Beautiful, accessible pathway and attractions - Lakeside Way
4.5
4.5
Date of visit: September 2015
Overall Rating
Excellent
The path around Kielder reservoir is 26 miles of wide, disability accessible paths. This is a multi-use path for many users, except for cars, making it very safe to navigate and plenty of room for everyone. There are a few different places to eat around the lake (including The Calvert Trust – an outdoor activities centre disabled people), all hosting car parks making it possible to pick a section of the path you would like to explore or travel around the whole route. There is also a wheelchair friendly, passenger ferry situated at two points around the reservoir which sails from shore to shore. There is a sculpture trail around the route; however some of these are not accessible due to uneven paths leading off the main trail. Everything is well signposted the whole way around. The downsides are a few steep hills which aren’t impossible but are possibly more difficult to push wheelchairs up. Also, the north shore has no points of contact from Kielder down to the dam wall (12 miles).
Disabled Access In and Around
Excellent
There is plenty of signage surrounding the whole lake. Large wooden signs with large writing mark each mile point, each sculpture on the trail and each viewpoint. The signs also state if there are sharp corners coming up or steep inclines. There are plenty of benches along the way to give visitors a chance to sit and rest. There are no steps around the route. Some of the sculptures are not accessible due to uneven rough paths but this does not affect the lakeside way route.
Parking & Transport
Good
There is plenty of disabled parking along the south shore, surrounding the dam wall and within Kielder village. However, there is no parking and visitors are unable to drive along the south shore at all.
Accessible Toilets
Good
There are plenty of opportunities to use the loo at the dam wall public toilets, eating places such as Tower Knowe, Leaplish activities centre, Calvert Trust and Kielder Castle visitors centre. There are no toilets for 12 miles down the north shore of the reservoir between Kielder Castle and the dam wall. All the toilets are wheelchair accessible and are clean and tidy.
Additional Information
I have been to this attraction many times already and would definitely recommend it to anyone. The only improvements I may suggest are a public toilet midway down the north side of the reservoir and an emergency pay phone, as there is no mobile phone signal in the area.
