Date Posted: 29 July 2016
Issued by National Trust with Countryside Mobility: 29/07/2016
Over 3 years ago we began working in partnership with the Countryside Mobility project to provide a ‘Tramper’ all-terrain mobility scooter for visitors with mobility difficulties to use to explore Penrose.
This has been run by the National Trust Ranger team and then in partnership with the Stables Café. As Penrose and the Stables have become more popular it has been increasingly difficult to guarantee regular, high quality experiences for Tramper users, mainly as staff cannot always be available for bookings. Following an extensive period of discussion with all the partner groups, and having looked in detail at all the alternative options over the last year, we have with regret decided that we are unable to provide a Tramper for hire for the foreseeable future.
We understand that this will come as a disappointment to many existing and potential users. The Tramper routes have proved popular, especially given the coastal views that they offer. It is because of wanting to maintain this offer that over a year has been spent seeking to find a workable solution. Both National Trust and Countryside Mobility share the disappointment that this has ultimately proved impossible.
Pro Mobility, who are based in Helston, offer Mobility Scooter hire and with reasonable notice can arrange for a ‘standard’ scooter to be delivered to a site. While access trails at Penrose are of varying surfaces, the route from the Fairground car park to The Stables and back is a well surfaced route suitable for the scooters they can provide and an excellent opportunity to explore and enjoy this part of the Penrose estate.
Countryside Mobility and National Trust are currently working to develop new sites in the west of Cornwall to ensure that opportunities continue to be provided and, ideally, expand. As these are confirmed the details will be available through both the Countryside Mobility and National Trust websites and social media.
For those people who currently access and enjoy Penrose using their own Mobility Scooters or wheelchairs nothing will change – all the existing Bridleway and Footpath routes remain open and well maintained for use.
Thank you to everyone for the support of this service over the years and we hope that you will continue to make use of Countryside Mobility’s 35 other sites in Cornwall and further afield.