Looking for luxury UK holiday accommodation suitable for guests with disabilities?
Wraxall Yard, Dorset has won a high commendation award from the RIBAJ MacEwen Award 2023 for being socially responsible and going beyond the call of duty when it comes to a holiday property suitable for guests with disabilities.
Created to provide comfortable, elegant and attractive environments, Wraxall Yard is a development of five beautifully restored barns designed as a peaceful retreat for families including guests with disabilities. Set around a pretty shared courtyard garden and surrounded by countryside and nature, the site is in Lower Wraxall, situated in the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
MacEwen Award judges commented "Look through the listings of any holiday lettings agency and it’s shocking how little there is for disabled people, their families and carers. Charming old cottages are off limits, or poorly adapted in ways that make hard work of a holiday. Purpose-built accommodation might have better facilities but they’re often grim, institutional environments in third-rate locations. Wraxall Yard offers something very different.”
From the courtyard there is a beautiful route out through farmland down to the riverbank nestled in a Site of Nature Conservation Interest, perfect for a picnic and enjoyment of the wildlife and landscape. All of this is accessed along a wheelchair-friendly boardwalk.
Each cottage has slightly different specifications for disabled access, and all include a sociable open-plan living area, a dining area and well-equipped kitchen with rise and fall worktops. Larger groups can have some use of the on-site community space to cook and eat together (subject to availability). Designed to accommodate up to 24 guests, the community space is fitted out with a large fully equipped kitchen, tables and chairs, a wood burning stove and overhead projector.
High ceilings with exposed trusses give a spacious feel to the beautifully designed interiors of Ladymeade, Kittwhistle, Lynchets, and Clementine, with each offering two spacious bedrooms, and accessible wet rooms. Larger Lookout has three bedrooms, including one equipped with a hoist rail through to the accessible wet room with a detachable sling available upon request.
Run as a not-for-profit, it promises equal access for all in a serene, restorative setting, and has been crafted with a level of care that touched and impressed the MacEwen Award judges. ‘Collectively we don’t go out of our way to support this marginalised community,’ said juror Anthony Staples. ‘But here is something exceptionally beautiful, of the highest quality, where accessibility is not a compromise. This is quite special.’
The property can be found on www.ruralretreats.co.uk and www.dorsethideaways.co.uk
