Wheelchair Access in the New Forest

September: access starts with listening

What does exploring the New Forest with a wheelchair actually involve? Sometimes the biggest barrier isn't a step. It is finding the right information, knowing who to ask and being given the chance to make your own decision.

This is the first in a new monthly series sharing what I learn about wheelchair access while exploring the New Forest and surrounding area, running Our Bench Accessible Holiday Cottages and talking with local businesses.

These aren't accessibility audits and I'm not creating lists of places that are either "accessible" or "inaccessible". Access needs are far too individual for that.

I'm interested in the guest experience: can I find the information I need, can I understand what to expect, and can I make my own decision about whether somewhere will work for me?

Communication takes time

One of my favourite conversations this month happened with a guest at Our Bench.

He communicates by spelling out what he wants to say on a communication board. I was sitting opposite him, reading the board upside down, when he started asking me about an owl.

The first assumption from others in the room was that perhaps he had heard an owl during his holiday.

We gave him time to finish.

He was actually asking about an injured owl I had previously helped rescue and shared on the Our Bench Facebook page. He wanted an update and wanted to know whether I had rescued more than one.

He was the only person in the room who had been following the story. I ended up explaining it to everyone else.

New Park Manor: answer the question being asked

That lesson followed me into another conversation.

I contacted New Park Manor because I wanted practical access information to decide whether I could attend afternoon tea as part of a business networking event. Through my local business networking, I have been raising awareness that attendees may have access needs too, and that accessibility should be considered when venues are chosen.

I was sent the general Luxury Family Hotels accessibility document and told that New Park Manor couldn't offer accessible overnight accommodation. But I hadn't asked about staying overnight. I wanted to attend a networking event, that included tea!

A disabled visitor might want to attend a conference, wedding or meeting, meet someone for coffee, afternoon tea for a special occasion or eat in a restaurant without ever needing an accessible bedroom.

I asked via email whether I could contact a manager at the hotel directly and was told that managers' email addresses aren't provided, although Central Reservations would forward comments.

Beaulieu Inn: a good Access Statement is only the beginning

Beaulieu Inn was a very different example. Its Access Statement is comprehensive and contains genuinely useful practical information, including details about gravel and routes around the property.

Visiting and talking to staff raised another issue: the people delivering the experience also need to understand that information and why some of the details matter.

One of my questions was about the bed. Someone transferring with a mobile hoist may need the legs of the hoist to travel underneath it. A divan bed can therefore make a significant difference.

Staff didn't initially understand why I was asking about clearance beneath the bed. Yet the information about the type of bed was already available in their Access Statement.

We also talked about breakfast. Providing breakfast in an accessible bedroom may solve a physical access problem, but if everyone else in the party is eating together elsewhere, is that the same guest experience?

Importantly, the conversation also produced a positive solution. If a guest requiring a hoist wanted to attend a wedding, meeting or conference but the hotel couldn't meet their overnight access requirements, Our Bench is nearby, and they were happy to take our details.

Wheelchair access at a historic New Forest pub: would you risk turning up?

I also looked at a historic New Forest pub before meeting friends for a meal.

I couldn't find useful wheelchair access information on the pub's own website. Wider searches produced third-party websites suggesting that it was wheelchair accessible, including the familiar wheelchair symbol.

When I visited, I encountered a step at the entrance, different levels inside and several steps to a lower area.

There may be another accessible route. I didn't contact the pub directly to ask, which is why I'm not naming it or declaring whether it is accessible.

But that uncertainty is the interesting part of the guest experience.

Do you telephone? Email? Trust an unverified wheelchair symbol? Turn up and hope? Ask your friends to change their plans?

Or do you simply spend your money somewhere that gives you enough information to make the decision?

Wheelchair access at New Forest community venues

Conversations with two New Forest community centres showed another side of accessibility.

At Lyndhurst Community Centre we talked about their gravel car park. Keep talking, though, and you discover nearby council parking with a tarmac surface and Blue Badge parking.

They already have an accessible toilet and low thresholds. They are improving access to another room and widening a doorway. They also host an autism group and can offer a quiet space.

My reaction was simple: you need to be telling people about this.

At Lymington Community Centre, our conversations highlighted the importance of its Changing Places-style facility in the centre of town. For someone who cannot use a conventional accessible toilet, knowing that facility exists could change whether a visit to Lymington is possible.

The Centre also has a café, cinema, events and community activities. Better access information might bring someone into the building to use the toilet, but they may also have coffee, see a film, attend an event or spend time elsewhere in Lymington.

When good access information works

Not every day out from the New Forest needs to be in the Forest itself.

This month I travelled to Winchester Cathedral for its Festival of Flowers & Nature.

I found clear accessibility information before visiting. I had enough information to make my decision, went to the event and thoroughly enjoyed it. There were plenty of other visitors with different access needs enjoying it too.

Sometimes the best accessibility experience is remarkably ordinary:

Winchester is also a reminder that staying at Our Bench can be a base for exploring much more than the immediate New Forest, with days out across Hampshire and beyond.

What September taught me

Improving accessibility doesn't always require expensive adaptations.

Sometimes the accessible toilet, quiet room or alternative route already exists, but nobody is telling potential visitors.

Sometimes the Access Statement already contains the answer, but the people on site don't understand why that detail matters.

Sometimes someone asks about attending a meeting and receives an answer about accessible bedrooms.

And sometimes someone simply needs a little longer to finish telling you about an owl.

Provide it. Tell people about it. Understand it. Listen.

An Access Statement is a brilliant place to start, but it isn't the end of the conversation.

I'll keep exploring, asking questions and sharing what I learn each month. Not to create a league table of accessible and inaccessible businesses, but to share real experiences, good examples, disappointments and opportunities to learn.

Ultimately, good access information should help someone make one very ordinary decision:

More about accessible New Forest holidays

If you're planning a visit, explore our Accessible New Forest information, including practical articles about access, local businesses and what to consider when planning a wheelchair accessible holiday.

You can also read what an Access Statement is and why it matters .

Last updated: October 2026