Wheelchair Friendly UK Venues

Jof · 30 Jun 2009, 17:21 (Ref:2493993)

Are there any other wheelchair users on here who can advise on the suitability of various venues for wheelchairs? My only experiences so far are:-
Oulton Park - Poor - there is a disabled parking/viewing area with a plastic cubicle toilet (not clean). Sadly the area is gravelled so self propelled chair users will struggle. The large tarmaced paddock area is good with accessible, clean toilets. Unfortunately, the access roads are also gravelled so hazardous for wheelchairs.

Three Sisters - Poor - disabled parking within the venue but you have to struggle through gravel to get to somewhere you can see anything. There is a disabled viewing area but it is up a steepish ramp so self-propellors might struggle. The disabled toilet is accessed accross a gravelled area and up a steep ramp - you will need to get someone to help you if you need to go the loo. The paddock area is mostly tarmac.

If anyone can advise on other venues' suitability, I would be grateful. Anywhere you don't have to negotiate gravel would be marvellous!
Thanks,
Jo

grantp · 30 Jun 2009, 18:31 (Ref:2494021)

Jo,

Donington Park seems to have a policy of allowing blue badge vehicles access to the outer parts of the circuit. I don't know whether this applies to all events or just those with smaller predicted attendances. You would need to check with them. I think very large vehicles (a coach party for example) may not be viable but most others are. There were quite a few making use of the option at the BTCC meeting. I assume there is some sort of arrangement to let the veicale in through the paddock area.

That said, once out of the vehicle the tracks are gravel and the banks are grass and not very wheelchair friendly in many places. However if you are in a vehicle he should be able to get to several good locations directly.

There is a rather well located and recently constructed exclusive (by the looks of it) viewing location set well up he the hillside near the Old Hairpin. I think you should be able get a vehicle quite close and there are ramps to the platform. It has a great sound system for the commentary and is not too far from the Starkey's Bar and Toilets buildings. Iirc at the BTCC a temporary portaloo had been installed on the platform.

From memory Silverstone would be pretty good as well. That said Silverstone always seems to me to be a place that you you can easily move around but to do so you have to travel large distances. Donington seems a little more compact and it helps that so far when moving around the circuit you can pretty much stay within viewing range of any track action. However with the natural rise and fall of the land it is not somewhere I would want to try to spend a day moving around in wheelchair in the absence of a vehicle or, perhaps, a helper or two.

I hope this is helpful to you.

gary396 · 30 Jun 2009, 18:45 (Ref:2494032)

Croft Circuit may be worth a try - there is a raised veiwing area which is marked up for disabled access with cars alongside the track and (I think) disabled toilet faciliies. This particular area gives a good view of large parts of the circuit. They have it marked on their circuit info page as follows: http://www.croftcircuit.co.uk/cirfac.pdf

Hope this helps. Gary

Steven Humphrey · 30 Jun 2009, 19:02 (Ref:2494045)

Rockingham has great facilities, being relatively new. There's wheelchair platforms on the open grandstands, with ramped access and the main grandstand has lifts and (I think) special areas for wheelchairs. Plus the spectator areas are very compact, relatively flat and all tarmac.

**Adam43** · 30 Jun 2009, 20:13 (Ref:2494080)

I agree with the above. Silverstone has some good viewing areas for wheelchair users; still miles from the track, but that is normal for Silverstone

Rockingham is relatively good too.

Anglesey has just been done up. Is this any good? I've been in the paddock and pitlane, but never ventured round the edge.

SWCRacing · 30 Jun 2009, 21:43 (Ref:2494122)

Not a wheelchair user myself, but my late wife was.

Agree with the comment above about Silverstone, and I think Snetterton has a wheelchair accessible viewing area by the Russell chicane. Also, every 4th picnic table outside Tyrells restuarent and in the grassed areas in the paddock is wheelchair friendly

Ian Sowman · 30 Jun 2009, 21:47 (Ref:2494125)

Cadwell has a disabled viewing area too I noticed last time I was there, between Park and Chris.

Jof · 1 Jul 2009, 09:47 (Ref:2494322)

Thank you very much for all your helpful advice. I am really scared of going somewhere and finding I can't move away from the car because of gravel or get to a disabled loo because of ludicrously steep ramps.
For that reason, I have tended to limit myself to Oulton Park but the venue is really quite hazardous for me.
I'm possibly going to try Harewood hillclimb soon, so fingers crossed!
Thanks again,
Jo

Piglet · 1 Jul 2009, 19:17 (Ref:2494639)

Jo, at Brands you can park on South Bank and get a great view of the circuit BUT it is on grass and I'm not sure whether the 'loo's on that side of the circuit are accessible. If you ring MSV they should be able to tell you.

As an aside, if you find the disabled loo at Oulton (or any MSV circuit) isn't clean then complain, Jonathan Palmer is very keen that all facilities are well cleaned during race weekends so the staff should be checking it regularly.

ROB IS THE STIG · 1 Jul 2009, 19:27 (Ref:2494646)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piglet

Jo, at Brands you can park on South Bank and get a great view of the circuit BUT it is on grass and I'm not sure whether the 'loo's on that side of the circuit are accessible. If you ring MSV they should be able to tell you.

This is correct, the toilets on top of the South Bank have a long gradual tarmac ramp so easy access, although, once ur over there and parked up u are limited as its gravel up there. The view there is one of the best on the circuit!!

TwoSheds · 1 Jul 2009, 19:54 (Ref:2494657)

Also at Brands there is disabled parking behind the Brabham/Stewart Centre buildings and I think that there are wheelchair spaces available in the Paddock Hill Bend Grandstand.

An MSV map of Brands Hatch can be got to from here.

mattt · 2 Jul 2009, 14:47 (Ref:2495046)

I can echo the comments that Rockingham is very wheelchair accessible as my sister uses a wheelchair.
The sloped tunnel at the far end isn't the easiest slopes for wheelchairs but the one with the lift is ok.

Robin_D · 2 Jul 2009, 22:57 (Ref:2495233)

All of the Silverstone toilet blocks have disabled loos with access via RADAR Key.

There are 3 or 4 designated disabled viewing areas and these tend to be at good places although as mentioned they are far away from the track, but that is the norm.

The rest of the circuit does still have disabled loo's but you would need legs and arms of steel to push a wheel chair across the shale.

JohnD · 5 Jul 2009, 23:44 (Ref:2496296)

Rockingham - the lift goes down to a tunnel under the track with another lift at the paddock end. If you go to a club meeting, there will be free access to the paddock and you will be most welcome.

Mallory has good viewing from the car parking areas both east and west of the track, but loos??? and neither is near the track.

John

mosler lover · 13 Aug 2009, 22:17 (Ref:2521025)

+1 for Rockingham; my wife's a wheelchair user and it's her favourite venue. Parking close to entrance, level tarmac access to circuit, loos in the main stand, lift down to the tunnel and all the way up to the pitblock roof where we pitch up by the podium (only a thin wire fence at her head-height) until those pesky drivers queue for trophies ;-)

Silverstone is OK; parking by Woodcote for club events, the stand there and the Pit Straight viewing areas are reasonable, loos are accessible. We tried a round of the full circuit during Britcar 24 but we've enjoyed easier yomps in the Peak District. Beyond Copse/Luffield it was hard work (poor surface/gradients)

I visit Donington often but wouldn't recommend it for chair users; not unless you want to sit in your car, have no facilities nearby and have to risk the portaloo.