Welcome
Welcome to Avon Heath Country Park, an award-winning, internationally important heathland, owned and managed by Dorset Council.
Our facilities include: Walks and Trails; Playing Field; Adventure Playground; Picnic Areas; Wildlife Area with Bird Hide, Sand Lizard Vivarium and Two Ponds; Visitor Centre with Gift Shop and Interpretation Area; Cafe; BBQ areas, Petanque Court, Table Tennis and Activity Room for hire; One Unisex Accessible Toilet; Two Toilets with Baby-Changing Facilities, one Unisex; Accessible Car Parking
Level access
There is level access from the main entrance to:
The Visitor Centre with Gift Shop and Interpretation AreaPublic ToiletBaby changing and Unisex toiletThe Visitor Centre Gift ShopThe Activity RoomThe Adventure PlaygroundThere is level access from the car park to:
The Picnic AreaHearing
Visual
General
Getting here
Travel by public transport
We are situated off the A31 between Ringwood and Ferndown.
There are no direct public transport links to Avon Heath Country Park.
Travel by taxi
Ferndown Taxi Service is able to carry wheelchairs in the boot of its vehicles.
Parking
Our car park has five accessible parking bays, three of which are close to the cafe (within 30m), Activity Room (within 20m) and toilet facilities (within 25m) and two of which are close to the Visitor Centre (within 25m). The car park is Tarmaced.
There are very shallow kerbs from the car park on to the paved concourse. The route along the concourse is 2500mm wide or more.
The layby near the entrance to the car park can be used as a drop-off point. There are dropped kerbs at both ends of the layby.
There is free parking for visitors who are Tax Exempt and/or hold PIP status. Please bring documents with you (paper or digital form) and register at the Visitor Centre.
Arrival
Path to main entrance
Main entrance
Access to Avon Heath Country Park is from the drop-off point lay-by or the car park, which are directly next to a wide, paved, gently sloping concourse, which leads to all our facilities. Access along the concourse is 1500mm wide or more.
Getting around inside
Ticket/ information desk
The Visitor Centre with Gift Shop and Interpretation Area
There is level access to the Visitor Centre, Gift Shop and Interpretation area from the concourse and they are all on one level.
There are double doors which open automatically on approach. To exit, press the assisted door button which is at wheelchair height on the right of the door frame and has a red light. On warm/dry days the automatic doors are left open.
There is level access to the reception desk. The reception desk is 920mm high. There is lots of floor space in the shop area with a route through to the reception desk of at least 1300mm wide.
Many of the items in the shop are at wheelchair height.
There are chairs to sit on in the Interpretation Area, three of which have arm supports.
There are two low colouring tables with small chairs for children in the middle of the Interpretation Area with clearance either side of the tables of at least 1460mm.
Most of the interactive displays in the Interpretation Area are at wheelchair height.
There are three screens, two with sound, and some of our displays have sound.
There is low lighting in some areas.
There are chairs to sit on in our Visitor Centre interpretation area.
There are two low colouring tables with small chairs for children in the middle of the floor with clearance space either side of at least 1460mm.
The majority of our interactive displays are at wheelchair height.
Public toilet
Public Toilet
There is level access to the accessible toilet, which is adjacent to the Gentlemen's toilets facing the concourse.
The toilets are all on one level.
Public toilet
Baby changing and Unisex toilet
Shop
The Visitor Centre Gift Shop
The Gift Shop is in the Visitor Centre, where there is level access.
The Gift Shop counter is 920mm high.
The route through the gift shop is at least 1330mm wide
The Activity Room
A ramp is available on request, as there is a step up to the Activity Room via its main entrance and via the entrance through the sliding bi-fold doors. Please call ahead on 01425 478082.
The Activity Room is all on one level.
The width of the main door is 810mm.
The width of the sliding bi-fold doors exceeds 24000mm.
There are kitchen facilities. The counter and sink are 900mm in height. The fridge is at wheelchair height.
Getting around outside
The Sensory Trail
Enjoy the splash of the waterfall and insects buzzing over the pond, pause to smell the lavender and herbs in the raised bed and experience bird song and flight in the woods and at our Bird Hide.
There are outdoor instruments, wacky mirrors and play boards on the trail.
The surface starts off paved and switches to hard gravel or dirt track, which are uneven and stony in places.
There is a slatted wooden bridge with gaps between the slats of aprox 40mm.
It is mostly level with two shallow slopes. There is a fairly steep camber either side of one of the slopes as the path bends.
There is a steep slope up to the Bird Hide, which is at least 1300mm wide. One of the windows in the hide is 1100mm high so wheelchair users can see out.
There are two gates and a cattle grid.
The trail can be accessed from the other direction, if you want to avoid the bridge. Please ask the Rangers at the Visitor Centre for advice.
Designated Walking Trail
The Short Wander - follow the green arrows
Access this trail from the back of the Visitor Centre and see a bit more of our heathland, returning under the trees.
It is mostly level with one shallow slope.
The surface is hard gravel, which is stony in places, or dirt track, with a bit of sand. There are some exposed tree roots.
Designated Walking Trail
The Viewpoint Trail, follow the purple arrows
This trail explores our heathland more widely. The surface is hard gravel, dirt track, sand track and a short section of Tarmac road. There are a lot of exposed tree roots in places and several fairly steep slopes, with some alternative paths to avoid some of the slopes.
There are two gates and 1 cattle grid.
The Bird Hide
Picnic Area
The Picnic Area
There is level access from the drop-off lay-by and car park to all our picnic areas via the concourse.
The Adventure Playground
There is level access to the Adventure Playground from the car park via the concourse.
The Adventure Playground includes some inclusive play equipment, including a child's wheelchair-friendly Trampoline, Basket Swing, Wendy House, Tree House and Sand Pit. There is a long wooden ramp up to the Tree House.
Customer care support
Tramper all terrain mobility scooter
Please ask at the Visitor Centre
Emergency evacuation procedures
Each building on site has fire precautions installed and its own fire strategy.
All occupied buildings operate a simultaneous evacuation strategy in any building where a fire is either automatically detected or discovered.
We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.
The fire alarm in the Visitor Centre has a red flashing light.
There are two Fire Exit points in the Visitor Centre - through the main door and through the door to the adjacent Nature Nursery.
There are two Fire Exit points in the Activity Room - through the main door and through the bi-fold sliding doors.
There are two Fire Exits in Avon Heath Country Cafe - one next to the main door and the other overlooking the Playing Field.
Fire plans of the Visitor Centre are by the access point to the Visitor Centre.
Customer care support