It’s getting easier to find accessible walks with wheelchairs but what if you want to go off the beaten track? Not every guide knows what your wheelchair is capable of and sometimes you want to see hidden corners of the world to appreciate the UK’s natural beauty. We’ve found the best, most awe inspiring walks with wheelchairs in the UK and have travelled them ourselves, in a wheelchair, to ensure they’re easy to navigate and stress free. These are perfect for a dating with a disability or a first date. Let us know if you went on any of these and what you thought. We’d love to see pictures on social media too.
Farndale, near Kirkbymoorside – North Yorkshire
Distance: 2 miles
Terrain: Mostly flat with a few ups and downs
Facilities: Toilets and Café open in the season, plenty of parking.
Although this is usually the most popular around March when the daffodils are raising their heads to the spring sunshine, Farndale is a great accessible walk for wheelchair users anytime of the year. The drive to the walk is outstanding with beautiful scenery stretching across the North Yorkshire Moors, and the facilities are outstanding. There are toilets as well as a café, and the walk takes you along the river which is spectacular anytime of the year.
Dalby Forest –North Yorkshire
Distance: Varies
Terrain: Easy to Hard depending on which one you choose
Facilities: Visitor Centre, Toilets, Café, Picnic Areas with BBQ’s.
We couldn’t mention North Yorkshire without including Dalby Forest. Just a few miles away from Farndale, Dalby Forest has everything you could possible need for a day in the great outdoors. It costs £7 per car for the full day and a map given to you will show the most accessible routes. If you have children there is a visitor’s centre with year round craft activities and some huge playgrounds. There’s also an observatory which can be accessed using a wheelchair, making you feel as if you have all the benefits of everyone else. Little tip- the café makes a great muffin!
Fakenham, Norfolk
Distance: 2 miles
Terrain: Mostly Flat
Facilities: The visitor centre has toilets, café and a shop, yet is closed every Monday.
This Nature Reserve walk is a must for wildlife lovers, you’ll need your binoculars as the circular route takes you through woodland and leads you to the river Wensum, meeting dragonflies, butterflies and a multitude of birds along the way. There are viewing platforms with excellent access and vistas across magnificent scenery.
Witney, Oxfordshire
Distance: 2.5 miles
Terrain: Mostly Flat
Facilities: Toilets, café, pub and parking.
You start this walk in the market place and cross the river Windrush, over Langdel common this walk isn’t deep into the country, it’s more of a village walk, however there are still plenty of things to see and would be a great addition to any day out. As the market place is full of great eateries, we suggest you enjoy a long and large relaxing lunch before heading off to soak up the fresh air and the wonderful delights this walk has to offer.
Abbotsbury, Dorset
Distance: 3 miles
Terrain: A few ups and downs
Facilities: Toilets and Parking – Take a picnic!
This is a gorgeous adventure for a sunny day. Parking in Chesil Beach car park just outside of Abbotsbury, you will see a sign for the sub-tropical gardens. Already it sounds exciting! The road can be wet and muddy in rough weather so avoid it then, however the scenery is great and gives you all the fresh air of a coastal walk. A picnic is best along this route as there are no cafes; however the village of Abbotsbury has some wonderful eateries.
Clifton Country Park, Salford, Manchester
Distance: 1 mile
Terrain: Mostly Flat
Facilities: Toilets and Parking
This is a great walk around the lake of the Clifton Country Park. This is great with a picnic and plenty for children to see and do also. A safe environment for a day out, there are playgrounds, ducks to feed and 50 hectares of meadow and woodland to explore. Other routes are also available for wheelchair users, so this really is a must if you are around Manchester.
Ambleside, the Lake District, Cumbria
Distance: 1 mile
Terrain: Mostly Flat
Facilities: Toilets, Pubs and Cafes
Ambleside is a quaint town with lots of places to eat and drink, a trip to the Lake District is not complete without a visit here. This walk shows you the Rydal Park, somewhere most other visitors often miss. It is a great walk for after lunch or a little shopping in the village and if it’s a wet day it ends at the cinema. Perfect!
Baintree, Essex
Distance: 4 miles
Terrain: Mostly Flat
Facilities: Toilets, Café, Parking.
This is a lovely walk and can be adjusted to be just one mile or further if you’re feeling adventurous. It’s on a disused old railway track which takes you through meadows and woodland, you’ll need your binoculars for all the wildlife you will see. As it has been made easier for wheelchair users, expect a few horses and cyclists on your travels. There is a bus service so as this is a there and back route, if you don’t want to walk back, catch the bus which will return you to the car park
Dina’s Cross, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Distance: 1 mile
Terrain: Mostly Flat
Facilities: Toilets and Parking
Although this walk passes through Dina’s Island, this is not actually an Island, although the walk will deliver you fantastic sea views on a man-made concrete path which is a dream for wheelchair users. Many platforms help you to see for miles across the open ocean.
Callander, Loch Lomond, Scotland
Distance: 4 miles
Terrain: a few ups and downs
Facilities: Toilets, Pubs, Cafes and Parking
Take a whole day for this adventure; Loch Lomond although not as famous as Loch Ness, is one of the greatest Lochs in Scotland. The massive expanse of the still water is mesmerising, and the wildlife surrounding it equally so. This is a road however it is not in use but you can expect a few cyclists. At the start of the walk there is a gift shop where you can hire a four seater buggy so everyone can enjoy the loch!
All walks can be found under the headings here on the Ordinance Survey website, where you can download and print maps before you go!
