This is a lovely, wheelchair-accessible route along easy tracks, following the shores, dam, woodlands, and wildlife of Carsington Water. The Visitor Centre, where we meet, is fully accessible for wheelchair users and can cater for a wide variety of individual access requirements. It’s important to us that we can facilitate the aspirations and individual requirements of participants on our accessible walks. This is a sample walk which can be lengthened or shortened according to your preference:
We will arrange your booking personally with you in advance to ensure the walk meets your needs.
Please call Richard on 07913 549483 or Contact Us >
Carsington Water
Carsington Water was officially opened in 1992 and provides water for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire. Owned and managed by Severn Trent Water, Carsington is the country’s ninth-largest reservoir, with a capacity of 300 hectares / 741 acres. Around 700 football pitches could fit on the surface, and there is an eight-mile track around its perimeter.
Route
It’s important to us that we can facilitate the aspirations and individual requirements of participants on our accessible routes. This is a sample walk which can be lengthened or shortened according to your preference. We will arrange your booking personally with you in advance to ensure the walk meets your needs. Please call Richard on 07913 549483 or Contact Us >
Sample Route: The route is from the Carsington Visitor Centre (with fully accessible toilets and catering facilities). The route begins by visiting Stones Island – an easily accessible promontory overlooking the reservoir. There’s an option to visit a nearby wheelchair-accessible bird hide – many species can be seen here, including curlews, oystercatchers, lapwings, snipe, and great crested grebes.
We then return past the Visitor Centre and continue our route along the impressive Dam Wall – look out for sailing boats and dinghy racers, or fishermen casting their lines. We arrive at the Millfields Car Park picnic area, where there is a refreshments kiosk, accessible toilets, and an accessible picnic area.
The route back along the Dam Wall offers a great panorama over the whole reservoir and up to Carsington Pastures and Harborough Rocks.
We finish back at the Visitor Centre, with its exhibition about the reservoir, shops, and café/restaurant – ideal for a well-earned cuppa!
Accessibility at Carsington Water
Here’s some more information about accessibility at Carsington Water:
It includes information on:
Here’s some more information about ‘See’, ‘Hear’, ‘Touch’, and ‘Smell’ in Carsington Water’s Accessibility Guide:
| The Walk | Carsington Water was officially opened in 1992 and provides water for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. Owned and managed by Severn Trent Water, Carsington is the country’s ninth largest reservoir with a capacity of 300 hectares / 741 acres. 700 football pitches could fit on the surface and there is an eight mile track around its perimeter. Route: The planned route begins by visiting Stones Island – an easily accessible promontory overlooking the reservoir. There’s an option to visit a nearby bird hide –many species can be seen here, including Curlews, Oystercatcher, Lapwings, Snipe and Great Crested Grebes. Our walk along the impressive dam wall offers a great panorama over the whole reservoir and up to Carsington Pastures and Harborough Rocks. Look out for sailing boats and dingy racers, fishermen casting their lines. We finish back at the Visitor Centre with its exhibition about the reservoir, shops and café/restaurant – ideal for a well-earned cuppa! |
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| Walk Date | Call for further details |
Here’s an Essential Kit Kist for all our walks >
For accessible walks using wheelchairs or mobility scooters, please contact us to discuss your requirements:
We meet at the Main Entrance to Carsington Visitor Centre, Big Lane, DE6 1ST.
Please note:
Coming by Bus or Train?
We’re keen to support public transport use and reduce emissions. If you’re arriving reasonably nearby, we’ll give you a free lift. Ask us when you book.
Walk Start: At Carsington Water Visitor Centre where we meet, there are accessible public toilets and accessible facilities including a cafe and restaurant. There is adjacent bike and boat hire and over eight miles of lakeside walks, cycle tracks, and bird hides.
The Visitor Centre has mobility equipment available. Find out more in the Carsington Water Accesibility Guide > which also includes the following information:
Along The Walk Route: Along our walk we visit Millfields Car Park and Picnic Area with cafe kiosk. From the Car Park to the Picnic Area, there is level access and some tables have space for wheelchair users. The accessible toilets here have access with a permanent ramp.
Nearby Towns: Wirksworth is five minutes’ drive and Ashbourne is 10 minutes’ drive. Both market towns have shops, cafes, restaurants, accommodation, fuel stations, independent local cinemas, and walk/cycle trails with bike hire. See map here.
This is a Wheelchair Friendly Accessible Route with no stiles and only gradual gradients. Tracks are wide and suitable for wheelchair users. If path erosion or damage makes access more difficult we will select another route. The walk will be a relaxed pace.
For those walking, here is our walk difficulty guide >
We have created a separate page of the most frequently asked questions here >
Our Recommendation: Hoe Grange Holidays
About Hoe Grange Holidays: 12 minutes drive from Carsington Visitor Centre, Hoe Grange near the village of Brassington is a fellow Environmental Quality Mark holder and has won multiple awards for accessibility and sustainability. Set on a peaceful working farm, they have a range of luxurious accessible self-catering log cabins. Ideal for relaxing after a day out exploring – and they’ve even got a hot tub with a hoist so you can soak those tired muscles!
Accessibility: The Hoe Grange Holidays Team are passionate about providing high quality wheelchair accessible holidays, with multi award-winning disabled facilities and a wide range of specialist equipment. They also provide a warm welcome for guests with autism, learning difficulties or dementia who find Hoe Grange a peaceful haven away from crowds.
Other Accommodation Options
Click here to see a Google map of accommodation near this walks start.
We have also created a page of Peak District accommodation we recommend here >
We all want to respect, protect and enjoy the fragile upland environments where we walk, so that they can be enjoyed by generations to come. Following The Countryside Code really helps…