North Yorkshire Countryside Directory for People with Disabilities
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North Yorkshire Countryside Directory for People with Disabilities Fourth Edition Whatever your needs, access to and enjoyment of the countryside is rewarding, healthy and great fun. This directory can help you find out what opportunities are available to you in your area. Get yourself outdoors and enjoy all the benefits that come with it… Foreword written by: Dame Judi Dench This directory was put together by people with a disability for people with a disability, though the places and information included will be useful to anyone. Covering 803,499 hectares, North Yorkshire is the largest county in England. It is hardly surprising then, that the local countryside has so much to offer. It is more than worth taking that first step and getting yourself involved, regardless of your abilities. For people interested in wildlife and conservation there is much that can be done from home or a local accessible area. Whatever your chosen form of countryside recreation, whether it’s joining a group, doing voluntary work, or getting yourself out into the countryside on your own, we hope you will get as much out of it as we do. There is still some way to go before we have a properly accessible countryside. By contacting Open Country or another of the organisations listed in this directory, you can help us to encourage better access for all in the future. First Edition published February 2004 Revised March 2009 and January 2015 This edition published January 2018 Copyright © Open Country 2018 Foreword Having been born and brought up in York, I have very fond memories of being taken by my doctor father on his half-day off (usually a Thursday afternoon) for picnics in the countryside or on the moors. Yorkshire has some of the most beautiful scenery and I have the most fond memories of a childhood spent enjoying it to the full. These are my memories and it should be possible for everyone, including those with disabilities, to have the same opportunity to enjoy the countryside. That is why this Directory is so important and does such a wonderful job of making access available to everyone. With best wishes, Dame Judi Dench Using the Directory Throughout the Directory you will see some symbols. These are to help you see what kind of facilities or information is available. Please also contact individual places to ask what they can offer people with disabilities. Key: Accessible parking is available P A wheelchair accessible toilet is available Scooters / wheelchairs are available for loan Large print leaflets are available A Braille guide is available To help readers work their way round such a large geographical area, we have separated Yorkshire into five separate areas in the ‘Walking and Outings’ sections. These are somewhat arbitrary, and none of the areas strictly follows any statutory boundaries. We have called them: 1. Harrogate District 2 3 2. Dales Area 5 3. Hambleton 1 4. York and Selby 5. Moors and Coast 4 Contents 1. Walking and Outings 1 Breakfree 2 Walking Clubs and Contacts 3 Easy Going Walks 8 Markets 18 Outings 22 2. Sports and Outdoor Pursuits 32 Sports Clubs & Contacts 33 Outdoor Pursuits 35 Outdoor Centres 39 Fishing 41 Cycling 45 Horse Riding 51 3. Wildlife & Conservation 53 Wildlife Clubs and Organisations 54 Accessible Wildlife Sites 57 4. Volunteering 66 Volunteer Websites 67 Volunteer Centres 68 Volunteering in the Countryside 69 Countryside Employment 73 5. Useful Information 77 Community & Public Transport 75 RADAR, Blue Badge Parking and Wheelchair Hire 78 Shopmobility 79 Publications 80 Tourist Information Centres 82 Disability Links 84 Websites Worth a Surf… 86 The Countryside Code 88 The Funders & Authors 89 Walking & Outings 1. Walking and Outings Breakfree 2 Walking Clubs and Contacts 3-7 Easy Going Walks 8 - Harrogate District 8-10 - Dales Area 11-13 - York & Selby 13-15 - Moors & Coast 15-17 Markets 18-21 Outings 22 - Contacts 22 - Harrogate District 23-25 - Dales Area 25-27 - Hambleton 28 - York & Selby 28-29 - Moors & Coast 29-31 1 Breakfree Open Country have produced four Breakfree packs for Harrogate District, Nidderdale AONB and Wharfedale (web-based). Great for short walks, nature trails, children, cycles and people with disabilities. The packs have clear, colour maps for each place, with all the information you need to help plan your day. Call Open Country on 01423 507227 and we will gladly post them to you. Breakfree: get healthy and discover your local green space! 2 Walking Clubs & Contacts General contacts Disabled Ramblers www.disabledramblers.co.uk The Disabled Ramblers help mobility-challenged people get back out into the countryside. Able-bodied helpers are welcome to support members and to help with loading scooters and other jobs. About 30 rambles are run each year across England and Wales – mostly from March to October. They ramble in all weathers and over a variety of terrain. The rambles are graded according to difficulty; some are suitable for shopping buggies and power chairs, whilst others need larger scooters capable of travelling over rough ground. For enquiries use the form on the ‘Contact Us’ page on their website. The Ramblers Tel: 020 7339 8500 Email: ramblers@ramblers.org.uk www.ramblers.org.uk Britain's walking charity, working to safeguard the footpaths, the countryside and other places people go walking, and to encourage more people to take up walking. They provide information and publications and promote walking for all throughout England, Wales and Scotland. There are several local groups across Yorkshire, each group has its own walks programme with walks ranging from easy to strenuous. You can search for a group near you on their website. Walking for Health Contact: Walking for Health Team Tel: 020 7339 8541 Email: walkingforhealth@ramblers.org.uk www.walkingforhealth.org.uk Walking for Health encourages more people to become physically active in their local communities. They support the largest network of health walk schemes across England, offering regular, short, easy group walks with trained walk leaders that are free and accessible to all. There are many walks all over North Yorkshire, some are listed in the following pages but have a look on their website too or give them a call for full details of health walks in your local area. 3 Walking Clubs & Contacts Local contacts Hambleton Strollers Tel: 01609 771624 Email: strollers@ageuknorthyorkshire.org.uk www.ageuk.org.uk/northyorkshire A Walking for Health scheme covering the Hambleton District. The walks are usually on good level footpaths around towns with no stiles. Historic Guided Walks For information about Historic Guided Walks (in groups) led by volunteers, in Harrogate, Knaresborough & Ripon, contact the local Tourist Information Centres (TIC) for a leaflet and programme: Harrogate: 01423 537300 Knaresborough: 01423 866886 Ripon: 01765 604625 North Craven Strollers Tel: 01729 824537 Email: ncravenstrollers@yahoo.co.uk Easy walks of between 30-90 minutes in the Settle, Gargrave and Hellifield areas and in local villages. Open Country, Harrogate Contact: David Shaftoe Tel: 01423 50722 Email: info@opencountry.org.uk www.opencountry.org.uk Open Country runs four different walking clubs, which between them, should be suitable for most abilities: The Weekend Walking Group welcomes people with learning disabilities, visual impairments and mental health issues. They meet twice a month for cross-country rambles of about 7-9 miles. The Easy Going Walking Group meets once a month for 2-3 mile walks along fully accessible paths, so the walks are suitable for everyone, including wheelchair users. During the week, we have two chargeable services – Walk on the Wild Side and the Thursday Walking Group. Contact us for further details. Richmondshire Health Walks Tel: 07710 739192 Email: walk.for.health@btinternet.com 4 Walking Clubs & Contacts Relaxed, friendly walks in the Richmondshire area. Walks range from 30 to 90 minutes and are usually followed by a cuppa afterwards if available! Ripon Ghost Walks Tel: 01765 601235 www.yorkshiretrails.co.uk Join a guided ghost walk and explore the darker side of Ripon’s history from the macabre to the mysterious! The walks are around a mile long and finish back at the Market Square in time to see the Ripon Hornblower at 9pm. Let the guides know in advance if you are a wheelchair user so they can adapt the route accordingly. Ryedale Forum Footsteppers Walking Group Contact: Danny Dwyer, Membership Secretary Tel: 01751 474464 Email: ryedaleforum@outlook.com www.ryedaleforum.org.uk A Walking for Health scheme covering the Ryedale District. There are weekly ‘moderate’ and ‘easy’ walks of interest to people in the 50+ age group, ideally suited to those who want to become more active. You can choose between town or country walks. Selby Health Walks Email: selbyhealthwalks@googlemail.com www.shw23.btck.co.uk A friendly community walking group leading walks across the Selby district. Some shorter town walks may be suitable for wheelchairs – contact the group for more information. Skipton Craven Walkers Tel: 07984 781350 Email: cravenwalkers@btinternet.com A small group run by volunteers who arrange short walks in Skipton, along the canal and in the Yorkshire Dales, and usually meet for a chat and a coffee afterwards. Wheelchair accessible walks can be arranged upon request. A booklet ‘24 Walks for Health in Skipton’ includes routes suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs and is available from Skipton Craven Walkers or from Craven District Council (Tel: 01756 700600). Vision Support Harrogate District Tel: 01423 565915 Email: enquiries@vshd.org.uk www.vshd.org.uk 5 Walking Clubs & Contacts Monthly walks for people with visual impairments. The walks average out at about 6 miles and are based all over the Harrogate District. Volunteers offer one to one guiding.