Midlands
IN AND AROUND THE BLACK COUNTRY WITH A WHEELCHAIR
These pages will be updated during 2010 in the meantime we strongly advise you to check with the accommodation and attraction providers included for more current information.
The Black Country is an area of South Staffordshire and North Worcestershire that was named because of the smoke that polluted the air from the densely packed industrial manufacturers that sprang up in this part of the world in the past.
For accessible places to stay in the area please scroll to the bottom of the page and for a wider accommodation search for other areas of the Midlands and the UK click here.
A street in the Black Country Living Museum
The Black Country Living Museum is situated in Castle Hill Dudley and visiting it will help to explain the unique history of this part of England. Wheelchair users pay the normal entrance fee but if they have a carer, he or she goes in free. There are ramps to help you access some of the shops and other buildings which are available on request. It is a large and interesting site with a modern cafe at the entrance and a restaurant near the canal. There are two disabled toilets, one reasonable sized one by the introductory video and the other by the restaurant. The latter needs updating and has fixed bars that could prove obstructive when trying to transfer from a wheelchair (however I understand that this problem is being addressed). There are disabled parking spaces in the car park, you will need a token to exit which is free to the disabled.
Inside the Tropical Bird House at Dudley Zoo
Dudley Zoological Gardens are a five minute car ride from The Black Country Museum. The car park is signposted off of The Broadway and there are disabled spaces at the top end, the zoo can be reached along a pathway at the side of a nightclub. There is a reduced entrance fee for wheelchair users and their carers. It is possible to access the majority of the exhibits but most of the site is extremely steep especially to the castle, so you will need to have a strong pusher. There is a landtrain but you will need to be able to transfer from your chair. (Updating this is being considered at the moment and wheelchair users will be borne in mind). There are disabled toilets scattered throughout the site. There is a cafe and a restaurant. Despite the steep gradients it is well worth a visit.
Red House Glass Cone
Red House Glass Cone is in Wordsley near Stourbridge. It lies at the heart of the Stourbridge glass making industry and is one of only four left in the UK. It is now possible to access both floors with a wheelchair (although there is one step to negotiate at the end of the ramp from the lift). Audio guides are available and these explain a lot about the history. Live demonstrations are carried out inside the cone. There is an excellent disabled toilet on site and a cafe. The staff were very helpful and informative. Adjoining the cone is The Stewart Crystal Factory Shop and there is a free car park just across the road.
The walled kitchen garden at Sandwell Park Farm
Sandwell Valley Country Park is split into two sites by the M5 motorway but both have good wheelchair access to most areas. Sandwell Park Farm off Salters Lane, West Bromwich was once the home farm to the Sandwell estate, owned by the Earl of Dartmouth. There is a small exhibition, gift shops and a tea room as well as farm animals and the kitchen garden. There is a RADAR disabled toilet (key available from the tea room) and free car parking. Two and a half miles away by road in Forge Lane is Forge Mill Farm and visitor centre. There is a gift shop, a farm trail and in the late afternoon you can watch the cows being milked. There is a RADAR disabled toilet and free car parking. Nearby is a lake and nature reserve.
The bridle workshop at Walsall leather museum
The Leather Museum is situated on one side of Day Street car park (free for disabled badge holders) off Littleton Street West part of the Walsall ring road. There is good wheelchair access with a lift to the first floor (operated by a member of staff). Admission is free and there is a shop, a tea room and a disabled toilet. Leather was an important part of Walsall's industrial history and the museum reflects this.
The square outside The New Art Gallery Walsall
Walsall Art Gallery is well signposted and only five minutes walk from the leather museum. At present it has no disabled parking of its own but should have in the near future. The gallery has produced an access guide to assist disabled visitors and their carers when planning a visit, to request a copy please phone 01922 654400. There is excellent access throughout with good disabled toilets on three floors and large lifts. A lot of thought has gone into making the gallery enjoyable for people of all abilities, particularly those with impaired sight. There are lightweight portable seats available on request and the gallery has two wheelchairs of its own for visitors to use. It houses some important works of art including a collection of bronze sculptures by Jacob Epstein. These have been coated in a wax resin so that they can be explored by touch. There is a restaurant and cafe on site and admission is free.
Part of the garden at Bantock House
Bantock House and park is one mile out of Wolverhampton town centre in Finchfield Road. The house is fully accessible to wheelchairs with a lift to upstairs and a further wheelchair lift (operated by a member of staff) to enable you to view all the exhibits. Not only does it explain the history of the house but also the history of Wolverhampton and its people. There is a disabled toilet, a shop, a tea room, parking and admission are free.
The Black Country is an interesting and diverse place to explore with a wealth of history and plenty to see and do. Hopefully this taste of its attractions will encourage a visit.
For places to stay, there are several Travel inns and Travelodges in the area with conventional baths. Also an Express by Holiday Inn at Oldbury, with wheel-in showers