Parks & Gardens

The UK is a very green country and everywhere you look, even in the depths of the biggest cities you’ll find green spaces. There are parks and gardens all across Britain to visit and enjoy because at its heart, the UK is full of great gardeners and people who love being outside! 

Britain's parks and tourist gardens are mostly level, with paved walkways, making it easy for anyone using a stroller, pram, wheelchair or mobility scooter. 

Parks of all shapes and sizes

The public parks and gardens in the UK are a joy to visit, especially during the summer when the sun is shining, and people are happy to sit and have a picnic in the warm weather. Many of the parks have play areas for children, dog walking areas and even cafes and refreshment kiosks, making them great places to while away a few hours. The majority of them have level access and paths wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs.

As well as public parks and gardens, the UK has a whole host of national parks, such as the Peak District, the New Forest, Exmoor and Dartmoor to name a few. These national parks are important areas for the conservation of wildlife and are a hive of natural beauty. The UK’s national parks are free to visit, though there may be small charges for parking nearby, you’ll often find that there is free parking and concessions available for anyone displaying a valid blue badge. The National Parks are a great place to visit for anyone interested in wildlife, bird watching or just spending some time out in the wilderness. They are often home to rare or otherwise unknown species of plants and animals and of course, there are some amazing views and landscapes. You’ll see everything from wild deer to wild horses, bugs, rabbits and a few other things too depending on the season and the time of day. Do be aware that all the animals that are seen in National Parks are wild and you shouldn’t approach them under any circumstances, it is also important to keep any service animals close by, should they become spooked by a wild animal and to be aware when using mobility aids, as they could startle nearby wildlife.

Aside from Britain’s National Parks, you’ll also find large and small parks and decorative gardens throughout all the towns and cities. Wherever you are, from London to Birmingham, to Skegness to Hull, there are accessible parks and gardens to be found. In fact the city of Cardiff has more green space per capita than it does people! These areas of tranquillity are perfect for anyone looking to have a picnic, to sit down with a good book or just bask in the sun people watching. They are fun and inexpensive, though some gardens that are run by the National Garden Scheme, English Heritage or the National Trust might carry some charges, they are generally minimal and those that are managed by these companies will have extensive accessibility information and shuttles to help those with limited mobility get around the site.

Parks and gardens are a good choice for families, you can get involved with activities such as walking, cycling, football or even joining the local park run.

Hive of activity

It isn’t just green parks with flower beds and trees that you’ll find dotted around the UK, you’ll also find open areas that have age-appropriate play and gym equipment, for both adults and children, as well as bandstands, where you can occasionally catch a free performance. The UK also has an abundance of skate parks which are accessible for anyone who wants to have a go, whether that’s on a skateboard, scooter or a wheelchair. Some of these areas have kiosks where you can hire specialists wheelchairs and protective pads, so you can speed down the ramps and curves of the skatepark at your leisure!

Parks and gardens are open to everyone, though some might have uneven ground in places, you’ll find that the majority of them do have level paths for anyone who might have some mobility restrictions and feature information signs that have Braille and large print on them

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