Opening the gates to accessibility in Ouzel Valley Park
Published: 03/06/2025
We are excited to share that access through Ouzel Valley Park, between Woolstone and Woughton on the Green, has just become much easier! As part of our ongoing work to make Milton Keynes’ parks more inclusive, we have replaced 9 gates through the parkland with wheelchair accessible options. Many of the original gates were worn out and difficult to open, so it was time for an upgrade.
The new gates offer a range of benefits:
- Improved access for all park users, including wheelchair and mobility scooter users
- Longer stretches of barrier-free paths
- Bright yellow handles and latches for better visibility, especially for visually impaired visitors
- Easier-to-use mechanisms that require less upper body strength
- Two-way opening – they can be pushed or pulled
- Durable metal frames for smoother, longer-lasting operation
Visitors to the area may have wondered why there are “gates to no-where” but we will soon be installing a new fence to separate livestock from the path. This change has allowed us to remove 2 gates and fill 2 cattle grids, providing longer stretches of barrier-free access through the park.
Map of where the new gates are located
To support our ongoing accessibility improvement work, we received a grant from Sustrans to help fund this work with the aim of removing barriers along the National Cycle Network routes.
Keep an eye out for more information on how these new gates work.
We've worked closely with our Access Ambassadors and the Disabled Ramblers to understand the barriers for disabled visitors in accessing the countryside, and we've researched what gates are the most accessible. The new gates through the Ouzel Valley represent the best solution for both people and animals to make the most of our parks.
Ellie Durrant, Landscape Development Officer at The Parks Trust
