Accessible Beaches? Samphire Hoe, Kent

I love a beach. There's nothing that quite compares to the feeling of the sea breeze on your skin, combined with that salty smell and the gentle whoosh of waves on the shore. And then there's that wonderful crackle of the pebbles under your feet or the feeling of sand slipping between your toes. Unfortunately, neither sand nor pebble beaches are particularly wheelchair friendly (I have yet to come across one of those infamous beach wheelchairs ... maybe one day). Imagine my delight, then, to discover that Kent's coast houses an "accessible" wildlife reserve called Samphire Hoe, which incorporates a beach.

What did you just call me? Photo by J. Bailey

Samphire Hoe is a relatively recent creation. It was made by Eurotunnel using the spoil produced by the Channel Tunnel's construction (pretty cool, huh). There is one main path through the Hoe, around a 2km walk, with the car park at one end and the beach at the other. Now, whilst the walk itself is relatively accessible, with some nice views of the famous White Cliffs and the sea, when we reached the beach we discovered ... pebbles. Lots of them. And not a wheelchair friendly path in sight *sigh*.

Photo by G. Bailey

I did try to walk a little way over the rocks but needed a lot of help and didn't get far. My legs were no match for the terrain, unfortunately. You'd have thought they'd have incorporated an accessible walkway into their design for the beach. Alas, my quest for a wheelchair friendly beach must continue. For now, I would say that the best access seafront that I have been to is along the coast at Rottingdean, near Brighton.

Wheelchair 2.5/5: 

Whilst the beach itself was 100% inaccessible, the walk (roll) there looking down on the sea was pretty comfortable with a good view. There was one slope that was heading towards being a troublesomely steep incline.

Sensory Input 5/5: 

We were outside and it wasn't busy, which is generally the best situation for me and my sensory overload to be in.

Food and other Facilities 3/5: 

There were toilets (RADAR key for the disabled) and a small food kiosk at the car park. The quality was so-so.

Travel 4/5: 

The Hoe was pretty close to where I was staying, with an easy drive in. There is a car park at the starting point. Their website says you can also travel by bus, finishing the way on foot (not necessarily the most chronic illness friendly method).

Overall 3.6/5:

Visit length was around two-three hours; with ten to fifteen minutes of travel time.

 *I currently have moderate ME, meaning I use a wheelchair pushed by someone else, and a walking stick. Please take into account your own physical capabilities when planning a trip, if you need to start small then start small. Look into what you can see nearby for when you're ready. Although, when at my best, I may be able to post every 1-2 weeks, that does not mean I am well enough to travel that frequently! Many of my posts come from a backlog of trips taken over the past few years.