Experiencing Old Moor with ease, presence, and a different kind of freedom
We return to Old Moor often.
Not out of routine.
Out of recognition.
It is one of those places that allows you to arrive exactly as you are and leave feeling a little more yourself. Somewhere we come back to as a family, across seasons, to walk, to pause, and to let nature do what it does quietly, without needing to be announced.
From the outset, the reserve has always felt accessible in a way that is considered rather than added later.
There is disabled parking.
Accessible toilets.
A platform lift to the café.
But more than that, there is a team who understand the space they are part of. Who are just as interested in what you have seen as they are in what they can show you.
That matters more than it sounds.
Thought Through in Practice
The recent upgrades, funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery, have only strengthened that feeling.
The picnic area now allows for ease of movement.
The reception and information centre feel open and usable.
The gift shop has been redesigned with both accessibility and sustainability in mind.
It is not just that these elements exist.
It is how naturally they sit within the experience.
You feel thought about.
Moving Through the Reserve
On most visits, I move through Old Moor in my manual wheelchair.
In dry weather, it works well. The map clearly shows gradients and accessible routes, removing the need to second guess where you can and cannot go. It allows for confidence rather than caution.
And that shift changes everything.
When Conditions Changed… I Tried Something New
This visit, though, was different.
A full week of rain had softened every path. The kind of weather that belongs in baking trays, not under wheels.
So, for the first time, I tried something I had always overlooked.
A mobility scooter.
The suggestion came lightly. Almost casually.
Within minutes, I was being shown how to use it in the courtyard by a member of the team who made the entire process feel straightforward.
Left or right hand controls.
A swivel seat.
Adjustable speed.
A fully charged battery, ready to go.
There was no fuss. No hesitation. No sense that this was anything other than part of the day.
And just like that, it was.
What followed was not just ease of movement.
It was what that ease returned.
Seeing More
Swans and herons moved across the water without effort. Martin wandered into Grandad’s Shed to see what had changed. Evelyn checked every bug hotel as if she had a list to complete. The bluetits moved between the trees. The geese held their ground with quiet confidence.
At one point, a robin followed us.
Not closely enough to feel unusual.
Just enough to feel intentional.
It reminded us of the one at home.
Familiar, in a way that is hard to explain.
Presence Over Effort
Somewhere within all of that, something shifted.
Without the need to focus on the ground in front of me, there was space to look up. To take in what was around me rather than what was beneath me.
Conversation came more easily.
Attention settled.
The experience deepened.
On paper, it is a small change.
In practice, it reshapes the entire day.
Practical Details That Matter
Old Moor has three scooters available.
When we visited, they were all ready to go, but I would still recommend booking in advance, simply to avoid disappointment.
What stays with me more, though, is what using one gave back.
The freedom to move without thinking.
To look up instead of down.
To be part of the day, rather than working through it.
There are small details you only notice afterwards.
Like the cold, without the usual movement. Next time, I will bring a blanket.
But that is the thing.
The adjustments are small.
The difference is not.
A Familiar Ending
We finished, as we often do, with hot chocolate in the café.
Warm hands and warm hearts, filled with that quiet kind of contentment that does not need to be spoken.
A Shared Intention
After our visit, the RSPB shared something that stayed with me.
“Accessibility is incredibly important to us at the RSPB. We believe that everyone should have equal access and the opportunity to feel connected to wildlife. We continue to make our spaces more accessible to disabled people through our Access on Reserves work, in which we are thinking about the experiences of disabled people with a range of needs.”
And that is exactly how it felt.
Not adapted.
Not accommodated.
There is something important in that distinction.
Because accessibility, when it is done well, does not draw attention to itself. It allows you to experience something fully, without interruption, without effort, without needing to ask.
It gives you the space to simply be there.
We Will Be Back
We will return.
In the summer, when everything shifts again, and when the air softens and the landscape settles into something slower, fuller.
Through the seasons.
Back again in winter, when the air sharpens and the reserve quietens in a different way.
Because places like this are not about a single visit.
They are about returning.
And knowing, each time, that it will work.
Explore Your Local Reserve
If this encourages even one more wheelchair user to explore Old Moor, then it feels like reason enough to share it.
Because nature shouldn’t feel out of reach for anyone.
It should feel like this.
Understood.
Accessible.
Waiting for you.
Practical Information
Accessibility guidance, scooter booking and seasonal updates can be found via the RSPB website.
The AccessAble also provides a detailed guide to navigating the reserve.
Both are useful.
But, the experience itself is what stays with you.
