We are planning a trip to London this fall (late Sept.-early Oct). I am an above knee amputee and wear a prosthesis; I do use walking sticks to maintain stability but cobblestones are becoming trickier as I age and walking long distances is more difficult. I am good with using the tube, trains, buses, taxis and walking some, but walking tours once there will not work. We are thinking of using London as a base (as we have visited before) and are looking for day trip ideas from there. Can someone offer advice on visiting Windsor, Canterbury, Brighton, or Bath, especially in regards to handicap deterrents? Are we missing places that would be just as interesting, yet offer more disabled accessibility? Thanks for any insight the forum might have.
Posted by
Cornwall
378 posts
You won’t find a lot of cobblestones these days. Setts maybe. Brighton is hilly from the station to the beach, which is pebble not sand if that is significant.
Posted by
OP
St Louis
35 posts
Thanks for your quick response. The more flat surfaces I have to traverse the better. Pebbles are as "wonderful" as cobblestones as the offset the balance of the prosthesis. I can do ramp surfaces up much better than down but again the hiking sticks help there. Rolling hills would be undesirable.
Posted by
Cornwall
378 posts
Bath is fairly flat in the centre, less so as you head away from the centre.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33994 posts
Windsor, if you arrive by the Paddington - Slough - Windsor & Eton Central train route, and cross the road to Windsor Castle, it is basically step-free to the Castle entry. The castle has few steps, one staircase you'll be up (haven't checked on a lift as my wife's disability didn't arise until after my last visit, but I wouldn't be surprised if there is one - check "Access" on their website) on the main route, and one longish outdoor slope (bottom at the Chapel, top at the entrance to the inside tour), all asphalt (or virtually all), flagstones in the chapel.
On the way back there is a change of platforms at Slough station via footbridge, but there is a lift.
If you choose to use the Waterloo direct service to Windsor & Eton Riverside it is a long pull up a fairly steep hill (and back down later) on a relatively narrow pavement (sidewalk) around the castle walls to the entrance.
Posted by
Virginia
897 posts
Merely echoing Camborne2018, it's setts & cubes that are common rather than cobblestone.
Here's a photo of Buttermarket in Canterbury -- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canterbury,_Buttermarket_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3231159.jpg
When I was planning my first trip back to the UK after my accident, I found street view in Google Maps especially helpful for understanding what I'd face walking along pavements.