I am republishing this article because it covers the most recent version of the book that I have. There is a new version available here. I’ll post an update when I receive my copy!
This is the Second Edition of the Rough Guide To Accessible Britain. The first was published in 2008.
There are several striking differences between the two editions. The first is size, the new book being a much more regular A5 and having many more pages (192).
The second is colour. The first book was colour throughout. The second has a coloured introduction and the rest is black and white. This is not a criticism though, the book is well presented and FREE!
Probably the biggest difference is the way the book has been split into sections. The first edition
concentrated on the type of activity (Family Fun, Parks and Gardens etc), this time the sections are ordered by Region. Obviously there are pro’s and con’s to both but now it’s certainly easier to find attractions according to where you are in the country.
The Cities and Towns section has disappeared completely. I suppose the section was always a bit of a gamble. There is no way you can describe how accessible Edinburgh is in just 2 paragraphs. A valiant effort was made but it didn’t really work!
The emphasis is on attractions with a common style throughout the book. Each attraction gets three paragraphs. The first indicates a geographical location with a fact about the area. The second is more specific giving information about the attraction it’s self and the third comments on disabled access.
Above each entry is a row of symbols giving specific information about on site facilities. This includes whether a wheelchair user will need assistance, is there a hearing loop, are the toilets accessible etc. The key can be found inside the front cover and is easy to use.
There is a good selection of new attractions in this second edition and these are joined by updated versions of reviews from the first. As before, the articles are short but informative and easy to read. As a Rough Guide it is perfect although there may be more specific questions that are not answered.
It’s free!! So Yes!!
As with the first edition, the second is free to Blue Badge holders. If you are not a Blue Badge holder, the guide price is £6.99. I’m not sure I would pay the cover price but for free it is a very well presented, good quality guide.
Check out http://www.accessibleguide.co.uk for your copy.
This could be one of our favourite sites. It is beautifully kept to the usual Caravan Club standards and the staff were just as warm and welcoming as we have come to expect. Despite being busy over the Easter Holiday period, the site felt spacious and quite. Whiling away the hours was easy. The kids found friends and as early clouds gave way to sunny evenings, finishing off the BBQ with an extra glass of wine was far from unpleasant.
The site is on the banks of the River Breamish in Northumberland. The site is fairly remote but there are a number of places to visit within about 30mins drive. There are even a few Geocaches in the area!
I haven’t checked but looking at the Toilet Block, I would guess this site has benefited from a refurbishment in recent years. All services are provided in one block. Unusually there is one main entrance with all but the veg prep/washing up room accessed through a large vestibule.
The toilets, showers and privacy cubicles felt a little more spacious than is the norm but otherwise the cleanliness and levels of service are as expected from the CC. Outside there was access to water, waste drops for motor-homes and chemical waste facilities.
In addition to the main block, there were more than the usual number of water/waste points round the site. Each of these featured chemical disposal. A welcome sight!
There is a Fish and Chip Van on site: Saturdays – 5 ‘till 7pm
Unfortunately the site is not really suited to wheelchairs. This really is unfortunate because, in the main, the site is level and the facilities are more than adequate. On this trip I didn’t need to use the disabled facilities but I was assured that they are the standard CC offering of large wet-room style with a toilet, washbasin and shower.
The site has the usual one way system on a tarmac road. However, all other roads and paths are gravel or grass. There are a high number of grass pitches and even some of the (gravel) hardstandings meant driving over grass to get to them. There are a few hardstanding pitches close to the toilet block that can be accessed by tarmac road but again, the (much) shorter path is gravel!
If you can manage with a stick or two, then you would probably be OK. As stated, the site is fairly level and access to the facilities and toilet block is very good. Equally, I wouldn’t expect anyone with a scooter to have any difficulties other than possibly having to go “the long way round”.
The closest town of any size is Alnwick, 12 miles away. There is a petrol station with small shop at the end of the road (a good mile) and the village of Powburn has a pub and a couple of shops. Otherwise, the site is in the middle of nowhere.
If you have been to the River Breamish Caravan Club Site and would like to add comments to this review, please do. We are particularly interested in comments about access and how easy (or otherwise) Disabled People found their stay.
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