As someone who walks a lot with my children and extended family, I think it’s so important to have places that are accessible to everyone. It’s so hard going somewhere for a day out, to realise that the pram, not to mention a wheelchair bound person or someone with a walking stick, can’t access the route because of issues with inaccessibility.
Yorkshire Water, who are the second largest landowner in Yorkshire, are currently striving to enhance its access across some of the most scenic reservoirs in the UK to combat this by opening up accessible routes. Not only will this make their reservoirs easier to manage on a family walk, but will allow more wheelchair and mobility aid users to visit and experience these tranquil countryside spots that others have had the privilege to do over the years.
We walk a lot and love finding new spots to take the kids. This can sometimes throw up some problems when we attend and realise that the pram can’t get through. It gets even worse when my father, who is a mobility aid user, and my sister, whose daughter has a specially adapted pushchair, attend with us.
That’s why I am so happy that Yorkshire Water are taking this stance. If you’ve ever visited one of their reservoirs, you’ll know just how stunning some of the areas are. The Yorkshire Countryside is amazing, breathtaking in fact.
Eccup Reservoir, in Leeds, is somewhere we visit a lot and that the children can have a nice stroll around, knowing that there wont be any steep hills, steps or anything that will stop us in our tracks. It’s so important to get children outdoors too as I think that nature is the best way to nurture children and helps them to learn all about the great outdoors.
The woodland surrounding the reservoir is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is nationally important for birds. The walk passes the village of Eccup, over a dam and alongside a local golf course and is 4.5 miles long.
Rather than keeping the reservoirs and there beautiful landscapes and structural features (such as reservoirs walls) under lock and key, Yorkshire Water open up the sites for everyone to enjoy. It’s free entry, free parking and idyllic walking routes and there are so many to choose from. It’s so great to see that they are now tackling the accessibility issues and making sure that everyone can visit some of their amazing landscapes.
It means that people now can get out into these amazing places, without fear of getting stuck and not being able to get around. Yorkshire Water are making these countryside routes the perfect route for disabled group rambles, or lazy days walking with the family.
In collaboration with Yorkshire Water