The BBC are recording a new series called Secret Britain and are asking the public to let them know about their favourite secret places throughout the country. They don’t just want to know where these places are but also why they’re special for you. People that want to participate can send in emails and photos via the Secret Britain website or directly to secretbritain@bbc.co.uk

It would be great if the readers of OpenBritain could email in their suggestions of secret places in the UK to the BBC that are suitable for disabled people. Of course, please share them with us here too!

Below is a photo of one of my (not so) secret places, The Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Northumberland. The island is beautiful and accessible by vehicle via a coastal causeway when the tide is out, so make sure you check the tidal times so you don’t get trapped! You can also have a look at the Lindisfarne website for further information on what’s available on the island.

Further information about the North West can be found on OpenBritain and from page 295 of the OpenBritain 2010 Guide

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Handicaching? Handicaching? I hear you all say, has Craig completely lost it? What the heck is handicahcing?!

I became aware of Geocaching last year through a friend, but to be honest, I would have had a similar reaction about handicaching until a few hours ago when I read a post by Liz Carr on the BBC Ouch blog. So to break it down, here’s a quick YouTube introduction from the friendly guys at Geocaching.com:

So, there you are, it’s all about a game to find hidden little treasures around the country using GPS devices and GPS enabled mobile phones! But what’s the difference between Geocaching and Handicaching?

Well, with Geocaching each cache that you look for (the hidden little treasure) normally have a star rating from one to five to indicate how difficult the terrain is with one star being the easiest.

The problem according to Handicaching.com is that the Geocache Rating System uses one star for caches that are wheelchair accessible. This idea is flawed in several ways which include:

• The rating system or the wheelchair aspect of the system is often overlooked by cache hiders, who can rate the terrain for caches higher or lower than they actually are
• A cache that may be wheelchair accessible may not be accessible to people with other types of disabilities, or even people who cannot use a wheelchair for anything other than short distances
• Many non-disabled people are unsure of what constitutes accessible and are therefore unable to rate or mark a cache accordingly

So basically, Handicaching decided to come up with their own system and make it truly accessible for disabled people.

Not only may Handicaching be fun for the participants but I can also think of lots of practical uses for disabled people such as marking disabled toilets, entrances to public buildings, safe crossings for roads, maybe even mark accessible routes along foot and canal tow paths. I think that Handicaching could really be a useful tool for disabled tourists wanting to get out into the great outdoors and have their own GPS map to help guide them through the countryside.

For further information please visit the Handicaching, Geocaching and Ouch! websites.

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The first time I came across the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) was when I was studying for my degree and have to admit that, firstly it has been a long time since I visited this attraction and secondly it was before my I was a wheelchair user.

CAT offer a visitors centre that has “Interactive displays show global issues such as energy generation and transport, and practical, everyday solutions for everyone.” It’s highly educational, fun and stimulating, not just for the children but also for adults.

CAT mainly give information and advice for wheelchair users on their access page:

“Information for wheelchair users

Access to the Visitor Centre from Easter to the end of October is via the cliff railway which has carriages that are adapted to receive wheelchairs.

When you arrive at the Visitor Centre you will see the reception area in the car park at the bottom of the cliff railway. Parking is free. There is a short low-gradient ramp to access the reception and railway. We offer free entry to the Visitor Centre for carers

During the winter months, the railway is closed and access to the Visitor Centre is via the Garden Steps. This is a stepped pathway, which takes about 10 minutes to walk, passing the eco-cabins, vegetable fields and shop. Parking is provided near the visitor circuit at the top of the South Drive for those who are unable to walk up.

As CAT is located in a rural area with steep gradients, it has not been possible to make all paths accessible. The Garden Steps and Woodland Walk leading from the lower car park to the Visitor Centre are not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies.

The displays are located throughout a 7-acre open-air site. Most of the pathways around site are made up of compacted aggregates which are mostly level; however wheelchair users may require assistance in using these, particularly during periods of inclement weather. All the buildings have ramped or level access with doors, entrances and corridors wide enough for a wheelchair. There are wheelchair accessible toilets at the bottom car park reception building and near the shop at the top of the cliff railway.

We have electric mobility scooters and a wheelchair, either of which can be hired free of charge by calling 01654 705993 in advance of your visit.

Guide Dogs and Hearing Dogs are permitted onto the Visitor Centre.”

As I mentioned, it has been a while since I’ve been to CAT, but as I’d really like to go again, maybe I’ll see you there soon.

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The Easter holidays are here and the kids are off school so from the 1st – 16th April we’ll be looking at some great days out across the UK that have facilities for disabled people.

First up is Whitby Abbey, managed by English Heritage and set in the picturesque North Yorkshire coastal town of, you guessed it, Whitby. With over 2000 years of history including the royal princess, Abbess Hild and Bram Sroker’s Dracula there’s something for all the family! The grounds are the perfect vantage point for picnics and views of the shoreline, Whitby and beyond.

The first thing people with mobility impairments may think when considering Whitby Abbey are the 199 steps to get to it! Never fear, it’s been tried and tested by OpenBritain’s very own blogger and wheelchair user, me. Assuming you have your own vehicle with you there’s a drop off point for disabled people at the main entrance and then there’s parking close by. There are also various buses that will get you to the abbey.

The English Heritage web site gives this information about access:

• Access to monument and grounds: Via visitor centre; lift up to the grounds.
• Grass paths around the ruins.
• Steps to enter the nave.
• Benches.
• There are changes in the level and cobbled surfaces throughout the site.
• It may become waterlogged in wet weather.
• WC adapted for wheelchair users.

And further information for deaf and blind people:

Audio tour with hearing loop included in admission price. Subtitled audio-visual displays in the visitor centre.

Further information can be found on OpenBritain, on page 263 of the OpenBritain 2010 Guide and on the English Heritage Whitby Abbey Website.

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The Mobility Roadshow on the 1st – 3rd July 2010 will be held at the East of England Showground in Peterborough. Don’t know where that is? Have a look at the location map on the Mobility Roadshow website. You can also find local accommodation and other things to do on OpenBritain.

Our partners DisabledGo will also be attending this event as well as Naidex. For those interested in Caravanning and Camping, Nirvana Motorhomes will also be attending the event as well as car manufacturers, companies that adapt vehicles and test drives will be available as usual.

This is a large event so people would be wise to try to deicide what they want to see before they go. You can do research on the Mobility Roadshow website and also download and print the event floor plans.

The event will also be held in Edinburgh on the 17th & 18th September and details will follow shortly.

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Very soon the exhibition and roadshow season will be upon us again soon here are a few posts about this year’s events. Naidex is taking place at its usual venue the NEC from the 20th – 22nd April and includes features such as New Product Showcases, Car Zone, Meet the OT, the Communication Village, Sensory Garden as well as a Lifestyle Seminar & Demo Area.

Naidex has also announced that ”Shannon Murray will be opening the event at 10:00am on Tuesday April 20^th at the Birmingham NEC. Shannon is without doubt the UK’s most recognisable disabled model and recently starred in the Channel 4 series How to Look Good Naked. In addition to opening Naidex, Shannon will also be giving a short talk and answering questions within the lifestyle and demonstration zone at 1:30pm.”

OpenBritain partners DisabledGo will be at the event so why not pop along to visit them and other holiday exhibitors.

The Naidex website gives information on exhibitors, floor plan and details on how to get there. Information about where to stay and other things to do in the Birmingham area can be found by using the OpenBritain search engine.

Registration for the event is now open, please do so on their registration page.

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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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Redwings is the largest horse sanctuary in the UK and has over 1100 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules in its direct care. They have 3 visitor centres in Essex, Norfolk and Warwickshire. There is some access information on the each of the Visitor Centre’s individual web pages in the “Getting Around” section.

Although the Redwing Visitor Centres do not reopen until later in the year, it’s well worth planning a visit to see the fantastic work that they do. The Ada Cole Centre is open for half-term in February. Please visit the Redwings web site or call their Visitor Helpline on 0870 040 0033 for further information.

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Sandringham House is near the accessible accommodation Park House Hotel and is one of the Royal Family’s country retreats. “The Estate is a thriving mixed landscape, including the tidal mudflats of the Wash, woodland and wetland, arable, livestock and fruit farms, and commercial and residential properties; it is managed to a high standard and sustainably with the aims always of being financially self-sufficient and of providing a place of enjoyment not only for The Royal Family but also for the many thousands of visitors who come to see the House, Museum and Gardens or just to enjoy the Country Park.” (source: www.sandringhamestate.co.uk)

Sandringham House is also fully accessible for wheelchair users and their web site has an Accessibility Page which gives a full Access Statement and there is also an Area Plan of the estate.

Sandringham House is closed until Easter 2010.  The Visitor Centre (Gift Shop, Restaurant and Plant Centre) is open every day all through the year.  Sandringham Church is closed until Easter 2010.

2010 opening dates:  from Saturday 3rd April daily until and including Friday 23rd July, then from Sunday 1st August daily until Sunday 31st October. For further details please see the Sandringham House Website.

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