Disabled Adventurer praises 'incredible' Norfolk

Nick Wilson was impressed by the accessibility of tourist attractions during his week in Norfolk

An accessibility campaigner has praised Norfolk's tourist facilities after enjoying a "very special" holiday that included his first beach visit in a wheelchair.

Nick Wilson has more than 40,000 followers on social media as the Disabled Adventurer, having spent 14 years in the Army before suffering a spinal injury.

The 48-year-old, from Towcester, Northamptonshire, said Norfolk had made a lasting impression on him.

"It was incredible. I wasn't quite used to the narrow roads but I think it was the most stunning scenery I've seen outside of the Lake District," he said.

Brancaster was one of the places Mr Wilson visited

Mr Wilson served in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan before prolapsed discs in his spine forced him to retire.

Last year he became the first disabled person to solo climb Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, using a purpose-built all-terrain powerchair.

During his week-long stay in Norfolk, he visited sections of the Norfolk Coast Path and the Blickling Estate, saying it was "incredible" how much was accessible.

"Accessibility isn't solely about being able to access the beach or the Blickling Estate, it's about creating joy, fun - that is what we need to be thinking about," he said.

"I got some responses on social media from people who live nearby but didn't realise they had a two-kilometre boardwalk at Brancaster, or that they had a multi-use trail of around seven kilometres around the Blickling Estate."

Mr Wilson stressed that accessibility was not just about wheelchair access, but also for people such as parents with pushchairs or older people with mobility aids.

The boardwalk at Holkham allowed Mr Wilson to visit a beach for the first time as a wheelchair user

He has also campaigned about mental health issues and discussed his own struggles but left Nelson's County with a smile on his face, telling BBC Radio Norfolk: "I would say Holkham beach was the highlight of the week.

"It was the very first time in my new life, as a chair user, that I've been able to get on the beach in my chair.

"It was one of the trail officers, Helen, with me and she was close to tears because of how much it meant to me.

"I even did a video call with my mum on the beach so she could see where I was and then I was like a big kid.

"That was something very special that will stay with me forever."

The paths of the Blickling Estate were praised by the accessibility campaigner