Moors Valley Country Park and Forest

Welcome

Explore 1000 acres of Park and Forest with waymarked footpaths and cycle routes – you can hire a bike or bring your own. Or for a more leisurely journey take a trip on the narrow-gauge steam train.

Children will love the adventure play areas and the ‘Play Trail’ with its huge wooden play structures and those feeling adventurous can climb through the trees on the ‘Go-Ape’ Tree Top Adventure. Back at the Visitor Centre there are art exhibitions on display and you can enjoy a home-cooked meal at Seasons Restaurant.

The Rangers also run over 500 events each year catering for a wide range of ages and interests.

Watch the video: More Moors Valley

Level access

The main entrance has level access.

There is level access from the main entrance to:

Moors Valley Railway Information Point in Visitor Centre Changing Places toilet at Visitor Centre Seasons Restaurant Visitor Centre gift shop Adventure play areas

There is level access from the car park to:

Lakeside picnic area Forest picnic area

Hearing

The fire alarm has flashing lights.

We have a hearing loop in Visitor Centre Information Point.

Some staff have BSL and disability awareness training.

Visual

Some parts of the venue have low lighting.

We have display information in braille and large print.

We have information in audio, braille and large print.

General

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors. The toilet is a Changing Places toilet.

Some staff have disability awareness training.

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

Getting here

Moors Valley Country Park

Horton Road

Ashley Heath

Dorset

BH24 2ET

Travel by public transport

You can get to Moors Valley Country Park and Forest by bus.

The number 38 bus service that covers the Ferndown and Ringwood area stops at Lions Lane by the Castleman Trailway crossing on Horton Road. The bus stop is 1 miles / 1.6 km from Moors Valley Country Park and Forest.

The bus stop is approx 650m from the main entrance to the park. It is then approx 1 mile / 1.6km from the entrance to the Visitor Centre.

Travel by taxi

You can get a taxi with Dutchy Taxis by calling 01425 687696. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

You can get a taxi with Ringwood Taxis by calling 01425 480480.

There is a 15min drop off time for all cars without charge (excludes coaches and minibuses).

Parking

We have a car park. There are accessible parking spaces. Parking is not free.

Vehicles can drop visitors at the Accessible Parking spaces approx 100m from the Visitor Centre From the car park to the entrance, there is level access. The path is sloped.

The route is 1030mm wide, or more.

There are 13 accessible parking spaces.

If your vehicle is exempt from road tax due to disability reasons, that vehicle may park for free. To have your parking validated simply come to the Information Point in the Visitor Centre with your registration number and blue badge along with one of the following: V5 vehicle registration document, Enhanced PIP certificate, Certificate of entitlement (in the form of Certificate of Entitlement to Disability Living Allowance, An Annual Certificate of Entitlement or a DLA 404 Certificate). You must be visiting in the car that the tax exemption applies to, for the free parking to apply.

Dragonfly sign at main entrance to Moors Valley

Arrival

Path to main entrance

From the street to the main entrance, there is level access.

The path is 1000mm wide, or more.

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.

The main door is side hung and manual.

The main door is sliding and automatic.

The door is 1940mm wide.

Wooden doors at the front of Visitor Centre are side-hung manual opening with automatical closure, 960mm.
There is also a set of wider glass sliding doors with automatic opening from the outside, 1940mm.

Moors Valley Visitor Centre and Restaurant

Getting around inside

Visual Impairment - General Information

Some parts of the venue have low lighting.

Ticket/ information desk

Information Point in Visitor Centre

From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. The route is 1950mm wide, or more.

The desk has a low section.

Lower desk area is 830mm high.
Building is an 18th century barn with flagstone flooring.

Things to See and Do

We have display information in: braille and large print.

Moors Valley Railway

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

Enjoy a ride on an authentic steam train at the Moors Valley Railway along the banks of the Moors Lake, around the play area. A return journey covers one mile and will take about 20 minutes.

At Kingsmere station you can visit the model railway shop and the railway buffet for drinks and snacks.

Seats on the railway carriages must be straddled. Staff are on hand to assist someone in and out of a railway carriage. Please speak to the railway direct to find out about the suitability of the carriages (01425 471415) but unfortunately the railway cannot accommodate a wheelchair. Steam locomotives emit smoke, steam and ash and also have loud whistles.

Public toilet

Changing Places toilet at Visitor Centre

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.

The toilet is a Changing Places toilet.

You need a RADAR key to open the public toilet.

From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The direction of transfer onto the toilet is to the left and right.

There is 1100mm at the side of the toilet. There is 1300mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 470mm high. The toilets have handrails.

The Changing Places toilet has a tracking hoist system (Safe Working Load is 200kg / 440lbs maximum) and height adjustable changing bed. A RADAR key is required for the Changing Places standard toilet, please ask staff at the Information Point for a loan key if you do not have your own.
At the Visitor Centre there is also an Ambulant Disabled toilet and a large family toilet.
Additional accessible toilets can be found at Kingsmere Station.

Changing Places toilet at Visitor Centre

Shop

Visitor Centre gift shop

From the main entrance to the shop, there is level access. The route through the shop is 800mm wide, or more.

Place to eat and drink

Seasons Restaurant

From the main entrance to the dining area, there is level access. The door is 1940mm wide.

To get to a table, there are no steps.

There is no background music.

The table and plates have high colour contrast.

We cater for vegetarian, gluten free (celiacs), lactose free (dairy free), low fat, low sodium and vegan specific diets.

Nut free dishes available but prepared in a kitchen which handles nuts.

Dogs, other than assistance dogs, are not permitted in the main restaurant area, however there are a few tables nearer the front doors where visitors may sit with well-behaved dogs. Alternatively, a gated dog park is located just outside the restaurant doors at the front of the Visitor Centre.
Picnic tables are also provided for restaurant customers on the patio behind the Visitor Centre and dogs on leads are welcome in this area; water bowls are provided.

Getting around outside

Designated Walking Trail

Play Trail

The trail is 2000metres long. Some of the trail has a loose surface. The trail is sloped. The trail has seats.

Clearly waymarked by fingerposts and with 10 unique wooden play sculptures along the route, the Play Trail is a favourite with families. The trail follows unsurfaced forest tracks so there can be uneven sections and exposed tree roots in places, so if you have anything other than an all-terrain mobility scooter please ask a Ranger for suitability. The optional extra route takes you to the Tree Top Trail which is unfortunately not suitable for wheelchairs or mobility scooters, however these can follow the connecting path on the ground. Picnic tables are provided along the route.

Hawk House structure on Moors Valley Play Trail

House of Baba Yaga structure on Moors Valley Play Trail

Designated Walking Trail

Lake and Riverside Walk

The trail is 1200metres long. The trail has a hard surface. The trail is sloped. The trail has seats.

A fairly flat tarmac path around Moors Lake with plenty of resting places along the route. There is however one short steep rise and fall over the railway (1:4 and 1:5 gradient) which might be difficult in a low powered mobility scooter or manual wheelchair. A handrail is provided on this section. Toilets at the Kingsmere Railway Station can be found half way along the route. Waymarked with round posts with brown bands. A more detailed accessibility map is available for this route.

Picnic Area

Lakeside picnic area

From the car park to the picnic area, there is level access. Some tables have space for wheelchair users. You can bring your own food to the picnic area.

Picnic Area

Forest picnic area

From the car park to the picnic area, there is level access. Some tables have space for wheelchair users. You can bring your own food to the picnic area.

Adventure play areas

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access.

Entrance to the Junior play area is down a farily steep slope. The surface in the play area is entirely loose woodchip. Access to the Infants play area is either through the Junior play area and underneath the railway bridge (down and up a slope) or via a step footbridge over the railway line from the lakeside picnic area. The surface in the Infants play area is loose sand with a smooth rubber wetpore footpath and seating around the edge.

Customer care support

Accessibility equipment

We provide wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are free.

We have a hearing loop in Visitor Centre Information Point.

A conventional wheelchair is available to borrow (£10 deposit required). It can be booked in advance to avoid disappointment, using our online booking system or by phoning the Rangers on 01425 470721.

A Crossfire all-terrain manual wheelchair is also available (pre-booking recommended and £10 deposit required). This wheelchair is suitable for the dirt and gravel tracks around the park. It can be used by one person or with an assistant. If you are used to a more conventional wheelchair you will find it more likely to tip over (forwards or backwards) if your weight is in the wrong place.

Please contact the Rangers before booking if you would like advice on which would be most suitable for your use. Maximum weight 113kg / 17 stone.

Two ‘Tramper’ mobility scooters are also available to hire as part of the South West Countryside Mobility Scheme. Information about the Countryside Mobility Scheme including details of how to join and membership fees can be found on the Moors Valley website.

For a list of more items, please go to https://www.moors-valley.co.uk/visitor-information/access-for-all/.

Emergency evacuation procedures

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

The fire alarm has flashing lights.

Customer care support

Some staff have disability awareness training.

Some staff have BSL training.

We have information in audio, braille and large print.

We have other services for people with accessibility requirements.

A Visual Story designed as a guide for visitors with autism is available from the Moors Valley website.

A fleet of adaptive bikes, including hand powered bikes are available to use at Moors Valley during Accessible Cycling sessions on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Please enquire for details.