top of page

Accessible Nature UK

I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list

Travel Blog

As seen on the BBC     click on this link  https://fb.watch/aJvSAu0JoM/
Please find us on Facebook and, like so this site grows- If you use mobility equipment please send me your own favourite wanders - the more the merrier so this becomes a guide covering the whole of the UK.

Accessiblenatureuk is intended to be a useful - factual resource aimed at helping people who are dependant on a mobility / power chair, electric propelling unit such as a Batec, Triride, Klaxon or similar, freewheel and self propelled wheelchair to access the natural world and nature. Written by Peter Lau ( himself a T6 paraplegic and full time wheelchair user since April 2014). Peter wanted to get back out and resume his love of the natural world, experience it fully and develop his wildlife photography skills.
The information contained on this site is available FOC in the hope that you too can better access wilder places and our wonderful country. The information you will find is based on Peter's own findings from visits he has made. You can also find us on Facebook and instagram.
Trpical Beach
#loopwheels #batec
 
9637128A-430B-4E06-9D6B-B65F116702D3_1_1
47C8EF17-9428-475D-8338-4EAC9D60EC84_1_1
To find the routes head to the top of the home page, and click on either 1) Cromwell Bottom, or 2) Denso Marston or click on more to reveal more routes.

For an interactive location map - please click on this link.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1suyEWcro00SMPao_HF5Igct92y0thKY1&usp=sharing

Routes added so far -
1) Cromwell Bottom Nature Reserve Elland. West Yorkshire.
2) Denso Marston Nature Reserve, Baildon. West Yorkshire.
3) Harewood House Loop, Leeds. West Yorkshire.
4) Adel Dam YWT & Golden Acre Park, Leeds. West Yorkshire.
5) Potteric Carr Nature Reserve, YWT, Doncaster. S Yorkshire.
6) Swintsy & Fewsten Reservoirs, Nr Harrogate. N Yorkshire.
7) Askham Bog Nature Reserve, YWT, York. N Yorkshire.
8) Rodley Nature Reserve, Leeds. W Yorkshire.
9) St Aidans RSPB Nature Reserve, Allerton Bywater, Leeds. W Yorkshire.
10) Scout Dike Reservoir, Sheffield ( Barnsley). S Yorkshire.
11) Ingbirchworth Reservoir, Barnsley. S Yorkshire.
12) Bempton Cliffs, Bempton. E Yorkshire.
13) East Marton Linear route, Nr Skipton. N Yorkshire.
14) Dove Stone Reservoir, RSPB, Greenfield, Nr Manchester.
15) Middleton Park & Urban Bike Park, Middleton, Leeds. W Yorkshire.
16) Kirkstall Abbey & Tea Rooms, Leeds. W Yorkshire.
17) Adwick Washlands.
18) Mere Sands Nature Reserve, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Ormskirk, Lancashire.
19) Clumber Park, National Trust, Worksop, S80 3AZ. S Yorkshire.
20) Kielder Water, Kielder Forest Park, Hexham, NE48 1ER.
21) Rothwell Country Park, YWT, Bullough Lane, Rothwell Collery, Leeds, LS26 0JY. W Yorkshire.
22) St Ives Estate, Bingley, West Yorkshire.
23) Ogden Country Park, Halifax, West Yorkshire.
24) The disused Railway Dogellau to Barmouth, Wales.
25) Monsal Trail, Derbyshire.
26) Tissington Trail, Derbyshire.
27) Spurn Point & Kilnsea Wetlands, YWT, Hull.
28) Formby Nature reserve, Liverpool.
29) Temple Newsham Estate, Leeds, West Yorkshire.
30) Dunham Massey Grounds & Gardens, Nr Manchester.
31) Centenary Riverside, Rotherham. S Yorkshire.
32) Lyndon & Rutland Water, Notts.
33) Ripon Wetlands Nature Reserve, YWT.
34) Trans Pennine Trail, Wortley to Penistone. S Yorkshire.
35) Sherwood Forest Park, Mansfield, S Yorkshire
36) Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, Ripon. N Yorkshire.
37) Fairburn Ings, Nr Castleford. W Yorkshire.
38) Leighton Moss RSPB , Carnforth.
39) Castle Hill, Huddersfield.
40) The Strawberry Line, Yatton, Somerset.
41) Two Tunnels, Bath, Somerset.
42) Foxgloves Covert, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire.
43) Bolton On Swale YWT Nature Reserve, Catterick, North Yorkshire.
44) North Cave Wetlands, YWT, Near Beverley, East Yorkshire.
45) Blacktoff Sands RSPB, Lincolnshire.
46) Bristol to Bath Cycle Path, Bristol.
47) Avon Trail, Conham.
48) Frampton Marsh RSPB, 
49) Attenborough Nature Reserve, Nottingham.
50) Brockholes Nature Reserve, Nr Preston.
51) Staveley Nature Reserve, YWT, Boroughbridge.
52) Hollingworth Lake, Littleborough.
53) Skelton Lake and nature trail, Leeds.
54) Pugneys Water Park, Wakefield.
55) Anglers Country Park, Wakefield.
56) Roundhay Park, Leeds.
57) Haw Park Wood, Wakefield.
58) St Mary's Island Whitley Bay.
59) Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield,
60) Rabbit Ings, Barnsley
61) Nostell Priory & Park Wakefield,
62) Tophill Low Nature Reserve, Near Driffield, East Yorkshire,
62) Manvers Lake, Station Road. With-Upon- Dearne. Rotherham
63) Haldon Forest Park, Exeter.
65) Dartington Hall, Gdns and Estate.
66) Lindisfarne (aka Holy Island, Northumberland.
67)Teignmouth Sea front and sea defences.
68) Nosterfield Nature Reserve, Ripon.
69) Alnwick Castle & Gardens, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE661QN.
70) Newborough Warren / Tywyn Niwbwrch, Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Holyhead, Wales, LL61RS
71) Queen Elizebeth Country Park, Northumberland.
72) Old Moor RSPB Dearne Valley, Rotherham. 
73) Far Ings Nature Reserve, LWT, Far Ings Rd, Barton-Upon- Humber, DN18 5RG.
74) Alkborough Flats, Alkborough Village, North Lincolnshire.
75) Calke Abbey, gardens and estate, Derbyshire, Ticknall. Derbyshire, DE73 7JF
76) Cusworth Hall & Gdns, Cusworth,, Doncaster, DN5 7TU.
77) Ravenseat Farm, Yorkshire Dales, Richmondshir, DL11 6LP.
       with Access the Dales.
78) Chatsworth Estate, Gardens and ground, Derbyshire,  Bakewell DE45 1PP.
79) Hardwick Hall Hotel, estate and gardens, Sedgefield, Durham. TS21 2EH.
80) Slaithwaite to Marsden Tunnel end. Huddersfield
81) Ruddi's retreat wander. Marsden Tunnel end to Slaithwaite canal route.
82) Thoresby Courtyard, The Courtyard, Thoresby Park, Newark, NG229EP
83) The island of ILE D'Azr, Brittany, France.
84) Arradon Coastal path, Arradon, Brittany, France.
85) Ile -aux-Moines, Brittany, gulf of Morhiban, France 
86) Oakwell Hall and country park, Nova Ln, Birstall, Batley WF17 9LF
87) Baitings Reservoir and dam, Ripponden, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX64LR
88) Sprotbrough Flask (Yorkshire Wildlife Trust), Sprotbrough, Doncaster, DN5 7NB.
89) The Kelpies and Helix Park, Falkirk, Scotland.
90) Lock Muick, Ballatar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.AB35 5SU
91) Deeside Way, Ballater, Aberdeenshire,Scotland. 
92) Balmoral loop, Crathie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
93) Loch Garten, Loch Malachie & Abernthy RSPB, Nethy Bridge, Scotland.
94) Linn of Dee, Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
95) Wentworth House, Gardens and parkland, Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
96) Loweswater, Cumbria, CA13 0RU.
97) Thrybergh Country Park, Doncaster Rd, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S65 4NU
98)
99)
100)




About me, the author.
My passion has always been about nature and our natural world. To get my fix I travelled all around the world with my family and friends - scuba diving, mountain biking, kayaking, running, walking, we visited and experienced amazing places and wildlife. We were so privileged.

Then one day in April 2014 everything changed. A crash on my mountain bike led to my fight for life, then my fight to reinvent myself. Not only had I lost my beloved career in the British Fire Service but every hobby that I spent my time pursuing. 

I had to relearn how to live life as a T6 paraplegic, paralysed from the chest down and reliant on a wheelchair for mobility. Suffering constant tremendous nerve pain as a result of my severed spinal cord, but also having to come to terms of my new situation. Depression and a struggle with medication, as well as mental health all adding to my / our battle.

I am and remain fully appreciative that my wife who works in the NHS is very supportive. She helps me get on with life and makes sure I push myself to the limits I can achieve by encouragement. Beloved family members and great friends also help me if I need it, a difficult thing to accept help but I soon realised that if I want to get the most out of life then help must at times be an integral part of it.

I appreciate I am so very fortunate to have a Batec Scrambler - an electric powered wheelchair attachment that has provided me with a way to explore the wonderful places I can now reach. I can cover a lot of miles - taking with me a quite heavy camera and lens. My Batec was bought and is maintained by Cyclone Mobility,  it gives me my independence and freedom. A standing joke with Cyclone Mobility is my track record of abusing my equipment - It and I go far - across what you would often think is ridiculous terrain for someone in a wheelchair - a Batec and I have many thousands of miles under our belt- finding these routes doesn't always go to plan. I owe a debt to a number of strangers who after a joyful and perhaps over enthusiastic bit of route finding research outing I have ended up on the floor! So please be assured the routes on this site are tested and quite safe.

​I have come a long way since my accident in 2014, achieved much and continue to develop my new norm.
A huge part of my rehab has been keeping busy and occupying my mind - learning new skills such as photography as well as improving  my knowledge base of land and air dwelling nature. It is this that has led me to create Accessible Nature UK, please enjoy.

Foreword by iolo Williams, Welsh Naturalist & TV Presenter-
iolo said-

"Nature should be accessible to everyone no matter what their physical abilities. Many organisations, however, give little or no information about access for less able individuals to the sites they manage. Through his accessiblenatureuk website, Peter Lau is addressing this problem by visiting dozens of nature reserves throughout the land and recording his findings. The result is an ever growing bank of invaluable information for any physically impaired naturalist wishing to visit one of the 70+ nature reserves Peter has accessed to date.


IoLo Williams".

https://iolowilliams.co.uk


 
Screenshot 2022-01-21 at 21.11.12.png
kestrel flight.tif
stonechat sunset.png
47C8EF17-9428-475D-8338-4EAC9D60EC84_1_1
9637128A-430B-4E06-9D6B-B65F116702D3_1_1
6CE558DA-319B-4102-90D7-66D8FFF35297_1_201_a.heic
Screenshot 2020-07-15 at 15.53.35.png

Sincere thanks to Cyclone Mobility for sponsoring this website.

bottom of page