also highly recommend the OX184 Vegetarian Breakfast, which will set you up for the day and help you to keep warm in the face of that cold wind snapping off the Firth of Forth.

  1. Don Giovanni, Manchester

No round up of the most accessible restaurants in the UK would be complete without a mention for the fantastic Don Giovanni’s in Manchester. It is (as you have probably guessed) an Italian, and is one of those places that just does the classics incredibly well. There is no fuss here: just fresh, quality food made by people who really know what they are doing. They make as much effort for their guests as they do with their food too. The restaurant is fully accessible, and there are also braille and audio versions of the menus for those who need them. A wonderful place.

QUINGO SCOOTERS ACCESSIBLE RESTAURANTS Manchester

  1. Issho, Leeds

If you love only the highest quality Japanese food, then Issho is the place for you. You’ll find it on the top floor of Leeds’ stunning new Victoria Gate shopping centre (don’t worry, there is lift access) and there is wheelchair access throughout. The decor is almost as gorgeous as the food, which is light and contemporary, with great views out over the city. We thoroughly recommend their take on the traditional British afternoon tea: instead of cucumber sandwiches you’ll get a mix of sweet and savoury Japanese dishes and a choice of cocktails. You’ll never want to leave.

QUINGO SCOOTERS ACCESSIBLE RESTAURANTS Leeds

  1. Adams Restaurant, Birmingham

Another fine dining experience that more than deserves its Michelin star. Adams serves up contemporary British food in a spacious, comfortable restaurant, and it is hard to believe that it started life as a temporary pop up. Fortunately for the foodies of Birmingham they decided to make it permanent, and today it is going from strength to strength. In 2018 alone, it was rated online as the second best restaurant in the UK and the 11th best in the world! Most importantly, Adams is also fully wheelchair accessible and easy to navigate your way around.

About Quingo Scooters

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Accessible Routes

Quingo Scooters Accessible Getaways, Lincoln

The UK has more than its fair share of beautiful historic cities, but Lincoln really is something special. The great news is that there are plenty of sites which are accessible to all visitors too. Here is Quingo Scooters guide to the very best of Lincoln.

  1. Follow the footsteps of the Romans

Lincoln’s history goes all the way back to the Romans, who called the place Lindum. The Ninth Legion Hispana was based here, in a fortress built on the top of the hill. From these humble beginnings, the town grew into an important city, with many grand buildings. A great way to explore these Roman roots of Lincoln is to follow the city’s Roman Trail, which takes in the sites of the Castle Hill, the Colonnade, the city walls and the original Roman gates. Much of it is accessible, and you can follow the trail online by visiting the site here.

  1. Be blown away by the ‘best cathedral in England’

OK, so that’s a title awarded it by thousands of Twitter users in 2017, but who are we to argue? Lincoln Cathedral is absolutely breathtaking: it was founded way back in 1072 by order of William the Conqueror and it has been damaged and rebuilt, with bits added and removed over the intervening centuries, leaving the truly spectacular building we have today. There is plenty to see inside, from spotting fossils in the Nave floor through to the endless intricacies of the stone carving in the Apprentice Wall. Much of this magnificent building is accessible, and there are ramped entrances and exits as well as ramps inside too. There are fifteen free spaces to park on the road to the south side of the buildings and a car park with one Blue Badge space on Castle Hill.

Editorial credit: James W Copeland / Shutterstock.com

  1. Visit the home of the Red Arrows

RAF Scampton is just a few miles outside of Lincoln and it is well worth a visit. Not only is it home to the Red Arrows display team (who generally will only be there during the winter, as they are off touring the country for the rest of the year), but also it is a fascinating tribute to the famous World War II Dambusters 617 squadron, as well as the many other aircraft and pilots who worked there during World War I. Today, there are regular exhibitions explaining the history of the site and the many aircraft that have operated from the airfield. It is largely accessible, but it is important to remember that this is actually an operational military air base, and so you will need to pre-book before you visit to discuss your requirements.

  1. The Museum of Lincolnshire Life

We love community museums like this one. The Museum of Lincolnshire Life feels like a real celebration of the people who live in and around the city and it gives you an insight into the rich history of the area. There a wide range of fascinating displays covering everything from agricultural to community life, and the museum is fully accessible too, including lift access to galleries on the first floor.

  1. The Usher Gallery

If you are looking to enjoy some impressive art while you are staying in Lincoln, then a trip to the Usher Galley is a must. It has a regular turnover of high quality contemporary art during the year, but also a beautiful permanent collection of fine and decorative arts that is well worth taking the time to explore. It is a wonderfully peaceful place to spend time, and we’re pleased to say that all areas fully are accessible with a lift to the upper floors. There are also Blue Badge parking spaces nearby.

  1. Enjoy some local delicacies

Lincolnshire is quite rightly famous for some incredible local food. Whether it is Lincolnshire sausages, Lincolnshire Poacher cheese or even Lincolnshire plumbread, there is a mouth watering array of delicacies for you to try. A great place to start is the Green Room restaurant at the Lincoln Hotel, close by the cathedral. The team there pride themselves on creating delicious meals from only the highest quality, locally sourced produce, and it is well worth a visit. If you fancy something a little different then we also really recommend Sessions restaurant, in the city’s Cultural Quarter. It’s actually a part of Lincoln College (and is based on the site of the former city jail) and is run by catering and hospitality students to a remarkably high standard. The service is great, and if the food here is anything to go by the future of British cuisine is in safe hands.

Getting to Lincoln

Driving to Lincoln is straightforward. The A1, the A15 and the A46 connect the city from the north and south, while the A158 connects to the east and the A1 and A57 links to the west. Lincoln Central train station isn’t far from the city centre, and there are direct connections to Gainsborough, Sleaford, Peterborough, Nottingham. Leicester, Sheffield, Doncaster and London. Finally, if you’re flying in to the area, then the nearest airport is Humberside International Airport about 45 minutes drive away.

About Quingo Scooters

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Accessible Routes, Days Out

Quingo Scooters Accessible Stately Homes

The UK’s stately homes are among some of the finest on the planet, and have been immortalised in countless novels, TV period dramas and films. They are also amongst the most popular places to visit in the country, particularly for those of us with limited mobility. It goes without saying that these are, by their very nature, old properties. This brings its own challenges for mobility scooter users in terms of accessibility. However, many of the UK’s best stately homes do a great job of opening these buildings up to as many visitors as possible. Here are our favourites.

Castle Howard, Yorkshire

One of the most impressive stately homes in the country, Castle Howard was first built in 1699 by the 3rd Earl of Carlisle. Subsequent earls have added to it over the years, leaving us with the spectacular building we have today, which is a mix of the Baroque and the classical Palladian styles. It is just as impressive inside and when you head into the entrance hall make sure you look up at the spectacular ceiling, which was painted in the 1700s by Venetian artist Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini. This beautiful house is also very accessible, with a stairlift to the main floor and access to the majority of the rooms. There is also plenty of parking outside, with designated Blue Badge spaces close to the house. Outside the house there is also plenty to explore, with a paved route to the cafés, shops and toilets. There are also lots of areas of the grounds that have gravel paths and so are fully accessible.

Castle Howard - Quingo Scooters

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

Chatsworth House in the heart of the Peak District has been in the Cavendish family for 16 generations and it really is no wonder they have held onto this special place. This is a truly beautiful building, both in terms of architecture and the many works of art inside it. Within its walls you will find ancient Roman sculptures, Egyptian treasures and even paintings by Rembrandt.

Much of the house is also accessible, with a lift that gives you access to the whole of the visitor route. This is one of the houses where you won’t be able to take your electric scooter indoors with you, but the team at Chatsworth do have eight wheelchairs that are available for you to use. Give them a call on 01246 565430 to book one before you go. The gardens are perfect for exploring on your scooter however, and although there are a few steep slopes much of the grounds are accessible. There are reserved Blue Badge spaces for parking near to the entrance.

Hatfield House, Hertfordshire

Hatfield House is a real gem. It contains many treasures, not least an incredible portrait of Elizabeth I that is a wonderfully colourful tribute to one of England’s most famous queens. The house itself was built in 1611 by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to King James I, and his family remain there to this day. The connection with Elizabeth I goes back to before the current house was built however, as it was the site of a palace that was once the young queen’s childhood home. There is wheelchair access to much of the house and a lift will take you to all three levels. The surrounding parkland is also well worth exploring and the roads are firm enough for most mobility scooters. There is also Blue Badge parking in the main car park close to George’s Gate.

As with all of the stately homes we’ve listed here it is a great idea to just give the team a quick call before your visit to discuss your individual requirements. Their number is 01707 287010.

Hatfield House - Quingo Scooters

Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire

The word ‘baroque’ might have been invented for Blenheim Palace. It has now been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and when you move through its spectacular state rooms it is easy to see why. The house was the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and while there is plenty to see and learn about Britain’s wartime leader, Blenheim is also packed with one of most remarkable collections of portraits, furniture, sculpture and tapestries in the country. Much of the house and grounds is accessible too although they do recommend that you bring someone along with you to help you if you find manoeuvring a wheelchair or your scooter difficult (they will be admitted for free). There is designated Blue Badge parking close to the house and firm paths to the building. Inside the house there is lift access to the State Rooms (where you will be able to take your mobility scooter, as long as it weighs less than 350kg). There are also accessible toilets in the East Courtyard Visitor Centre, next to the Water Terrace Café and in the Pleasure Gardens.

Finally, it’s worth noting that not all the stately homes we’ve listed here will let you take your mobility scooter inside the house itself due to space restrictions, but they are all accessible by wheelchair if not with your scooter. Most of the properties we’ve listed do have their own wheelchairs available to use, but as always it is best to give the house a call before you visit to discuss your requirements.

About Quingo Scooters

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Accessible Routes, Days Out

Quingo Scooters Accessible Attractions: Museums

The UK has many world-renowned museums, reflecting the country’s own rich history as well as its generations of collectors. The great news is that many of these remarkable treasure houses are accessible to those of us who use mobility scooters and wheelchairs. Here is our pick of just a few of our favourites around the country.

The National Museum of Scotland

We’re going to begin our journey around Britain’s museum collections north of the border. The National Museum of Scotland is a real celebration of Scottish history. From ancient artefacts like the 12th century Lewis Chessmen (made from Walrus ivory and discovered in the Outer Hebrides in the 1800s) to the embalmed body of the world’s first cloned sheep, Dolly, there is a incredible array of exhibits to explore. The museum itself is fully accessible, with lifts available for all floors. There is free Blue Badge parking in four designated public parking spaces on Chambers Street.

Editorial credit: Anton_Ivanov / Shutterstock.com

The Titanic Museum, Belfast

A short hop over the Irish Sea now to Belfast, and the home of one of the most iconic stories of our time. Not Game of Thrones (which is filmed here), but the birthplace of the ill-fated Titanic. The Titanic was built here in 1908 and today the museum dedicated to it is a wonderful tribute to this tragic tale. Across nine spectacular galleries the museum tells the story of the liner and the ship yards where she was built. The museum contains interactive exhibits as well as original artefacts from the ship itself. The team there have done a great job of making sure that the entire exhibition is fully accessible. There are lifts to all floors and there are also ten designated parking spaces across the two floors of the underground car park, although you will have to pay.

Editorial credit: Nataliya Hora / Shutterstock.com

The Churchill War Rooms, London

Beneath the streets of Westminster in London lie the Churchill War Rooms: the hub from which Winston Churchill and his team fought and won the Second World War. For an underground war time bunker spread out across a labyrinth of rooms and tunnels, the War Rooms themselves are remarkably accessible, and the team at the Imperial War Museum (of which this is a part) have done an incredible job of opening them up to as many visitors as they can. They recommend that you use the front entrance via Birdcage Walk by St James Park to enter, but that once you’re inside the complex it is accessible throughout.

The National Waterfront Museum, Swansea

Now to Wales, and the fascinating National Waterfront Museum in Swansea. Wales has an incredible history of innovation and industry, and the museum tells the story of the impact of the industrial revolution on the country over the centuries. One of the highlights of the collection is a replica of one of the world’s earliest trains, Richard Trevithick’s Steam Locomotive of 1804. The museum also does a great job of making it accessible to all visitors, with lifts to all floors, level flooring and accessible toilets. There is a limit on the number of mobility scooters allowed in at any one time, but just give the team at the museum a call on 029 2057 3600 before you visit to discuss your needs. You will also find five designated parking bays for Blue Badge holders outside on East Burrows Place.

Editorial credit: Billy Stock / Shutterstock.com

St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff

Staying in Wales, we had to give a final mention to Wales’s most popular heritage attraction: the fantastic St Fagans National Museum of History. Set in the grounds of Fagans Castle and gardens, the museum is home to around 40 buildings from different historical periods. It’s a place where you can see craftspeople working in the forges and workshops of the museum, or see practical farming demonstrations involving local breeds. In many ways it is the very best kind of museum, because it is somewhere that history feels fully alive and a part of the present.

Of course, this is an old site, and there are some uneven paths and tricky slopes. But it is also very accessible, with dedicated Blue Badge parking and access to most of the site (with the exception of a few buildings). There is also a motorised vehicle which can pick you up and take you around the site too, but you will need to give the team a call on 029 2057 3500 a couple of weeks beforehand to book it.

About Quingo Scooters

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Accessible Routes, Days Out

Quingo Scooters Accessible Getaways Best UK Gardens

The British are a nation of gardeners, and when we are not tending our own, there is nothing we enjoy more than taking a look around someone else’s. Fortunately, the UK is blessed with hundreds of incredible gardens, many of which are accessible to those of us who use mobility scooters. Here is our guide to the best UK gardens.

The Eden Project

We had to start our round up of the UK’s best and most accessible gardens with one of its most unusual and well known. The Eden Project is a truly remarkable place to explore and happily much of it is completely accessible. It is divided up into a number different garden spaces, housed within huge biomes that even feature a rainforest canopy route which can be accessed by wheelchair users. It is fully accessible, beginning with three access designated car parks for Blue Badge holders. They also offer accessible Park and Ride buses, a member of the Eden Project team can also meet you to take you from the car parks to the centre itself if you need it. We were also really impressed by their access volunteers who are on hand around the site to offer any help you need. To discuss your visit, call the team on 01726 818558 or email them at [email protected]

The Eden Project - Quingo Scooters

Kew Gardens

One of the most famous gardens in the world, and with good reason. Kew attracts thousands of visitors every year who come to see its unsurpassed collection of plants. The team there have made a real effort to make as much of the experience as accessible as possible for all. All parking is free for Blue Badge holders, and there are eight designated parking spaces in the car park as well as three more to the right of the Elizabeth Gate on Kew Green. It is really straightforward to get around too – there are flat, tarmac paths throughout most of the gardens themselves. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to take your scooter into Kew’s iconic glass houses, but the team there do offer wheelchairs that can be used in these more confined spaces.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

One of the most remarkable gardens in the UK, and an absolute must-visit for any gardener. The story behind these gardens is fascinating: they lay forgotten about for many years under the overgrown remains of this rambling estate. Since their rediscovery, the gardens have been restored to a state that gives visitors a real sense of the original vision that was laid out over 400 years ago. A large part of this historic site is accessible (with the exception of The Jungle and Wider Estate, which has more uneven paths and some steep slopes). The rest of the site is fantastic to explore, with over 13 acres of the Northern Gardens as well as the indoor attractions at the Hide and the Steward’s House. Take a look at their dedicated accessibility page here to plan your visit.

Lost Gardens of Heligan - Quingo Scooters

Exbury Gardens, New Forest

We’re huge fans of the New Forest anyway, but if you’re in the area and are looking to find a fascinating garden that is also fully accessible, then head to Exbury. The gardens themselves are huge, at over 200 acres, but thankfully there is also a small steam railway (with four accessible carriages) that will help you to navigate the site. The highlight for us is the Rothschild Collection of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and rare trees and shrubs: a riot of spectacular colour that is well worth exploring. The gardens have dedicated Blue Badge spaces at the front of the main car park and while you won’t be able to take your scooter onto every path there is an extensive network of accessible trails for you to explore.

Exbury Gardens - Quingo Scooters

The Trentham Estate

Because it has been created almost completely on one level, the gardens at Trentham are incredibly accessible for anyone using a mobility scooter or wheelchair. There is a handy map here and there are also 54 free disabled car parking spaces just by the main entrance and close to the Trentham Garden Centre. The gardens themselves are stunning (Alan Titchmarsh is a big fan!) and include the recently revitalised Italian Gardens and the wonderful Floral Labyrinth. At the heart of it all is the lake, designed by Capability Brown, that has an accessible path all the way around it.

About Quingo Scooters

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.