With the warmer weather on the way, now is a great time to head to the beach – at this time of year, it is usually much quieter than during the summer months and just as much fun! There are a host of wheelchair accessible beaches across the UK, so here are some suggestions of great beaches to visit this Spring.

Broad Haven Beach | Pembrokeshire | Wales

The beaches of Pembrokeshire are well known for their beauty and during the spring, when the surrounding AONB is bursting with new flowers, it is always a treat. Broad Haven is one of the more accessible of the beaches in this area – there is a concrete slipway and accessible toilets – and has some of the calmer waters, making it good for splashing around. The beach also has a couple of all terrain beach wheelchairs available for hire, you just need to book yours prior to arrival.

Other beaches in this area that are accessible include: Poppit Sands, West Angle Bay, Freshwater East, Castle Beach, South Beach, Carew Castle, Coppet Hall, North Beach, Saundersfoot and Newport Sands. All of these beaches have all terrain wheelchairs available to hire, as well as other accessible facilities. Book your wheelchairs before your visit and find out more about accessibility across Pembrokeshire’s beaches here.

 There are two car parks at Broad Haven Beach, one at Marine Road and a more accessible one at Stackpole Court. Alternatively, there are several train stations across Pembrokeshire and buses that can take you directly to Broad Haven.

Brighton Beach | Brighton, Sussex | England

One of the most popular beaches in Britain, Brighton has been attracting visitors for generations and features a host of fun beachfront attractions, including a pier, an observation tour, the oldest working electric railway and the world’s oldest aquarium – that’s before you even get to the beach itself. Brighton’s beach has a Changing Places toilet, accessible toilets and ramps, as well as all terrain wheelchairs available to hire. You will need to book the chair in advance from the seafront office, you can find more information about how to get in touch with them here.

Brighton’s beach is in the city and while there is parking near the beach, this isn’t always easy to come by. You can also access the beach via train, Brighton Station is about a mile away from the beachfront, but the trip to the shore is mostly flat and there are beaches and taxis available at the front of the station.

North Berwick | East Lothian | Scotland

Scotland is home to an array of beautiful beaches and North Berwick in East Lothian isn’t too far from the city of Edinburgh, so you can easily make a trip to the coast while on a city break. As well as the beach, which has a ramp to the harbour and is considered one of Scotland’s most accessible, there is also a seabird centre which is wheelchair accessible.

The beach has several all terrain wheelchairs available, as well as a fixed outdoor hoist, which are available from the beach Hut in the harbour. Like most beaches, you will need to book the wheelchairs in advance, either by phone or online. Find out more here.

Nearby you’ll also find accessible car parks and accessible toilets, including one using the RADAR scheme. If you’re using public transport, there is a train station not too far from the beach if you want to travel from Edinburgh or elsewhere in Scotland.

Boscombe Beach | Dorset | England

Boscombe, near Bournemouth in Dorset, has one of the South West’s best beaches for accessibility. As it is outside of Bournemouth, it is often quieter than the main beach, even in the summer months and has some lovely views, especially from the pier.

There are wheelchairs with balloon tyres available to hire from the beach office, they are loaned on a first come, first served basis and may not be available at all times during the year, so make sure to contact them before you travel. Find out more here. 

The beach also has three purpose built accessible beach huts, which have space for four wheelchair users, as well as a range of features, including a ceiling mounted hoist. These huts are also close to the beach’s Changing Places facility and accessible toilets. Wheelchair accessible beach barbecue hot plates are also available to hire on the seafront.

There is accessible parking on the promenade or you can use public transport from Bournemouth. Also from Bournemouth beach, you can catch the land train which is wheelchair accessible and makes trips between there and Boscombe.

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