Tag Archives: Accessible Routes

Accessible Routes, Days Out, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Scooters Accessible Routes: The Ridgeway

06/07/2018 Quingo Scooters

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.

Quingo Scooters Accessible Routes: The Ridgeway — Editorial credit: jax10289 / Shutterstock.com

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.

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, Attractions, Days Out, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Scooters Accessible Routes: Whinlatter Forest Park

29/06/2018 Quingo Scooters

The British countryside offers a wonderful range of options for those of you looking to explore new places on your mobility scooter. In the latest in our series of articles on accessible routes, Quingo Scooters heads to one of the most fascinating parts of the English Lake District – Whinlatter Forest.

Whinlatter Forest Park

Whinlatter Forest Park is billed as ‘England’s only true Mountain Forest’ and is a fantastic place to explore, whatever your accessibility needs. The Lake District itself is a stunningly beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site. Whinlatter is an important part of this landscape and it has been carefully managed by the Forestry Commission over many years so that it’s a place that balances the needs of a huge diversity of wildlife with the many visitors who enjoy it every year. So, as you travel around the forest, keep an eye out for Roe deer, badgers and foxes.

And don’t forget to look up too: there’s a good chance you’ll see Osprey from the special viewing point at Whinlatter.

However, we’ve found that one of the most relaxing ways to spend a few hours at Whinlatter is simply to pass the time in Siskins Café. There are an incredible variety of birds that use the bird feeders outside the windows, including siskin (and if you’re lucky you might even see a red squirrel trying its luck on the feeders!).

There is a one-mile marked trail at Revelin Moss, which is suitable for wheelchairs and buggies, and has great views of Grisedale Pike. There are other short walks, which are easy access and staff at the centre will be pleased to help advise you which will be the most suitable.

If you fancy something different, Rough Riderz is a 4-wheeled mountain bike club. It offers people the opportunity to experience the thrills of downhill mountain biking on specially designed 4-wheeled mountain bikes. You can find out more information, including taster days, on the Rough Riderz website.

Accessibility at Whinlatter Forest Park

Considering this is such a wild and rugged landscape, Whinlatter Forest Park is surprisingly accessible, not least because of a new scheme that offers the use of off-road mobility scooters known as ‘trampers’. These are offered by Lake District Mobility and their website is a great place to start your adventure around Whinlatter. You can sign up to be an annual member of their scheme, which costs £10, or get a two-week taster membership for £2.50. Give them a call on 01768 778469 to book and discuss your needs.

Whinlatter Forest Park itself has number of a designated Blue Badge spaces near the main building. The parking spaces are up a slope (it’s not too steep) but there is also the option to be dropped off outside the rear of the main building too, where you will also find an accessible toilet as well.

For more general accessibility information about Whinlatter, take a look at their dedicated page here.

Getting there

Because of its relatively remote location, the easiest way to get to Whinlatter is by car. From the M6 just take the A66 towards Cockermouth and then turn west at Braithwaite on the B5292 towards Lorton. The Visitor Centre is signposted from there. During the summer you can also take the bus from Keswick to Whinlatter and we recommend taking the Honister Rambler (bus number 77 or 77A) that goes via the spectacular Honister Pass. The Visitor Information Centre and the Forest Shop are both open every single day over the summer, from 10am-4pm, while the Siskins Cafe is open from 10am to 5pm every day.

Share your accessible route with Quingo!

About Quingo

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

Quingo Scooters Accessible Routes: The New Forest

15/06/2018 Quingo Scooters

Right across the UK there a wealth of wonderful places that can easily be explored on your mobility scooter. Here at Quingo Scooters we’re bringing you the very latest in our series of the best accessible routes in the country, and this time around we’re finding out what the New Forest has to offer visitors.

The New Forest

There’s a lot to love about the New Forest. Miles and miles of stunning, unspoiled countryside, much of it easily accessible, with charming towns and villages and even free-ranging ponies. It’s been a family favourite for many people for generations, and much of this is down to the sheer variety of things you can do in the area.

If your idea of a great day out is to get away from it all and enjoy the peace and quiet of miles of woodland and hidden trails, then you’ll love the 566 acres of woods (once William the Conqueror’s hunting ground), heathland and coastline here. Or, if you fancy spending time browsing packed antique stalls or enjoying a bit of retail therapy in a boutique clothes shop, then a New Forest town like Lymington or historic Buckler’s Hard is just the place for you.

Accessibility

The New Forest is huge. But happily much of it is also accessible for those of us on mobility scooters. The New Forest National Park Authority’s dedicated accessibility page is a great place to start your journey. If you want to head out into the wilds, there are a few sights we’d certainly recommend. The Knightwood Oak is rumoured to be the oldest oak in the New Forest, and it is easily accessible from the car park nearby. There’s one designated Blue Badge space available. If a slightly longer adventure around a pretty harbour town sounds tempting, then we also recommend the accessible route at Keyhaven. It’s a beautiful spot with an accessible path, and you can find out more here.

And finally, if you’re after a bit of history and culture then the fabulous St Barbe Museum in Lymington is a must-visit. There is ramp access all round, and both the galleries and the museum itself are on the ground floor. While the site doesn’t have its own car park, there is a public car park on Emsworth Road nearby, with six free parking spaces for Blue Badge holders.

Getting to the New Forest area is straightforward too. If you’re coming by train, then you’re only an hour and a half from London Waterloo. There are also plenty of South West Trains services from Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. By car, you can reach the New Forest from the east and London via the M27, or the A31 if you’re travelling from Dorset. The A338 or the A36 brings visitors in from the north. Finally, you can also get the ferry to Hythe from Southampton. It’s a truly scenic way to arrive in this stunning location.

Share your accessible route with Quingo!

About Quingo

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.

Accessible Routes, Days Out, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Scooters Accessible Routes: The Leeds-Liverpool Canal

08/06/2018 Quingo Scooters

There is so much to see and explore here in the UK, from historic castles to vibrant modern cities. But there is also a wealth of incredible routes that are easily accessible for all to enjoy. Here at Quingo Scooters, we’re always excited to share them with you and, in this latest series of the best accessible routes in the country that you can enjoy on your mobility scooter, we’re finding out what the Leeds-Liverpool Canal has to offer.

The Leeds-Liverpool Canal

Two exciting northern cities, Leeds and Liverpool, joined by a stretch of one of England’s most fascinating waterways. So many of the UK’s network of canals are well worth exploring. They’re a haven of peace and quiet and, whether you’re on the water or using the many miles of restored towpaths, they offer an accessible way to see the hidden side of the country. The Leeds-Liverpool canal is a real gem and is over 127 miles in length, making it the longest single canal in Britain. Of course, much of its fascination lies in the industrial heritage of the region: not just the remarkable scale and ambition of the canal itself, but also the many buildings that were built along it. So, if you’re visiting, make sure you take time to explore sights such as the Bingley Five Rise Locks as well as the historic town of Saltaire.

But it’s not just one for the industrial archaeologists among you: the Leeds-Liverpool canal also passes through some stunningly beautiful countryside. Whether you’re accessing the canal via its towpaths or seeing things from on the water, you’ll get to experience plenty of picturesque Yorkshire Dales villages and the Pennine hills.

Accessibility

Clearly, when you have a route that is as long and as varied as the Leeds-Liverpool canal, then there will be a broad range of levels of accessibility along its length. However, a great place to start to get the information you need before a visit is the Canal and River Trust’s website. They have a very useful map of many of the key locations along the canal, as well as a dedicated accessibility page here. Generally speaking, towpaths are often flatter and more accessible than most footpaths, but it is still well worth checking locally before you venture out.

Of course, one of the very best ways to see the canal when it comes to accessibility is to be on the water itself. There are several companies who offer trips along the canal on accessible boats. We recommend contacting the team who run The Rose of Parbold, based at Parbold in Lancashire, as a great place to start. Give Mike Walker a call on 01257 463269 to find out more about his boat.

Sites like Bingley Five Rise Locks are also well worth a visit. This spectacular stepped system of locks has a lovely cafe with an accessible toilet next to it, but unfortunately there is no Blue Badge parking nearby (only on-street). Take a look at DisabledGo.com’s review of the locks here.

There are direct trains and regular rail services to Leeds and Manchester from most of the UK, and each city also has its own international airport. They are also well connected both to each other and to the wider motorway network by the M62, if you are travelling to the region by car.

Share your accessible route with Quingo!

If you’ve been to visit any great accessible routes on your Quingo Scooter, 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 Scooters

Accessible Routes, Days Out

Quingo Scooters Accessible Getaways: A Day Out In Brighton

01/06/2018 Quingo Scooters

Of course, the British love a trip to the seaside, often even in the face of some less than perfect weather. So, here in the latest instalment of our Accessible Getaways series, Quingo Scooters looks at the many things that you can get up to in the beautiful seaside town of Brighton.

Visiting Brighton

As seaside resorts go, Brighton is one of the nation’s favourites. It’s a short hop down from the capital and makes for a great day out for all. With a couple of historic piers, its stunning Pavilion and of course the gorgeous front itself, there really is something for everyone. Best of all, Brighton is a truly open and accessible city. A great place to start your trip to the South Coast is to look at their website Visit Brighton here. We also recommend considering hiring an All-terrain Wheelchair if you’re planning to head out onto the pebbles.

Here are our top three things to do in Brighton.

Brighton Museum

Of course, the Pavilion itself is a must-see: it is a fantastic fairy-tale concoction that is well worth a visit. But within the Royal Pavilion gardens we also highly recommend you head along to the Brighton Museum. It has a collection of exhibits as diverse and eccentric as the city itself and is a fantastic starting point for anyone wanting to get a taste of this bohemian city. There are level paths leading to the entrance through the gardens and the whole museum is accessible. There are 30 Blue Badge parking spaces at the nearby Lanes Car Park, and 6 at the NCP on Church Street. Find out more here.

Pride 2018

Brighton is rightly proud of its rich and diverse culture, and the annual Pride celebrations are a truly inspiring celebration of LGBTQ equality in particular. This year’s event takes place in August, and as always there will be a real focus yet again on making it as accessible as possible for all those attending. If you’re thinking of going along, then a great place to start is their accessibility page online, here. It’s the place to reserve an early parking space in the event’s Blue Badge car parks, get a Freedom Pass for the town’s accessible toilets or even book a changing area if you’re getting into costume for the parade itself!

Sea Life Brighton

Who doesn’t love an aquarium? Sea Life has been around for a long time, and their experience and expertise really shows. It has a fantastic display of animals, and the great news is that the whole of Sea Life is accessible, with the exception of the Ocean Display in the auditorium. This can still be viewed from elsewhere, however. You’ll find an accessible entrance to Sea Life by heading through the underpass that leads from the beach (there’s a ramp down to the beach too). There is on-street parking along the seafront, but there are also the 30 Blue Badge spaces at the NCP car park at the Lanes nearby. There’s also a great report on the facilities at Sea Life here.

Where to stay

From sea front hotels to little B&Bs or self-catering apartments, there’s a huge range of accommodation options in Brighton. The Hilton Brighton Metropole is huge, and is fully accessible, but we’re big fans of the fabulously funky B&B Snooze too. It has steps up to the main entrance but there is access via the restaurant.

Eating out

As you’d probably expect in a place as diverse and cosmopolitan as Brighton, there is plenty of choice when it comes to eating out. For a quick, budget friendly bite to eat we recommend Eatalio for a great twist on Italian street food.

If you fancy treating yourself to something a bit different, then try out the highly acclaimed Terre à Terre. It’s vegan, but even if you’re not then it’s still well worth exploring. It’s one of the few purely veggie restaurants to regularly turn up on lists of the UK’s best eateries. The great news is that both these places are also accessible throughout.

Getting there

Brighton is only 50 minutes on the train from London Victoria, and it’s only half an hour from London Gatwick airport if you’re flying in. Driving is also straightforward, just follow the A23/M23 south from London.

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.

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Whinlatter Forest Park

Accessibility at Whinlatter Forest Park

Getting there

Share your accessible route with Quingo!

About Quingo

Quingo Scooters offer help, tips, advice and information about 5 wheel Quingo Mobility Scooters