Fletcher Moss Park Accessibility

Today I wanted to tell you about one of the most accessible parks we have visited in Manchester – Fletcher Moss Park and Parsonage Gardens. When I say accessible, I am not referring to the facilities that the park has to offer, but its ease of use and access for those with limited mobility. We spent several hours here in the park this week and felt the need to tell others in the area about this natural beauty spot.

Parking

The first thing I assess when rating a park for accessibility is its parking. I am happy to report that Fletcher Moss Park does have disabled parking, which is close to one of the park’s entrances. Unfortunately, we only spotted two disbaled parking spaces on our visit. There are additional parking spaces in this very small car park.

However, there is ample on-street parking close to each of the three entrances of the park. If you want to use the disbaled parking spot, head to the Millgate Lane entrance and use the postcode M20 2SD.

Not knowing of this disbaled parking, we headed to the Stenner Lane entrance using postcode M202RQ. Parking on the lane, it was a gentle slope into the park, and relatively flat paths led us around the park.

Disabled Toilet

Next on our agenda was to assess the facilities. Fletcher Moss Park is concerned with accessibility and provides a disbaled toilet close to the Millgate Lane entrance. This toilet is continuously open (no radar key required). There are general toilet – ladies and gents – next to the disbaled toilet, however, these were closed on our visit, and so the disbaled toilet is used as the only toilet we found within the park.

There are additional toilets located in the parsonage, and toilets are available for customer use in the Didsbury Pub and the Old Cock Pub, which are located outside of the park.

Cafe

There are two cafes at Fletcher Moss Park. The first of these can be found within the main park grounds and is called the ‘Truck Stop’ (formerly known as the Alpin Tea Room. We enjoyed a coffee and cake there in the most pleasant of surroundings. Hot food is also served, and it smelled absolutely delicious.

There is a small seating area with tables and chairs. But if these are filled, there are ample park benches within the immediate vicinity.

A second cafe is located in the parsonage. However, it wasn’t clear whether or not dogs were permitted within the building (one passer-by informed us they are permitted in the garden), so we didn’t venture in.

The Park

Upon entering the park, I was struck by just how well-maintained the grounds are. I explored a vast expanse, the park seemed to go on forever, yet it was extremely clean and well cared for throughout.

If you are a person with limited mobility and plan to visit the park on foot, I would recommend entering at the Millgate Lane entrance. There you will find the disbaled toilet close by, but you’ll also find the ground to be flat with plenty of benches close to the entrance. It’s the perfect place to stop and take in nature without having to venture too far from the car park. The path from the Millage Lane entrance was relatively smooth and wide. This surface provides ample room and suitability for wheelchair users, or mobility scooters.

If you plan to explore a lot of the park, there are some uneven surfaces; however, these are fewer and further between than I have seen in any park. Accessing ‘the boardwalk’ could prove a little tricky for those with limited mobility; however, there are slopes provided at each end of the boardwalk as an alternative to the steps. Once you find yourself on a path, you’ll find it to be relatively smooth, flat and wide.

There are small gardens to explore close to the Truck Stop Cafe. The main gardens will require some navigation of steps and slopes and contain rather narrow paths.

There is a beautiful and more accessible garden in the parsonage grounds. This was relatively easy to walk around and was filled with beautiful plants, flowers and tree carvings.

Our Final Thoughts

So, what did we think about accessibility at Fletcher Moss Park? I was pleasantly surprised by just how accessible Fletcher Moss Park is. If you are using a mobility scooter, you’ll find it relatively easy to get around the entire park. I did see several people navigating their way through the park on wheelchairs, and it seemed to me the perfect place to enjoy some of what nature has to offer without being too strenuous. If you’d prefer to go for a short walk, parking close to the entrance of the park means you can do just that without exerting yourself too much in the process.

For something similar from me, see A Day Out at Calke Abbey: Accessibility, Dogs, and Hidden Gems.