With most of the country currently in the grip of some glorious summer weather, many of us are looking to get out and about to make the most of it while it lasts. Fortunately, the UK has a huge number of accessible routes that are great to explore on your mobility scooter. In this, the latest in our series of accessible routes, Quingo Scooters heads south, to the historic Ridgeway path.
The Ridgeway
There can be few accessible routes that we’ve covered here that are as ancient as The Ridgeway. It’s been around, in one form or another, since prehistoric times. The route has been used over the millennia by everyone from soldiers to herders, and it passes through some glorious countryside. It’s a varied landscape too, with the 87-mile route taking in rolling downland and beautiful woods along the way.
Many people start their Ridgeway journey in the historic village of Avebury, and it is a beautiful site to explore. It’s home to the largest stone circle in Britain as well as the incredible West Kennet long barrow and the largest prehistoric mound in Europe at Silbury Hill. There is dedicated Blue Badge parking 200 yards from the stone circle, and quite a bit of the circle itself is also accessible. All of the museums and galleries, as well as Avebury Manor and gardens are accessible and have ramped entrances. You can also find accessible toilets behind the Barn Gallery. The National Trust site here also has plenty of information to help you plan your visit.
We’re also big fans of the section of The Ridgeway between Ogbourne St George and Sparsholt Firs. While this whole 16-mile route might be a bit much, it is one of the most fascinating sections of the entire Ridgeway path, with plenty of prehistoric sites to see along the way. It’s remote too, so you’ll be travelling along quiet tracks, parts of which have been surfaced with limestone.
The entire western half of The Ridgeway is potentially accessible, weather permitting, and you’ll be able to soak up some of the incredible history of this area as you travel along it. Everything from long barrows to Iron Age forts and white horses in the chalk hillsides.
Accessibility at The Ridgeway
One of the best things about The Ridgeway route is just how accessible so much of it is. A lot of the route follows paths that are unobstructed by stiles, so travellers on mobility scooters will be able to access the whole western half of the route as well as a big chunk of The Ridgeway between Britwell Hill and Wainhill. A word of caution though, it can be a little rough going from time to time as it isn’t paved, so exercise caution if the weather hasn’t been great in the days leading up to your expedition.
If those sections do look like they might be inaccessible, then there is also a great section between Fox Hill to Ashbury that has a generally more solid surface. There is also parking available at both ends of this section of the route, although unfortunately without designated Blue Badge spaces. A great place to start your journey along The Ridgeway is the National Trails website, here.
And if you’re planning on spending a bit more time in the area then we certainly recommend taking a look at this great leaflet that has been produced by the Chilterns Conservation Board and Chiltern Society, called ‘Miles Without Stiles in The Chilterns’, It’s a source of loads of useful information on accessible routes on and around The Ridgeway.
Getting there
Due to its proximity to London and the rest of the south east of England, The Ridgeway is easily accessible by road and rail. If you’re relying on public transport then we recommend planning your journey at the Traveline website. Alternatively if you’re heading to the area by car, then the M4 is your best bet. There are also regular trains from London Paddington to Swindon and Reading and from London Marylebone to High Wycombe. And it’s also worth saying that The Ridgeway itself is exceptionally well signposted, so you shouldn’t get lost en route!
Share your accessible route with Quingo!
If you’ve been to visit any great accessible routes on your Quingo or would like us to write about a particular place you have visited, we’d be delighted to hear from you! You can email your stories, recommendations and pictures by filling out the contact form on our website and we’ll feature them on our blog.
About Quingo
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.
