Fairhaven Woodland and Water Gardens situated in South Walsham, Norfolk is “is 90% wheelchair friendly and our tea room, gift shop and plant sales are fully accessible. We have five mobility scooters which we are able to lend out to visitors (please book in advance).” They have also installed hearing loops in the tea room, gift shop and on the boat.

“With the help of grant funding our sensory garden has been created with our mobility and visually impaired visitors in mind. We have created a Braille guide for this part of the garden and hope to create guides for other parts in the coming months. Most of our information boards throughout the garden have Braille panels and we will soon be introducing audio tours.”

(Source: Fairhaven Woodlands and Water Park, “All for All” webpage)

The website also offers a free downloadable map, list of events and information about other facilities. More information can be found on the Fairhaven website and their contact details can also be found on page 205 of the OpenBritain 2010 Guide and on OpenBritain where you can also post a review of this attraction.

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As the weather begins to get slightly better and stay a little dryer (0k, so maybe I’m being very optimistic), it’s time for us to start looking again at what we can do in the great outdoors, countryside and parks. Wrest Park in Silsoe, Bedforshire is one of the UK’s least known parks and yet is magnificent and information for disabled people.

English Heritage provide information for people with mobility, hearing and visual impairments on their website which includes:

Facilities Details:

Toilets: Disabled toilet inside the mansion. Please see access details below.
Shop: Within mansion.
Limited refreshments (tea, coffee, biscuits, cold drinks, confectionary and ice creams) available from the shop. Currently no tearoom/café onsite.

Access:

Access to house: There are steps at the entrance, but an alternative level entrance is available to the garden. Unaccompanied wheelchair users should phone in advance to arrange for access. Buggies are available for disabled visitors.
Grounds and garden buildings: Access to the grounds is via mainly gravel paths and smooth grass. There are steps or a steep slope to the Orangery and steep steps to the Pavilion. There is a ramp to access the Bowling Green House. Benches are provided.

Parking:

Disabled visitors may park outside the mansion.

Visually Impaired Visitors:

Many garden ornaments and sculptures may be touched. There are also many trees and wild flowers.

Hearing Impaired Visitors:

Transcript of audio tour available. (Source: Wrest Park, English Heritage)

Further details can be found on OpenBritain, on page 204 of the OpenBritain 2010 Guide and on the English Heritage Website.

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Halloween is upon us again and so it’s time to start looking at what’s on over this fun filled period around the UK. First off is the Peak District and Derbyshire’s Spookyshire events. Various different celebrations will be undertaken throughout the region and here’s a look at a few of them.

Halloween Spooktacular at Gulliver’s

Celebrate Halloween in style at Gullivers. All the usual rides and attractions, plus a fantastic firework display. Pop into Halloween shows throughout the day to see special characters. The perfect evening for the whole family. Booking is advisable as space is limited. Children in fancy dress receive £1 off admission before 2pm.

For information for disabled people please download the Gulliver’s  Word Document or find it in their site under “What is Gulliver’s”

Alton Tower’s Scarefest

You can also find more theme park Halloween fun at Alton Tower’s Scarefest from the 17th October – 1st November. For information for disabled people please visit their Disabled Access page where you can also download a leaflet.

Halloween at Chatsworth House

For a truly haunting half term come and enjoy a week of tricks and treats at Chatsworth’s Farmyard Halloween Hoot. For the brave there’s all kinds of evil excitement to keep the little horrors happy including making monstrous masks and cards or taking one of the daily ‘Fright Flights’ through the haunted Warlock Wood. Just watch out for the sinister Spellweaver that lurks amongst the trees. Most activities free upon normal farmyard admission fees. Fright Flights can be booked on the day for an additional charge.

Halloween Spooktacular at Tropical Butterfly House

Come face to face with animated ghosts and ghouls in the Haunted House. Take a Haunted Hayride round the Freaky Forest and play Trick or Treat on the Witch in the Wood.

The Tropical Butterfly House, Wildlife and Falconry website states:

• Most of the centre is accessible to wheelchairs and push-chairs. Disabled toilets and baby changing facilities are also available.
• Sorry – dogs are not permitted, except for guide dogs. Please do not bring your dog and leave him in the car.

For more events in the Peak District and Derbyshire please visit the Spookyshire page where you can also find symbols to indicate facilities for disabled people.

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According to English Heritage Audley End House in Essex is one of England’s finest country houses, and a mansion with a difference:

“Following the restoration of its great Service Wing, visitors can now tour the ‘parallel world’ where armies of servants laboured to ensure the smooth running of this great mansion.

Audley End takes its name from Sir Thomas Audley, Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor who, after 1538, adapted the extensive buildings of suppressed Walden Abbey as his mansion. His grandson Thomas Howard, first Earl of Suffolk, rebuilt the house on a massive scale between 1603 and 1614. Known as ‘the Palace of Audley End’, this Jacobean ‘prodigy house’ was three times its present size, and one of the largest mansions in England. But in 1618 Suffolk fell from favour and into massive debt, and his great house went into decline. More

Disabled people can find access and other useful information on Visitor Information page of Audley End House and Gardens where it states:

Facilities Available:

Facilities Details:

Wheelchairs: we have four wheelchairs, available on request; four motorised wheelchairs available in grounds, but must be booked in advance. Please ring 01799 522842.

Toilets: Adapted; level access.

Shop: Level access.

Tea rooms: Ramped access to the tea rooms. Please note there are 3 steps to the self-service cafe.

Access:

Access to house: Via loose gravel, tarmac, cobbles and smooth grass. Ground floor level apart from Butlers Pantry which has 4 steps.

Gardens: Access via tarmac and gravel paths and very smooth grass. Seats provided. A number of bridges either have a step or steep slope.

Parking:

200m from entrance, with reserved parking for disabled visitors. Please make arrangements in advance if possible.

Visually Impaired Visitors:

Fountain, wildfowl and bird song in grounds; flower and rose gardens

Please see the English Heritage site for further details.

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Trebah Garden is 26 acres of sub-tropical paradise, located in Cornwall where you can explore under canopies bursting with exotic blooms and follow vibrant tunnels of all year round colour that cascade down to a private beach on the Helford River.

“Information for visitors with disabilities

Parking We have four disabled parking spaces for badge holders near our visitor centre.

Admission Prices For registered disabled: £3.00 per person and for carers: £3.00 per person.

Motorised buggies/wheelchairs Trebah is a ravine garden and has steep sections and steps on some paths making wheelchair use difficult. However, three motorised buggies and one carer controlled buggy are available for use in the garden.

A full demonstration will be given by a member of staff. We recommend visitors telephone to book in advance as the buggies and wheelchair are very much in demand. (Telephone 01326 252200).

The Planters Café, the Gallery Shop and Gardens Shops are fully accessible.

Toilet facilities: We have a fully adapted unisex toilets in the visitor centre. If you have any queries whilst in the garden, Trebah staff will be pleased to help.

Dogs are welcome in the garden and on the beach – on a lead at all times please. We ask that you leave your dogs outside Planters Café but they are welcome on the café veranda and in the picnic area. Water bowls are available outside the visitor centre and poop scoops given to dog owners on arrival.”

Currently there is also the ‘Textiles Plus Trebah’ Exhibition on until the 9th October which is “A collection of work inspired by Trebah from over a two year period, produced by the local group ‘Textiles Plus’ and on display in the Visitor Centre and Planters Cafe.

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