Right across the UK there a wealth of wonderful places that can easily be explored on your mobility scooter. Here at Quingo Scooters we’re bringing you the very latest in our series of the best accessible routes in the country, and this time around we’re finding out what the New Forest has to offer visitors.
The New Forest
There’s a lot to love about the New Forest. Miles and miles of stunning, unspoiled countryside, much of it easily accessible, with charming towns and villages and even free-ranging ponies. It’s been a family favourite for many people for generations, and much of this is down to the sheer variety of things you can do in the area.
If your idea of a great day out is to get away from it all and enjoy the peace and quiet of miles of woodland and hidden trails, then you’ll love the 566 acres of woods (once William the Conqueror’s hunting ground), heathland and coastline here. Or, if you fancy spending time browsing packed antique stalls or enjoying a bit of retail therapy in a boutique clothes shop, then a New Forest town like Lymington or historic Buckler’s Hard is just the place for you.
Accessibility
The New Forest is huge. But happily much of it is also accessible for those of us on mobility scooters. The New Forest National Park Authority’s dedicated accessibility page is a great place to start your journey. If you want to head out into the wilds, there are a few sights we’d certainly recommend. The Knightwood Oak is rumoured to be the oldest oak in the New Forest, and it is easily accessible from the car park nearby. There’s one designated Blue Badge space available. If a slightly longer adventure around a pretty harbour town sounds tempting, then we also recommend the accessible route at Keyhaven. It’s a beautiful spot with an accessible path, and you can find out more here.
And finally, if you’re after a bit of history and culture then the fabulous St Barbe Museum in Lymington is a must-visit. There is ramp access all round, and both the galleries and the museum itself are on the ground floor. While the site doesn’t have its own car park, there is a public car park on Emsworth Road nearby, with six free parking spaces for Blue Badge holders.
Getting to the New Forest area is straightforward too. If you’re coming by train, then you’re only an hour and a half from London Waterloo. There are also plenty of South West Trains services from Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. By car, you can reach the New Forest from the east and London via the M27, or the A31 if you’re travelling from Dorset. The A338 or the A36 brings visitors in from the north. Finally, you can also get the ferry to Hythe from Southampton. It’s a truly scenic way to arrive in this stunning location.
Share your accessible route with Quingo!
If you’ve been to visit any great accessible routes on your Quingo or would like us to write about a particular place you have visited, we’d be delighted to hear from you! You can email your stories, recommendations and pictures by filling out the contact form on our website and we’ll feature them on our blog.
About Quingo
The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres.
For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.
Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC). AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.
