Low Barns Nature Reserve, Weardale - How do people with wheelchairs and pushchairs go for a walk? Many would reply: "With difficulty" before going on to regale the hapless listener with tales of obstacles and obstructions encountered over the years.

The urge (and the need ) to go for a "walk" remain, however, despite the problems. The good news is that help is at hand - you only need to know where to look.

Recently, I unearthed a series of leaflets entitled "Walking With Wheels" which seemed to be offering the very help I often seek. They are produced by Wear Valley District Council and they could have been languishing at the bottom of my cupboard for years, so I cannot vouch for how recent they are.

I tried to find out, but phone calls to Wear Valley and Durham Wildlife Trust were never answered. Nonetheless, it looked to me like I had stumbled across some access material on a par with the excellent "Breakfree" material (featured in this column - July 2000). The leaflets claim to be an attempt to bridge the gap left between O/S maps and our need to have the difficulties highlighted that people with mobility problems may encounter.

Walking With Wheels gives details of walks in an area stretching from Barnard Castle to Edmundbyers. The distances of the walks vary from a gentle third of a mile to a heady four miles, so it is possible to pick somewhere that suits your strength, range and ability. The introduction states reassuringly that: "The walks... have been researched by a wheelchair user and are graded according to difficulty. Any potential problems are highlighted, as are the routes which may require assistance."

I plumped for walk number eight - Low Barns Nature Reserve - which, at three-quarters of a mile and graded "Mainly flat, some short slopes", looked about in my league. So, feeling confident and armed with binoculars, field guide, reading matter, wheelchair and walking sticks, I greeted a beautiful January morning and set off.

After fierce winds the previous day, the ground was as dry as ever it is in winter, the weather as warm as it gets and the sun shone with just a hint of spring. This was going to have to be a day of self-sufficiency; the Fir Tree Inn (recommended in the leaflet for meals, etc.), does not serve food on lunchtimes until the spring. The Visitor Centre would, similarly, only be open weekends until then and I was travelling alone. Those of us who choose to be out in the wilds of winter, and who like their fresh air neat, have the added challenge of doing so with less support at this time. If you are at all unsure of your ability, it would be wise to take a friend, a flask with a warm drink and a mobile phone.

Arriving at Low Barns - just off the A68 on the Witton-le-Wear road - I sensed that the leaflet was accurate in describing it as " a place of quiet tranquillity". Car parking is around the visitor centre and, thankfully, although the centre itself was closed, the toilets were open including one, requiring a RADAR key, for people with disabilities. It was also possible to negotiate buying a nature trail guide from a member of staff who was around but normally these would, at the moment, only be available on weekends.

On the trail itself, the first port of call was an accessible viewing platform looking over Coot Pond. Here, I had an interesting chat with a coot and a swan before setting off again along a clarty path towards West Hide overlooking West Lake. The leaflet states that the reserve "has been upgraded for wheelchairs and pushchairs", but this section of path was a struggle and in need of some maintenance work. Nevertheless, the hide was perfectly accessible and comfortable and it was here that I began to lose myself. "Here you can sit and observe for hours..." claims the leaflet, and I can second that. It does help if you can transfer from your wheelchair to one of the benches in the hide but this is not essential. Observing wildlife from a wheelchair in a hide is fun, particularly when you are treated to a display from the Durham Mallards Formation Paddling Team, as I was.

Continuing round the trail the path improves considerably; in fact, it is fair to say that it never again reaches the clarty consistency of the opening stretch. The route to South Hide brings the traveller alongside the River Wear, which is a fine sight in full spate. Again, allow plenty of time to peruse Marston Lake at this point. The view from my binoculars was through bulrushes across to an island of silver birch trees, while on the lake was the captivating sight of a tufted duck feeding.

The path continues around the lake with a few problematic slopes but there are plenty of opportunities to rest and take in the interesting views. North Hide is the last of the three and probably the most comfortable, offering a view from the opposite side of Marston Lake. From here, it is a short trip back to the Visitor Centre where the coffee shop (summer only), bird-feeding station and delightful "Bob's Butterfly Garden" are situated.

If you are thinking of attempting this walk - which I strongly recommend - allow one hour for the route alone but plenty of extra time to ponder, rest and observe the wildlife. Also, while winter has a beauty of its own which appeals to me, it is clear that the paths would provide easier access in warmer months and that the extra facilities provided by the Visitor Centre then would be helpful. I look forward to trying some other routes in the Walking With Wheels series and would welcome information from readers who have experience of using wheelchairs on favourite country walks.

www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/leisure/access

FACT FILE

Address: Durham Wildlife Trust, Low Barns Nature Reserve, Witton-le-Wear, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham DL14 0AG.

Tel: 01388 488728

Opening Hours: Reserve open at all times

Visitor Centre open 10am - 4pm til 31st March. open 10am - 5pm in the summer (til 31st October).

Access: Regular buses between Bishop Auckland and Crook

Secure cycle parking

Car park by the Visitor Centre