Midlands
VIEWING WORCESTER FROM A WHEELCHAIR
Worcester Cathedral
Worcester is an interesting city with a mixture of heritage and tradition and a good range of shops.
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Worcester Cathedral has been a place of worship for fourteen centuries with the present building being started in 1084. It is a beautiful and awe inspiring place. Admission is free and it is wheelchair accessible almost throughout. However to see the quire it is necessary to go outside of the building and enter at a door further along, in order to avoid the steps. There is a gift shop and a tea shop as well as disabled toilets and disabled parking in the nearby King Street car park.
The Museum of Worcester Porcelain
The Royal Worcester visitor centre is an excellent place to visit. The museum has been especially adapted to make it wheelchair friendly with a wheelchair lift to avoid steps. Although you cannot tour the factory in a wheelchair there is a film that explains both about the past and the present day. The shop is accessible and so is the 'Hands On' activity where you can decorate a plate to take home. The restaurant which serves delicious meals has also had a wheelchair lift installed which can be accessed through the shop. There are disabled toilets and parking on site. You will need to allow at least half a day for your visit.
The Bickerline River Trip
Just below the cathedral is the river Severn and from the South Quay it is possible to take a forty five minute river trip aboard the Marianne. There is a steep gangway on to the deck however there is assistance available to help you on board and when you leave. There are light refreshments served on board the boat during the trip. Umbrellas are provided for inclement weather!
Cripplegate Park
There are several parks in the city that are wheelchair friendly and they have beautiful floral displays. Cripplegate is a short walk across the bridge from the South Quay and there is 'on street' parking opposite the park alongside the river.
Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum has a lift from the street to the main floor. Although the display area is not large, it is possible to negotiate it with a wheelchair. There are disabled toilets and a cafe on site. The other museums such as The Commandery are not at present accessible however the site is being refurbished during 2006 and when it reopens in the summer of 2007 it will include disabled access.
Worcester Woods Country Park
If you leave the city centre on the B4084 and follow the brown and white 'Countryside Centre' signs you will come to Worcester Woods Country Park. There is a wheelchair friendly trail through the woods which at the time of our visit were carpeted with wood anemones and bluebells. There is an information centre, disabled toilet and a cafe.
The Jinney Ring Craft Centre
Approximately 12 miles northeast of Worcester at Hanbury on the B4091 is the Jinney Ring craft centre. This is wheelchair friendly around all the craft studios and shop. There is an excellent farmhouse kitchen restaurant serving lunches as well as light refreshment. There is also a disabled toilet and parking.
Curators Cottage
A few miles north of the craft centre at Stoke Heath is the Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings. Buildings from seven centuries have been rescued and rebuilt on this fifteen acre open-air site. It is not possible to access inside all the buildings but ramps have been installed where possible. There is a tea room serving light refreshments. There is a disabled toilet in the car park however the access ramp was partially flooded on our visit which hopefully will be rectified now it has been drawn to their attention. There was also a disabled sign on the ladies toilet inside the site, however on inspection it would have been impossible to negotiate with a wheelchair. These problems aside the museum was a very interesting and enjoyable place to visit.
The Bruce Wake Trust offer boating holidays suitable for wheelchair users. They have a narrowboat and a riverboat both especially adapted for the disabled. Suggested cruises include the River Severn and Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and the Stourport Ring. The boats are based at Upton-on-Severn 10 miles south of Worcester and are very reasonably priced. Crews need to include at least two competent able-bodied members.
There is a Travel Inn at junction 6 of the M5 close to Worcester and a Travelodge at Droitwich about six miles north of Worcester. The disabled access rooms at these two establishments do not have wheelchair access showers just ordinary baths.
About ten miles east of Worcester at Acton Green is Hidelow Lodge Guesthouse which has a cottage with disabled access including a wheel-in shower.
Worcester and the surrounding countryside is a beautiful and interesting area to visit.