Christmas at Ferry Meadows includes an open-air synthetic ice rink, mini Christmas market, craft cabin and vintage fun fair, festooned with twinkling lights and festive garlands. For more detail of what is happening during the event please visit our Christmas at Ferry Meadows page.

We welcome everyone to Christmas at Ferry Meadows and our team will do all they can to ensure that you enjoy your visit. The information here provides an overview of the accessibility of the event. The Nene Park website has more detail of the accessibility of Ferry Meadows. If you have any questions or feedback about the accessibility of Christmas at Ferry Meadows contact us and the team will be happy to help.  

Key information / access highlights: 

• Free accessible parking on site for blue badge holders who have purchased a ticket for the skating by obtaining a QR code from the Visitor Centre on the day.
• Skate chair, penguin skate aids and other skate stabilisers available but must be booked online. Please note that users of the skate chair must be able to self-transfer into and out of the equipment.
• Quiet sessions available – every Sunday 09:00am – 10:00am. These will be a more relaxed session with reduced capacity and no music playing or lights.
• Three inclusive sessions with the Peterborough Phantoms Para Ice Hockey Club - open to disabled and non disabled skaters. All equipment provided.

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Accessibility welcome 

Members of event staff and volunteer team will be on hand to provide assistance and support around the event site and at the Visitor Centre. Nene Park staff will also be available at Nene Outdoors and Duty Ranger number during their normal operating times only. 

Information and updates about the event can be found on the Nene Park website and social media channels: 

Website: https://www.nenepark.org.uk/christmas

Facebook: @NenePark, Twitter: @NeneParkPboro, Instagram: @neneparkpboro

Planning your visit 

Hire of mobility scooters

To help visitors with access needs explore Ferry Meadows, we offer a mobility scooter hire service from the Visitor Centre & Gift Shop in Ferry Meadows, free of charge (donations welcome). When attending in the evenings and hiring these, we insist the hirer stays in the vicinity of Christmas at Ferry Meadows as it will be dark around the park. Hire time will be reduced to one hour. Last time for hire will be 19:00-20:00. Pre-booking is highly recommended. Visit our Ferry Meadows accessibility pages to find out more about the mobility scooter hire service. 

Assistance dogs  

Assistance dogs are welcome throughout the event site. Dog drinking bowls are provided outside the Visitor Centre and Ferry Meadows Café. 

How to find us 

The main event site is around the Visitor Centre area within Ferry Meadows. Please see the  How to Find Us information for more details of the different ways of getting to Ferry Meadows.

FREE parking for blue badge holders with tickets for the ice-skating is available at Ferry Meadows main / visitor centre tarmac car park, next to the event site, by obtaining a QR code from Visitor Centre staff on the day. Marked accessible parking bays are available.  

Tickets and Charges

Entry to the Christmas Market is FREE and visitors are welcome at any time during the event opening hours without needing to book.

Fun fair rides will be charged by the fair supplier. Cash and card can both be used here.

There is a charge for the ice skating which includes skate hire. Penguin skate aids are available at an additional cost. The skate chair is available free of charge. Please note that users of the skate chair must be able to self-transfer into and out of the equipment.

Online booking is highly recommended to guarantee your space, skate size, skate chair and skate aids; however tickets may also be purchased at the ice rink kiosk during your Park visit, subject to availability. Payment is by card only.

For details of charges and to book please visit our Christmas at Ferry Meadows page.

Christmas crafts run by Nene Park Trust in the craft cabin located next to the fair will be free of charge and there is no need to book. A member of staff will be in the cabin at all times during operating hours.

Bringing a companion/carer 

Carers and companions are welcome to join in all activities on offer.

You can bring a companion or carer in for free to help you enjoy the ice-skating. If you require a companion/carer to access the ice skating please contact the Visitor Services team to discuss any additional access requirements and arrange booking.

While carer(s) will be allowed entry to the ice-skating with you free of charge, they must at all times be in a caring role that is providing support and assistance. It is not acceptable for carers to be participating independently and if this is the case, that person will not be allowed entry as a carer and will be expected to pay in full.

Please note that not all activities at Christmas at Ferry Meadows are operated by Nene Park Trust. Enquiries about arrangements for companions/carers should be directed to the specific activity organiser. 

Getting around 

The event is taking place around the Visitor Centre area with the majority of the activities in the open air.

Most activities are located on the paths around the Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre that are hard surfaced mostly paved or tarmac, generally of a minimum width of two meters, with a good contrast to the surroundings, reasonably level and at a safe distance from open water. They are shared routes for pedestrians and cyclists, and in some circumstances horse riders. 

The ice rink will be in the paved pedestrian area next to the main Visitor Centre car park.

A log cabin will be in place for the skating reception and shoe exchange.

The Christmas market stalls will be placed at the edge of each pathway to allow accessibility.  

The fun fair and craft cabin is on an area of grass with wood chip surface dressing in some places, which is reasonably level but may be uneven.

Please refer the Ferry Meadows map for more detail of the path network including steep and unsurfaced sections or contact us for more information. 

Please be aware that as the evenings draw in, areas of Ferry Meadows away from the lights of the ice rink and Christmas market, will be very dark so please bring an extra source of light to help find your way back to the car park. 

Information 

Details about the event can be found on the Nene Park website. If you have any problems accessing the information ahead of the event please contact us. 

At the event staff will be on hand to help with any queries at the ice rink, craft cabin and Visitor Centre.

Facilities and Services 

Toilets 

Accessible toilets at Ferry Meadows public toilet block will be available during event hours. Accessible toilets can also be found at Ferry Meadows Café during their normal opening hours.

Please refer to the Ferry Meadows map for details of the locations, routes and distances between the facilities. 

Seating 

Benches are available at the synthetic ice rink to allow for boot change. There will also be benches available around the ice rink to allow spectators to watch.

Outdoor tables and chairs are available outside the Ferry Meadows Café that can be used by the public.

Lighting and effects 

There will be flashing lighting but no strobe, lasers, fireworks or smoke machines. Music will be being played from the synthetic ice rink and fun fair.  During quiet sessions at the ice rink, music and lighting will be turned off and the fun fair will not be in operation.