Hi! I normally haunt the Germany board, but playing around with the idea of going to London. I am a cancer patient and know that in Germany it's the cobblestones that can cause issues with walking/walker/wheelchairs. I have a walker with a seat and a wheelchair. I am wondering if there are a ton of cobblestones in London or even in York, Bath, Cambridge?
Posted by
Land of La
9831 posts
From my many travels there since the 70’s cobblestones have been paved over BUT that doesn’t mean everything is easily accessible. For instance the piazza of Covent Garden has cobblestones. Also the area around Tower Bridge, Shad Thames has cobblestones. From memory thats what I can recall. These websites might be helpful in planning outings.
https://blog.wheeltheworld.com/wheelchair-accessible-london-the-ultimate-guide/
https://tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility/wheelchair-access-and-avoiding-stairs
Posted by
Central Coast CA, USA
329 posts
I have not been to York or Cambridge (yet!) so cannot comment on those.
Most of London does not have cobblestones except very localized areas. For example, Covent Gardens, Seven Dials, some mews. I think with a little bit of planning you will be able to avoid these. At least this is what I remember. Claudia has provided some good links for information.
Bath - I also do not recall cobblestones, but it is very steep. If you stick around the area near the Abbey/Roman Baths, you should be fine but for upper Bath, definitely be careful.
I hope you make it to London, a great city!
Posted by
OP
Columbus, USA
373 posts
Thank you both so much! Hoping to make one more trip across the pond so this is helpful!
Posted by
Virginia
1087 posts
If you encounter anything it'll be setts or pavers which are much more regular than cobbles. Just be mindful that sometimes one may be uneven and sticking up.
Posted by
247 posts
I’m not sure everyone appreciates the difference between cobbles, setts and pavers. Actual cobblestones might be rare these days; but, there are no shortage of pavers and setts. I do not like rolling my suitcase over these and I don’t imagine a walker or a wheel chair is going to be a picnic. Safe travels!
Posted by
Lincolnshire, UK
2756 posts
Cobblestones were the original type of road surface before tarmac. They could be rough and uneven and not much fun with walkers or wheelchairs (or if you ar a bit tottery on your feet.
Many towns and cities are using setts to give a 'historical feel' to their streets. They tend to be smoother than cobblestones and less probelns to negotiate with walkers, wheelchairs etc.
Pavers - probably more likely to see these on private property. Depending on teh pavers used, these normally give an evenish surface.
Posted by
Los Angeles
5279 posts
I'm guessing there would be accessibility issues with the Tube as well? Not every station is going to have a lift, and I often found that connecting passages would suddenly have small staircases.
As for trains, if there is not level boarding there will be a portable metal ramp that station personnel can put in place.
Do the buses kneel?
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
35637 posts
phred, the second link by Claudia in the first reply has the TfL (Transport for London) step free access guide and map answering all the questions about access in the Tube.
Yes red London buses kneel, and the rear door opens by driver to allow ramped access to the disabled and wheelchair area (press the blue buttons instead of the red buttons if disabled.
Posted by
UK (London - Chelsea Harbour)
387 posts
phred: yes, in London the buses kneel, and every bus has a ramp for wheelchairs and baby buggies. You ask the driver to open the back door, use the ramp to enter, then tap to pay.
Quite a few tube stations have lifts, and TFL’s app is very helpful showing which stations, but I find that lifts are often on the fritz. (They are also frequently at the very end of the platform, which means more trudging/rolling to get there.)
I do not NEED the lift, technically, but very much appreciate a lift when one is available, because I am awaiting bi-lateral knee replacement surgery. So I get very crabby when a lift is out. Which is why I am Queen of the Bus!!!
Final note: even nicely paved sidewalks in London have high spots where pavers jut up enough to trip you. My husband actually caught his toe on the edge of uneven pavement (where tree roots were lifting up a section of sidewalk), fell, and because he had been walking so fast actually ended up doing a shoulder roll and finishing standing up. It was very exciting. (Not. ;-)
All this to say that the UK in general is not particularly friendly to anyone who is mobility impaired or needs to look carefully where they are going. Take it slow is my advice - use buses where you can - and hail a cab if you need to.
Posted by
London
668 posts
Volva is absolutely right- in my neighbourhood certainly there is a big issue with tree roots pushing up the paving slabs making the pavement very uneven. We also have a new challenge across London, which is lime bikes (ebikes that anyone can rent) and people just leaving them in the middle of the pavement when they are done with them. You are probably more likely to encounter either of those issues than you are to see cobblestones, at least here.
If you intend to use the lift on the tube, always check the website first as they are often being serviced (they should have up to date info on the website). On the tube map you can see which stations have step-free access as they are represented with a little wheelchair icon. Blue ones mean step-free from street level to the train and white ones mean step-free from street level to the platform, meaning there would still be a step from the platform to the train itself. If you're ever unsure the bigger stations in central London normally have quite a lot of staff around who can assist. Good luck with planning your trip.