Accessibility
Accessible Thornton-le-Dale and Dalby Forest
Two honest halves. First, the free all-terrain mobility vehicles at Dalby Forest, which are genuinely useful and not widely known about. Second, the village itself, where we set out only what this guide already knows and name plainly what we have not yet checked on the ground.
All-terrain mobility vehicles at Dalby Forest
Forestry England offers all-terrain mobility vehicles at Dalby Forest. They are commonly called trampers, and Forestry England's own page heading calls them all-terrain mobility scooters. Both names describe the same machines.
Hire is free of charge, for either a half day or a full day. Book by phoning 01751 460295 before you travel. You collect from the visitor centre at Low Dalby, Thornton-le-Dale, Pickering, YO18 7LT.
You must be over 16. You do not need to be registered disabled.
Opening hours are not published on Forestry England's page; ring before you travel. We would rather say that than invent a time.
All of the above is taken from Forestry England's tramper hire page for Dalby Forest. Check with Forestry England before you travel.
Ellerburn trail
Level-graded, and suits a standard mobility scooter.
Forestry England, tramper hire page for Dalby Forest.
Housedale Rigg
Varying terrain, and better suited to the all-terrain vehicles than to a standard mobility scooter.
Forestry England, tramper hire page for Dalby Forest.
Getting around the village
This section repeats only what this guide already states elsewhere. Anything that would need checking with a tape measure or a wheelchair is in the list below instead.
The car park
The main car park is the National Park pay-and-display off Maltongate, sat-nav YO18 7SD, about two minutes' walk from the village centre. Blue Badge holders are not exempt from the charges, so buy a ticket as normal. There are accessible bays close to the exit towards the village, and the four 75kW rapid EV chargers include two accessible bays.
Full tariffs and payment methods are on the parking page.
Arriving without a car
There is no railway station in the village. The 840 Coastliner runs Leeds, York, Malton, Pickering, Thornton-le-Dale, Goathland and Whitby, and East Yorkshire's EY128/X28 runs Scarborough to Helmsley via Pickering. Thornton-le-Dale to Pickering is roughly a six-minute hop on the 840.
Routes, nearest stations and drive times are on the getting here page.
Planning the visit
Where the village is, the best time of year to come and what everyday services it has are all on the visitor information page.
Walks
The seven circular walks from the car park are listed with the terrain and access notes we have been able to verify, and with distance and ascent left blank where they have not been. See the walks page.
What we have not yet checked on the ground
- The surface and gradient of the Maltongate car park, and how easy the route from it into the village centre is.
- Whether there is an accessible public toilet in the village, and where.
- Which shop and pub doorways have a step, and how high.
- Where the dropped kerbs are along the main street and around the green.
- Whether the beck footbridges are passable with a wheelchair.
If you know any of these from experience, or if you have found something here wrong, please write in. Local knowledge is how this page gets better, and until it does, the honest answer is that we do not know.
Common questions
Can you hire a mobility scooter at Dalby Forest?
Yes. Forestry England offers all-terrain mobility vehicles, commonly called trampers, at Dalby Forest free of charge for half a day or a full day. Book by phoning 01751 460295 before you travel and collect from the visitor centre at Low Dalby, Thornton-le-Dale, Pickering, YO18 7LT. You must be over 16, and you do not need to be registered disabled.
Which Dalby Forest trails suit a mobility scooter?
Forestry England describes the Ellerburn trail as level-graded, which suits a standard mobility scooter. Housedale Rigg has varying terrain and is better suited to the all-terrain vehicles.
What are the hire opening hours?
Opening hours are not published on Forestry England's page, so we do not state any here. Ring 01751 460295 before you travel.
How accessible is Thornton-le-Dale village itself?
We have not yet surveyed the village on the ground, so this page does not make claims about surfaces, gradients, dropped kerbs, step-free routes, accessible toilets or Blue Badge bays. What we can point to is the parking, getting here and visitor information pages, and a list of the specific things still to check.