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West Yorkshire

Photo of a tiny row of houses in West Yorkshire. Photo of a tiny row of houses in West Yorkshire.

The beautiful English countryside of West Yorkshire has withstood years of textile industry to become decorated with sculpture, nature reserves and pretty villages. In parts, the countryside has given way to modern cities - Leeds and Bradford edge closer together every day - but the moorland landscapes of the Bronte sisters remain. Whether you choose to explore the wild West Yorkshire nature reserves or are pulled in by the liveliness of the 21st century cities, this corner of Yorkshire is full of accessible surprises.

The Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle

Photo of The Hepworth Wakefield.

Four of Yorkshire’s top art venues make three points of the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle, and each point is around a thirty-minute drive apart. The best part is, there is now a Changing Places toilet at every point of the triangle! The Hepworth Wakefield closed the gap with its new Changing Places facility installed in 2018, and the gallery has been described as having ‘excellent disabled access facilities.’

Wakefield

Its sculpture gallery isn’t the only reason to visit Wakefield; there is theatre, the history of coal mining, art and rumours of an incredible nearby ice-cream parlour

Photo of visitors to the Coal Mining Museum.

Wakefield is close to West Yorkshire’s other cities, and only a twenty-minute drive from Leeds. You could easily stay in one of Leeds or Bradford’s accessible rooms and spend a day here! The National Coal Mining Museum for England is a brilliant industrial attraction that has been highly rated on Euan’s Guide. One visitor said: ‘There are large doors and hallways providing a spacious pathway for those who are disabled or require a little more support or room.’

If you enjoy being outdoors, you’ll find lots of woodland trails and lakeside walks at Newmillerdam Country Park. It’s been described as having lots of wildlife, and one visitor wrote: ‘Access to the lakeside walk is excellent. The footpath is well maintained and has seating placed along the route.’

Do you like liquorice? Take a drive to Pontefract near Wakefield to visit Farmer Copleys, said to be the 'Home of Liquorice’ thanks to its long history with the liquorice plant. We hear the pork and liquorice pie is quite special… One visitor told us there was a ‘nice clean accessible toilet’ at the farm.

A family day out in West Yorkshire

Kids will love Eureka! The National Children’s Museum in Halifax! One visitor reviewed the museum on Euan’s Guide saying: ‘Wow. We loved every minute of our visit. The staff couldn’t have been more welcoming and the museum is just fantastic. We travelled down from Scotland for an event and it was definitely worth it!’

An accessible weekend in Leeds

An aerial view of Leeds.

This modern Yorkshire city is one of the most reviewed destinations on Euan’s Guide! There are several hotels with accessible rooms to choose from and a huge number of museums and attractions to visit around Leeds.

If you’re heading to the city for a gig, Leeds Arena Hotel is close to the O2 Academy and First Direct Arena. One guest loved staying here and said: ‘From the moment we arrived the service was fantastic with a seamless experience for me as a powerchair user and my visually impaired companion.’ Alternatively, you can stay in a luxury apartment in Roomzzz near the train station. It’s been described as having ‘plenty of room in the wet room, including for a hoist.’

There’s so much to see in Leeds that a weekend might not be enough! History-lovers might enjoy Thwaite Mills with its large print and easy read information, or the audio described tour at Kirkstall Abbey. If it’s your first time in Leeds, the Leeds City Museum might be a good place to start! There are lots of tactile, audio and visual exhibits throughout.

Why you should explore Bradford

Photo of food on a table at MyLahore.

The city of Bradford and its surrounding towns and villages are a kaleidoscope of culture, creativity, food and drink! Dubbed the curry capital of the UK, Bradford is renowned for its curry houses, and the city has been known to host poppadum-eating challenges. MyLahore’s flagship curry house is in Bradford and has accessible loos on the same floor as the main entrance. A must try is the Samosa Chaat!

For a family day out in the Bradford, check out the Science and Media Museum on Little Horton Lane. The free entry museum is in the heart of the first UNESCO City of Film and has galleries including Life Online, the Games Lounge and an Animation Gallery. One visitor wrote on Euan’s Guide: ‘The museum had automatic doors for wheelchair users to get through…The directions of the museum are in large print.’

If you’d like to stay longer in Bradford, try the Best Western Plus Cedar Court Hotel. It’s good for exploring both Bradford and Leeds, and one guest said: ‘There are lifts to all floors of the hotel, so you have access to all the fantastic facilities.’

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