Accessible activities near winchester.

[Hazelnutlatteplease]

Looking for recommendations for interesting places to visit near or around Winchester. Unfortunately I have a fairly high level of needs! Looking for somewhere mostly outside and where you can actually can keep1-2m away from other people. Somewhere either vaguely possible to roll a wheelchair or somewhere with a short walk or a mix of both. places that have worked well for us in the past have been places like Kenilworth Castle, Whitby Abbey, Bedgebury pinetum, Moors valley (too far for this time). not too fussed what we do as we have been shielding most the last few months so anything pretty, interesting or both hits the mark.
Marwell zoo is our main reason for going so thats already on the list.

Hinton Ampner house and gardens might suit?
www.visitwinchester.co.uk/listing/hinton-ampner-house-gardens/#facilities

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens
Lakeside Country Park at Eastleigh

There are also various national trust properties, Mottisfont is close by and is mostly wheelchair friendly

Victoria Country Park between Eastleigh & Portsmouth

New Forest - there are some good flat walks around Lyndhurst if you park in the main car park there

Breamore House is fab

Lakeside Country Park at Eastleigh is on my hit list but i couldn't find out what most the paths are or whether there was lots of hills. (Tarmac is perfect compressed earth is good, grass and gravel bad.). Same with Victoria country park.

Having a look at Hinton Ampner house. Montisfont is unfortunately fully booked.

I was wondering about lyndhurst. I might need an extra night!

I also wondered if anyone knows Holly hill or swanwick nature reserve.

Both Victoria and Lakeside parks are wheel-friendly and flat (Lakeside is possibly slightly un-flat in places but it’s v accessible). They are both great. Lots of grass at both, so if the paths are bad for you, it would be easy to wheel onto the grass. (I can’t remember what the paths are made of, sorry).

Lots of the New Forest consists of flat grass / paths .... do you roll the wheelchair yourself, or do you have help? - does the ground need to be ultra-smooth or can you manage grass with the odd bit of tufty heather etc?

The area around Burley is lovely (but it is super popular so you might find it a bit harder to keep 2m away from people).

This is great .... although if you’re already doing Marwell you might be all wildlife’d out..?! newforestwildlifepark.co.uk/

@MrsSpenserGregson thank you that info is very helpful indeed.

Is just me doing the pushing. DS can (usually) walk bits and pieces as needed (up a steep bit, when ive accidentally got stuck etc). If it's a shorter walk (20 mins) he might walk himself, but that's a bit risky somewhere unknown.

Hmm not sure on the second nature park. DD has put in a request for "New forest" it would definitely be on the list if it fell into the category of new forest with easier facilities!.

I've realised just how much i still want to do around there (done Dorset way when DC were small) . I already know i want to do Winchester but thats lots of indoor bits so I've bumped that to Marwell 2021...maybe 2022 .. . Really just want get the 3 of us out and about before DD goes stir crazy and DS (and consequently all of us) gets locked back inside again! (Which i think is quite likely)

Hinton Ampner is mostly grass and gravel, although fairly flat there are shallow steps between different terraces of the gardens. Also a couple of cattle grids.

You can walk along the river in Winchester, but it might be a bit busier than you'd like, especially walking from car parks.

There is a walk along a disused railway in the Meon Valley, which will be level and probably compacted gravel, that would be worth looking into, it runs from Wickham to West Meon I think. Also there is Wickham water meadows whichI think is a level walk, it's on our list but not yet been.

Or maybe Bishop's Waltham Abbey?

Busy you tubing suggestions to check out path surfaces!

Lakeside or Victoria Coutry Park+ Abbey are looking like winners atm

Hinton Ampner looks like gravel hell!! Unfortunately we might give have to a miss then, it looks beautiful.

Bishop's Waltham Abbey is a distinct possibility. I'm thinking that might be more of a morning activity before we go home. I'm guessing it has a few benches so we might be able to walk that?
We love Burley. Its the bit of the new forest we did do from Dorset. DD wanted to go back there but if it's as busy as it was then you're right I think is might be a little too much for us atm. That and we loved all the tacky witchy shops Am wondering if Lyndhurst might also be busy. Trying to decide if I can manage food without eating inside and avoiding shops for an extra day.

Wickham water meadows! I'm looking at the video can you actually paddle!! I might volunterily get DS out his wheelchair!!!

Ah you have good taste if you like Dorset

Yes Lyndhurst will be busy - well, it will be busy with through traffic on the roads, but I drove through last week and the town itself was pretty quiet, so it might be worth checking it out. There are some lovely flat swathes of the New Forest around the Rhinefield Ornamental Drive area (worth googling) which might work for all of you x

Have you looked at the Watercress Line Railway? You would have to ask them directly about wheelchair access, but it's a lovely day

Would your daughter like this, OP? longdownfarm.co.uk near Ashurst

I've never seen as much joy on a child's face as when my DS bottle-fed the calves there. That must have been about 12 years ago and I still get misty-eyed when I remember it.

Ashurst is lovely for a wander / coffee etc and definitely qualifies as New Forest for your daughter. And if you want to watch deer in the wild, this has some good info www.thenewforest.co.uk/explore/wildlife-and-nature/deer

We do love a nice train ride, but avoiding anything indoors or with lots of surfaces to touch for the time being so not for this visit

Love love love Dorset. Especially the Swanary and Brownsea Island. And Marwell. Good memories. Smaller wheelchairs! (Sigh) Did Marwell on the way home first holiday not realising how bloody knackering it is! Always mid holiday or stay over now.

Googling Rhinefield Ornamental Drive

What about the Hawk Conservancy at Andover? Again we haven't been but it's supposed to be very good.

Victoria Country Park is definitely great for you and nicer than lakeside in every way. There’s even a ramp down to the “beach” now.

Hilliers gardens is all tarmac paths. Pricey for a one off visit though.

New forest wildlife park is lovely and apparently quite quiet at the moment compared to Marwell.

If you want coast you can park next to the shingle beach at Calshot, it’s not great for wheelchairs but within 20 paces of the car you’d be at the waters edge and could throw stones into the sea/watch the boats go by. the sea/perch on the shingle/watch the boats go by.

There are many many new forest carparks, some (Fritham, Bolderwood) a lot busier than others. Avoid any routes through Lyndhurst, generally north Of the A31 feels a bit quieter. You’ll see ponies wherever you go.

Depending how you feel about doing stuff and DS’s ability you can hire canoes by the hour in Southampton on a safe pond (Woodmill) by a group very geared up to accessible sport, or down in Calshot.

Manor farm is nice. It's not all accessible but most of it is.
www.hants.gov.uk/manorfarm

New forest wildlife park, Finkley down farm and the hawks conservancy woujd get my vote

Southampton Common is a huge area and just about all tarmaced paths. There’s a local rainbow trail which has emerged over lockdown. Not much to do but a nice place to be iyswim.

I should add DD and I loved the swannery.... DS however... He screamed the house down on the way in and put a blanket over his head for the rest of the trip . It was the first outting we realised he is utterly terrified of birds!!! (He was very little then but it hasn't improved much since) Sometimes we do bird things anyways cos he can't get his way all the time but this one is a chill trip. Otherwise id absolutely love the Hawks.

Farms are a bit the same way as birds... and probably a little young for my two. Come to think of it.. I've no idea why we get away with zoos... and penguins (cos apparently they dont count as birds)..

Actually Hilliers looks nice, is bookable and limited numbers and the entry is not limited time. The price isnt bad as i go in on carers and we've spent bugger all on anything for the last 4 months. Is it big enough to get a decent walk in? I think DD and I have come to the conclusion were mostly after walks (rolls) and fresh air.

I'd consider canoeing if it wasnt just me with the two DC, I loved kayaking last year (DS just sat in the front if mine) . But it gets complicated without an extra adult in case DS gets too tired.

Storing up and googling all the new forest suggestions. I'm not sure thus time. Might ve a bit weather dependent and we stack on an extra day past minute.

I'm starting to think i need to move Southampton way, not only would it be easier to Marwell there does seem to be way more accessible options with a decent length walks.

Bad typos

Hilliers is great, and definitely big enough to get a decent walk in. There is so much to see there, it's one of my favourite places!