Tag Archives: nature

Accessible Routes, Days Out, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Accessible Days Out: Clifton Country Park

Here at Quingo Scooters, we want to help you live your life to the fullest, by encouraging you to discover the world around you on your mobility scooter. In our series of articles, we’re shedding light on various accessible days out, which you can use to explore the UK’s most scenic outdoor spaces.

Today we’re going to Clifton Country Park. You’ll find this popular, stunning attraction in Irwell Valley, which is just a few miles away from thriving Salford. Read on for a fabulous day out…

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Clifton Country Park

Clifton Country Park is a 48 hectare picturesque local nature reserve, serving as an oasis away from the hectic confines of urban Salford. It features various meadows, woods, ponds and lakes for visitors to discover. The park has various self-guiding trails, with the highlight being its highly popular lake path. It won the prestigious Green Flag Award in both 2006 and 2007, so you know it’s a great place to visit.

This is a great park to indulge in a little wildlife spotting in particular, as it’s popular with bird watchers and fish enthusiasts. It also boasts various beautiful plant-life, from Irish Yews to Norwegian Maples. Clifton Country Park is especially known for its Arboretum, as well as for housing the remains of the Wet Earth Colliery. Set up in 1740, this was one of the first deep mines to be sunk into the Irwell Valley.

Clifton Country Park is free to visit and opens daily. It also has a Visitor Centre, where you can find out more about the Park, access key services and learn about the area’s fascinating industrial past. The Clifton Country Park Visitor Centre is open 11.30am – 4.30pm on Saturdays, 10am – 4.30pm on Sundays and 11.30am – 4.30pm on Mondays, but it can be opened at other times by arrangement.

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Talking accessibility

The park itself has a hard-surfaced, main cark park with three parking bays available for designated blue badge holders, which can be accessed via Clifton House Road.

After you have arrived, you can reach the nearby Visitor Centre by taking the level ramp up from the main cark park. The Visitor Centre is fully accessible and it also has fully accessible toilets. These spacious facilities include grab rails and easy access wash basins and hand dryers. The site also has a café and shop, which can be accessed via a level ramp, as well as an accessible picnic area with tables.

The main trail running around Clifton Country Park’s lake is fully accessible.  It boasts a wide, hard surface, making it easy for mobility scooter users to navigate, providing you with a clear, circular walk. We should also note that rangers patrol the park from 9am to 5pm on most days, providing you with assistance when necessary. The Park’s rangers run a regular Friday morning walk for those with limited mobility, which starts at the Visitor Centre and is held from 10.15am to 11.30am.

About QuingoThe 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

Quingo Accessible Routes: Itchen Valley Park

Here at Quingo Scooters, we’re always encouraging you to get out and about and to explore the world around you with your mobility scooter. In our series of articles, we’re bringing various accessible routes to your attention, which you can take on your mobility scooter to discover the UK’s amazing natural beauty.

Today we’re heading down to Itchen Valley Park. Based in Southampton, Hampshire, this is an accessible popular nature park which is suitable for mobility scooter users.

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Itchen Valley Park

Itchen Valley Park features 440 acres of stunning woodland and meadows for you to explore. It has been recognised with a prestigious Green Flag award for the past four years in a row, showing how popular it is with visitors. Itchen Valley Park has a Visitor Centre on site, where you can access interactive nature-based displays and shops, as well as a café where you can indulge in tea and cake afterwards.

The Park is famous for its trails. We suggest you buy a guide to accompany you, which is available from the Visitor Centre for just 50p. Its two mile Meadows Nature Trail is really popular, allowing guests to view the historic SSSI Water Meadow. It also has a one mile long Woodland Nature Trail, which is a must-see for nature enthusiasts. This forest path boasts various wildflowers and is well known for its bluebells, which appear in spring.

Itchen Valley Park is free to visit, opening at 8.30am daily, but closing at 7pm from November to March and at 9.30pm from April to October.

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Accessibility

Itchen Valley Park is largely a suitable destination for scooter users. You can reach the venue by car and it has ample parking spaces, although there is a minimal charge for parking. This ranges from £1 for up to an hour, to £3.90 for more than four hours, but it’s free for holders of Hampshire Cultural Trust Culture Cards. Check out the Visiting Itchen Valley Park webpage to plan how to get there.

After you arrive at Itchen Valley Park, you’ll find that its Visitor Centre lies near the main road. Outside, there is a moderate ramp leading up to the Centre’s main entrance. The ramp has handrails on both sides and is 1100mm wide, making it suitable for mobility scooter users. The main entrance into the Visitor Centre is 930mm wide and you’re allowed to use mobility scooters across this building.

The Visitor Centre was built in an old barn, meaning that its key services all lie on one level. The Centre also has an accessible toilet, and there’s an easily accessible picnic and play area just outside. We should note that not all the trails are accessible, but do seek guidance from the Park’s staff on this matter as they’ll be happy to assist you. The Woodland Nature Trail is Itchen Valley Park’s most famous accessible route, having ramps and handrails for ease of access.

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.