By Parkdean Resorts on 23/12/2016
It’s no secret that Britain is home to hundreds of amazing beaches, with picture perfect white sands and clear blue waters. However, to get to many of these beaches people sometimes have to face steep, rocky cliffs and long walks from the car park, making them inaccessible for some.
Despite this, there are still plenty of beaches in the UK that are much easier to access, with benefits such as car parks nearby, ramps, beach-friendly wheelchairs, and disabled facilities.
Here at Parkdean Resorts, we’ve handpicked some of the most disabled friendly beaches in the UK, to make sure everybody can enjoy an accessible day out.
Boscombe Beach, Bournemouth
Video sourced from Suka Suka Lifestyle
The seaside resort of Bournemouth on the South Coast of England is well-known for its seven miles of golden sands and sparkling seas, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK.
From family attractions and historic museums, to stunning walks and a range of restaurants and bars, there really is something for everybody at Boscombe Beach. Just half an hour away from Sandford Holiday Park, Boscombe beach is also wheelchair friendly, and in 2011, four new beach huts were specially designed to make them accessible for all.
Each hut can hold up to four wheelchairs, and the inside of the huts have been redesigned to become wheelchair friendly. Along with the chairs, table, work surface, stove, and cupboards, these accessible huts also have high colour contrast surfaces and tactile floor surfaces, to assist the visually impaired.
Bournemouth Borough Council now provide beach-friendly wheelchairs, which have large balloon tyres, making trips along the beautiful beach much easier. Wheelchair users can also travel free of charge by train between Bournemouth and Boscombe Pier, as well as getting free access to the cliff lifts.
Summerleaze Beach, Cornwall
At the small seaside town of Bude in North Cornwall, sits the beautiful Summerleaze Beach. This North West facing beach is extremely popular with families, as there’s activities available to suit everybody.
Just a five-minute walk from Bude’s centre, the beach is easily accessible, and is also surrounded by sand dunes, making it the perfect, secluded place for families to enjoy a fun day out. It has a range of facilities, including disabled access from the car park, toilets with an electric hoist, and disabled sand chairs which are available from the beach office.
The beach, which is only 35 minutes away from Bideford Bay Holiday Park, also features a sheltered salt water pool for those who’d prefer to avoid the waves.
Video sourced from SKYCAM UK
Skegness has gone to great efforts over the years to make its beautiful beach accessible to everybody. There’s a flat esplanade which leads from the town to the beach, and there are also several walkways which lead straight to the golden sands. Beach friendly wheelchairs have also been introduced to the area by the East Coast Local Action Group.
If you’re staying at Southview Holiday Park, Skegness Beach is only seven minutes down the road, meaning there’s no excuse not to go and enjoy this beautiful beach.
Prestatyn Central Beach, North Wales
Prestatyn is a pretty coastal resort in North Wales which is home to three beaches, that all join up to form a stunning five mile stretch of sand. The most accessible of the beaches is Central Beach, which is only half a mile from the town centre itself.
Wide and North facing, this Blue Flag beach is popular with families, and has a promenade that runs along the front. The facilities here are great, with easy parking, and ramped access to the promenade which is perfect for wheelchairs and pushchairs. There’s also several cafés and restaurants, plenty of toilets, disabled facilities, a play area and lots of deckchairs, so you can sit and watch the world go by.
Just a 25-minute drive from Ty Mawr Holiday Park, there’s plenty going on at Prestatyn Central Beach to keep the whole family happy. From amusement arcades to the leisure centre, or simply enjoying the beautiful golden sands, it’s definitely worth a visit.
Video sourced from WildPlacePictures
Have you ever come across any great accessible beaches around the UK? If so, we’d love to hear about them on our Twitter page.