MOTABILITY WAVs
The South West region of the UK, including Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire, is an immensely popular region for tourists to visit. People from across the UK, as well as international travellers, can enjoy the splendour of some of England’s most beautiful counties, full of picturesque countryside, quaint historic towns and villages, and of course, some of Europe’s best beaches.
Little wonder, that the South West ranks as the UK’s favourite domestic travel destination, with over 15% of all overnight trips within the UK being in the area.
But what about accessibility? With disabled travellers and their companions contributing over £15 billion to the UK economy each year, taking more than 11 million domestic overnight trips, venues and accomodation providers who aren’t providing accessible facilities for wheelchair users are missing out on a huge audience.
Wheelchair-Friendly Places To Go in Dorset, Somerset & Wiltshire
As 71% of consumers believe the hospitality and leisure industry isn’t paying enough attention to accessibility, knowing where you’ll be able to go if you’re dependent on a wheelchair for your personal mobility can be difficult.
We’ve put together a Brotherwood® Top 5 Guide, outlining some of our favourite wheelchair-accessible places to go in the South West. These wheelchair-friendly venues provide a varied, engaging range of activities, that can be enjoyed by all.
We recommend checking out the accessibility reviews from our friends at Euan’s Guide, as well as the Access Statement of each venue, to ensure their facilities meet your requirements before you travel.
The Tank Museum
| Location | Wareham, Dorset |
| Accessibility Rating (via Euan’s Guide) | ½ (5) |
| Adult Tickets from | £19.55 (Online; valid for re-entry for 12 months) |
The Tank Museum tells the story of tanks and the crews that served in them. At the largest indoor attraction in Dorset, you can explore the broadest and most significant collection of armoured vehicles in the world.
Very much a museum in motion, the Tank Museum brings the full tank experience to life, with live action events including the famous Tankfest, three full days of explosive displays of unique historic and modern armour.
With several positive reviews, the Tank Museum ensures that wheelchair users can enjoy as many of the exhibits as possible – and further enhances it’s inclusiveness with clever ideas such as sensory backpacks, available to borrow free of charge, and quiet mornings, where louder sound effects are switched off to prevent sensory overload.
Longleat
| Location | Warminster, Wiltshire |
| Accessibility Rating (via Euan’s Guide) | ½ (1) |
| Adult Tickets from | £44.95 |
As seen on the BBC’s Animal Park, Longleat is the UK’s number 1 Safari Park!
Nestled within the Wiltshire countryside is a realm waiting to be explored. Discover various species of animal from around the world at Longleat including lions, tigers, wolves, koalas, red panda and sea lions as you travel by road, rail, waterway and foot.
Marvel at Longleat House’s architecture, one of the finest examples of Elizabethan architecture in Britain, and wander around the grounds and formal gardens at your leisure.
There is a detailed access statement outlining which areas, including the railway, are accessible to wheelchair users. With some areas described as ‘historic’, via cobbled pathways, steps or steep ramps, the hedge maze and orangery are off-limits for wheelchair access. We’d advise against the monkey-drive through in the Safari park if you’re hiring a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle.
Stourhead House & Gardens
| Location | nr Mere, Wiltshire |
| Accessibility Rating (via Euan’s Guide) | (1) |
| Adult Tickets from | £22 (Free for National Trust Members) |
Stourhead is home to one of the world’s most famous gardens, with temples, grottos, trees and water features to explore. When Stourhead first opened in the 1740s, a magazine described it as ‘a living work of art’. The world-famous landscape garden has at its centrepiece a magnificent lake reflecting classical temples, mystical grottoes, and rare and exotic trees, and offers a day of fresh air and discovery.
Uncover the fascinating history of Stourhead house with an Italian ‘Grand Tour’ adventure, and enjoy the unique Regency library, Chippendale furniture and inspirational paintings. The Palladian house is set amid ‘picnic perfect’ lawns and extensive parkland.
With some challenging terrain that may be difficult for manual wheelchair users, caution is advised – although there are a range of Mountain Trikes and Trampers available to hire, enabling adventurous travellers to fully explore the stunning grounds.
The Fleet Air Arm Museum
| Location | Yeovilton, Somerset |
| Accessibility Rating (via Euan’s Guide) | (2) |
| £19 (Online; valid for re-entry for 12 months) |
The Fleet Air Arm Museum is a must-see attraction with its wide range of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft exhibits, some of which date back over 100 years. With four exhibition halls, over ninety aircraft, more than 2 million records, and 30 thousand artefacts, Fleet Air Arm is Europe’s largest naval aviation museum.
See the first British Concorde, experience the thrills of a working flight deck, and witness a dramatic air-sea rescue on the Aircraft Carrier Experience plus much more! The perfect all-weather venue means you can visit anytime of year for a unique and unforgettable experience.
Approximately 95% of the Museum is fully accessible for wheelchair users, so while there is still some room for improvement, disabled visitors can explore the stories of some of the most decorated and storied aircraft in the world.
Stonehenge Heritage Site
| Location | Salisbury, Wiltshire |
| Accessibility Rating (via Euan’s Guide) | (2) |
| Adult Tickets from | £25.00 (Demand-based pricing) |
Stonehenge is perhaps the world’s most famous prehistoric monument. It was built in several stages: the first monument was an early henge monument, built about 5,000 years ago, and the stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period, around 2,500 BC.
In the early Bronze Age, many burial mounds were built nearby. Today, along with Avebury, it forms the heart of a World Heritage Site, with a unique concentration of prehistoric monuments.
Reviewers appreciated the accessible toilets and friendly staff, which contributed to an inclusive experience. With the visitor centre and Stone Circle fully wheelchair accessible, getting close to thousands of years of history should be possible for all. There are even wheelchair-accessible shuttle buses running 2km between the monument itself and the visitor centre, meaning that carers and attendants needn’t worry about pushing over longer distances.
Exploring Accessible Venues
Whilst these venues provide varying levels of wheelchair accessibility, getting from your home or holiday accommodation to each venue isn’t always straight forward. With sparse accessible public transport, unreliable step-free access, and poor staff assistance, almost all disabled people face barriers when travelling.
One way to avoid such issues, is with a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle, or WAV. A WAV can enable wheelchair users and their families to enjoy a greater sense of independence, with comfortable, inclusive and safe transport, whenever, and wherever, you require.
With Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles available to buy or hire, you can start exploring some of these amazing days out with your family – and even explore more venues across the South West or further afield. Found a great accessible place to go? Drop us your recommendations in the comments below.
Volkswagen Caddy Life
Ford Tourneo Connect
Mercedes Benz V-Class
Vauxhall Vivaro e
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