TOP 10 ACCESSIBLE ROUTES
Trails open to all users Pursuing her lifelong love of the hills and dales, wheelchair-user Debbie North reveals the best paths for exploring the countryside on four wheels
Wheelchair-user Debbie North explores Back o’ Skiddaw in Cumbria, and reveals nine other paths perfect for four wheels.
What makes a great accessible day out?
The answer could depend on which type of countryside you prefer. Do you like to see the mountains from the valley bottom? Or do you want to be as high up them as you can? Are lakes your thing?
Or the coast? What about wildlife? History? Have you a favourite area? The Lakes, maybe?
For me, I’ve always loved being away from the mayhem of everyday life, so mountain summits, high ridges and remote moors are my walks of preference. I love the solitude. The views. The sounds. Even the weather.
1 FANTASTIC FELLS
Back o’ Skiddaw, Cumbria 6 miles | 3 hours | Challenging
This linear six-mile route from near the Blencathra Field Centre, which follows an old packhorse route to Skiddaw House then on to Whitewater Dash and beyond, ticks a lot of the boxes I look for when on an accessible jaunt. It’s at least three hours of
glorious Cumbrian remoteness for you to savour, although do bear in mind you’ll need a robust all-terrain wheelchair (ATW) to complete it.
From the start, the views are expansive and stunning. You look across Keswick and the fells that rear up around it and Derwent Water then across to Lonscale Fell, where the Cumbria Way snakes through the crags. Here, the bridleway is perfect for an ATW, but things do get rougher fairly soon. The track is crossed by various streams and there are a couple of wet and rocky traverses to be made. As the bridleway swings west you have to ford a wide stream. There is no debate to be had – it’s in the water you go!
The further you travel, the steeper and rougher the track gets in places. You may be lucky and find it dry or you may find sections that are wet and muddy. I’ve heard people disparage the Back o’ Skiddaw, and for the life of me I don’t know why. Solitude. Views. Adventure. All rolled into one and culminating with your first glimpse of the iconic Skiddaw House Youth Hostel. Built originally as a gamekeeper’s lodge in the 1800s, it has a feel of Brigadoon on some days up here. Or The Land That Time Forgot.
There’s a final challenge before reaching the hostel if the fords and mud haven’t already got you, and that’s the crossing of
“The feeling of space and isolation offers the perfect escape from everyday life”
a footbridge over Salehow Beck. While it sounds simple, the bridge is precisely wide enough for a wheelchair 850mm wide – the UK legal limit. If your wheelchair is any wider, this is probably journey’s end, which would be a shame because the welcome at the youth hostel is a warm one indeed. This is a place where it’s worth spending as long as you can to simply drink in the tranquillity. With Great Calva keeping a watchful eye, the feeling of space, openness and isolation offers the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
From here, head for Whitewater Dash. There is one final obstacle: a ford. If there has been recent rainfall, this becomes impassable for an ATW and spells the end of the route. Should the weather be with you, it’s a straightforward and gloriously remote trek through Candleseaves Bog, which feeds into Whitewater Dash waterfalls. The trick here is to look back to the falls to enjoy them in their full glory.
From here the bridleway is excellent and takes you to the limited roadside parking area at Peter House Farm.
2 SPECTACULAR SEA VIEWS Thornham to Old Hunstanton, Norfolk 4.5 miles | 2 hours | moderate
So we move to Norfolk for some sea air. This is a joy of a trail, following a section of the 84-mile Norfolk Coast Path as it meanders along the top of the sand dunes. This 4.5-mile walk, from Thornham to Old Hunstanton, is completely barrier-free and the views are vast, looking out across the deserted beaches, especially when the tide is out. The route through Holme Dunes National Nature Reserve is fairly flat – suitable for a mobility scooter – and it’s the perfect spot for watching birds, such as redshanks, curlews, marsh harriers and egrets. Sand can get blown on to the path in places, which could prove hard going in a manual chair.
3 WOODLAND AND WILDLIFE Penrose to Loe Bar, Cornwall 3 miles | 1.5 hours | Moderate
Our next stop is Cornwall, to a beautiful spot where the lake meets the sea. The National Trust’s Penrose Estate (pictured) is truly amazing, featuring woodland trails and Loe Pool, the largest natural freshwater lake in Cornwall. Legend says Sir Bedivere threw King Arthur’s sword Excalibur into the depths here. This storied lake is home to a plethora of wildlife, including trout, herons and pochard, and there are plenty of benches along this walk to take a rest and soak up nature. The woodland trail follows the water’s edge and is perfect for mobility scooters. Arriving at Loe Bar, the scenery is spectacular. Here, the freshwater lake meets the North Atlantic Sea, divided only by a narrow stretch of golden beach. The sea here is notoriously treacherous and the site of many shipwrecks.
4 BAG A DARING DALE Rogan’s Seat, Yorkshire Dales 9 miles | 5 hours | Challenging
Starting in Gunnerside, a typical Yorkshire Dales village in Swaledale, the climb from the village is initially gentle and perfect for a robust mobility scooter. It gets steeper in places. As you climb, the views over Swaledale open up. Over in Gunnerside Gill you will see the evidence of the area’s lead-mining history.
The bridleway continues across the grouse moors to the summit of Rogan’s Seat. It’s a pathless trek to the summit
cairn and, to be honest, the small pile of stone that marks the top is not worth the effort of crossing the peat hag. Instead, breathe in the views and feel proud that you’ve climbed to 672m and bagged one of ‘The Dales 30’ (mountains over 2,000ft).
5 RIVERSIDE AMBLE Dovedale, Peak District 1.7 miles | 1 hour | Easy
Explore the limestone gorge of Dovedale and its famous stepping stones on this wheel-friendly walk. The track is level and even, making it ideal for manual wheelchair users. This short walk follows the path of the River Dove where you are guaranteed
breathtaking views of the Derbyshire countryside. There is ample car parking space at the start of this walk, with accessible loos.
6 HISTORIC RAIL ROUTE Rosedale Ironstone Railway Walk, North Yorkshire
4 miles | 2 hours | Moderate
The panoramic views across the North York Moors from the former ironstone railway around Rosedale are stunning, especially when the purple heather is in full bloom. This level track, ideal for mobility scooters, follows the route of the disused railway. The area is steeped in history. It’s hard to imagine that the now-peaceful dale in the heart of North York Moors National Park was once part of industrial Yorkshire. Rosedale Railway was used to transport mined iron ore to Middlesbrough but all that has long gone – now only the remains of some of the stone kilns (above) are left as reminders.
7 SCALE SCOTTISH HEIGHTS Cairn Gorm Summit, Highland 5 miles | 3 hours | Challenging
Cairn Gorm Mountain in the Scottish Highlands stands at 1,245 metres, making it the sixth-highest mountain in the UK. Our walk starts from the Cairn Gorm car park, where there are accessible facilities. There
is a traffic-free track used by the rangers, which leads up to the Ptarmigan Restaurant (pictured). It’s a steep climb but it is possible using an all-terrain wheelchair.
8 CLIFFTOP ROMANCE Botallack Mine, Cornwall 2.2 miles | 1.5 hours | Moderate
Step back in time to the glory days of Cornish tin mining on this breathtakingly spectacular and atmospheric walk. Explore the rugged coastline, wonder at the ruins of the old mines and enjoy a clifftop trail. An all-terrain wheelchair, which is available to hire for a small charge, makes this coastal walk possible.
9 SEARCH FOR SQUIRRELS Smardale Gill Nature Reserve, Cumbria
6.4 miles | 3 hours | Moderate
The purpose-built path that follows the route of the disused railway track from the sleepy village of Smardale to Smardale Gill Viaduct (pictured) is part of the Cumbria Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve. Home to red squirrels, scotch argus butterflies, redstarts, wood warblers and pied flycatchers.
10 JURASSIC COAST JAUNT Durlston Country Park, Dorset 1 mile | 40 mins | Moderate
Here’s the chance to explore the wonderful Jurassic coastline of Dorset. The Trekinetic wheelchair and all-terrain mobility buggies that are available to hire from the visitor centre help make this clifftop walk accessible. Take the path that leads down to Anvil Point Lighthouse and enjoy the stunning sea views over to the Isle of Wight. The 1km Wodland Trail also takes you into tranquil glades. Accessible facilities at the visitor centre are outstanding.