Great walks... if you can find an accessible entry point
4
4
Date of visit: September 2021
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: dexterity or coordination and moving around.
Overall Rating
Good
We had planned a weekend camping opposite Silverhill Woods, hoping to do some hiking and generally relax. I was initially disappointed as it looked like we wouldn't be able to get me into the trails and woods but with a bit of persistence we found a way and once inside, it was fabulous! It's a man-made nature reserve on land that was once used for mining. If you have the energy/ability to climb the big hill (I didn't this time) there is a statue of a miner with a gas lamp. We did the circular walk around the big hill. It was also hilly but more manageable. I would imagine many wheelchair users would need assistance though. I needed help coming down rather than up.
Disabled Access In and Around
Average
The biggest challenge was getting into the woods. With the exception of Teversal Visitor Centre, which had an open entry point, all the other entry points seemed to have some kind of barrier... gate, A-frame, big block of wood, etc. We almost gave up, it was so bad... but I'm glad we persisted. Once inside, there are many paths, mostly wide and compacted gravel. There are some extremely steep hills but you can go where you like and choose routes that suit you. There are several trails that are old railway lines, so they are mostly flat. You can do short circular walks or long there and back trails. It was excellent for dog walking as there are no vehicles allowed on the trails. We passed a couple of cyclists and there was sufficient horse manure to suggest people ride there, but we didn't see any. We will definitely go back there as the walks were perfect for us... however, they should look at some RADAR locked gates to improve accessibility!
Parking & Transport
Excellent
There are several car parks at different entry points and street parking where there is no car park. We stayed at Teversal Camping and Caravan Site which is right opposite the woods, so we didn't need to worry about parking.
Accessible Toilets
0Don't know if there are any. We didn't see any, though the visitor centre (which was closed in the evening) may have some.
Staff
0Didn't see any staff... but there were several maps, signs, leaflets, etc.
Comments
stevieb
10 Feb 2022
A lovely, peaceful walk whatever the season and good access through out whilst on my mobility scooter and partner Nordic Walking. There are however one or two no go areas due to the steepness of the hills and as the Finnberry's say, some points have a barrier to wheelchair or mobility scooter access, however, there are easily avoided / overcome.
