Wheelchair Accessible Glamping Review - Knap Mill, Devon
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Back in August, Charles Wintour and his partner, Becky, enjoyed a holiday in our Knap Mill OmniPod, situated in South Devon. They have been kind enough to share their experiences with us in a blog.
Hello!
We were the lucky occupants of the Knap Mill pod, from the 18th of August to the 1st of September 2023. We had a lovely stay here! The pod has ramped access and a wide door with a flat threshold, meaning it was very easy for me, as a lightweight manual wheelchair user, to get in and out of the pod by myself. There’s a veranda on the entrance, where we spent the early mornings and late evenings watching the sun rise and fall and the surrounding countryside and its animal occupants wake up and go to sleep. Being a lover of the outdoor lifestyle, the pod gave us the luxury and freedom to be outside most of the time, but inside when the weather made us feel like we needed “a hug”. The countryside around the pod gave us some of best sunsets we’ve ever seen on a land-based holiday!
Inside The Pod
We found the pod compact and cosy, but still spacious enough for us to move easily. The double bed was comfortable and easy for my partner to get me in and out of without the help of our mobile hoist, which made a welcome change. A small seating area hosted a sofa and table and chairs, which we used mainly at night. The host provided blankets so we could remain cosy on the cooler evenings and keep the door open as late as possible – It really was a “bring the outside in” holiday, which I loved! We were “roughing it smoothly”, while almost being as high as the trees.
As a manual wheelchair user, I was able to get in the kitchen easily and use the sink. There was enough storage space to store and cook a few days provisions at once, and the host was happy for us to receive deliveries from the local supermarket, even storing our frozen goods in her freezer while the small freezer and fridge was defrosted. The sun came through the kitchen window every morning as one of us washed up and our car was parked on a private driveway at the pod. It was secluded, which was nice, and provided parking for 1 vehicle — After we had been out for the day, we often just sat in the car and chatted… just soaking up the early evening atmosphere.
The bathroom consisted of a toilet, shower and wash basin and was surprisingly spacious considering the overall size of pod. There was enough room for me and a carer to use the bathroom together and we were able to leave our accessories out on low-level shelves. The toilet had aesthetically pleasing bars around it, which were also robust enough for me to use to transfer independently. The shower seat was deep enough for me to sit on and had good supporting bars for me to use — Although we felt like we were camping al fresco when the water went cold on us after half an hour! (note to self: Put the immersion heater on if your disability requires you to take a longer time showering).
Places We Visited
The pod gives travellers easy access to a few main towns, but we chose to visit Kingsbridge a few times, where we found the lovely Avon Mill Garden Centre and Café. We spent a few lazy afternoons watching wildlife and eating Cornish cream teas in their covered courtyard…. A tame robin came to our table each time we visited!
Beesands Beach was our go-to place for ice creams and chips in the car. We could have quite easily gone for a long walk there, but the toilets were out of order at the time of our visit, so we elected to stay warm in the car and people-watch while the waves crashed on the shore.
We also went for a drive to Bigbury Beach, where we know there is a beach wheelchair, but were unable to pay for a parking space because sometimes cash is king, and we didn’t have any! Mobile signal was hard to access on the beach, even though they provided an app to pay with!
Our best afternoons away from the pod were spent in Plymouth, about 40 minutes from our base by car. We visited The Ferry House Inn where we enjoyed a lovely two course meal, while looking out to sea. Afterwards, we were able to mill around the lovely, picturesque harbour, and reminisce about my childhood holidays in the area. Across the bridge we could see Cornwall!
Lockyer’s Quay was our second destination in Plymouth. The pub of the same name on the quayside provided us with an accessible eatery, where we met friends for a meal and drinks. The quayside was flat enough to walk along and explore for a few hours, and we enjoyed ice creams from a kiosk and several drinks before heading back to the pod to watch the sun set.
Making Memories
We had a fantastic holiday and a perfect host in Sarah. We would indeed revisit as there are things we still want to see in the area. Sue, Becky’s mum, who visited the area a lot when she was younger appreciated a last glimpse of Cornwall before she passed in October. Without our visit to the pod, these beautiful pictures and memories would not have been made, nor would I have been able to make my Mum smile before she died….. Thank you — Accessible travel makes the world accessible to us and means the world to us in equal measure!
Written by Becky Jubb
Photo credit: Charles Wintour
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