AccessAble survey details are dated to the surveyor's visit; confirm lift and alarm status before travelling.
In brief
- Ask for ball ramps and bumpers on your lane, not just a ramped entrance
- Confirm the lift works on the day - the surveyed guest lift was out of order on the surveyor's visit
- Check the toilet matching your transfer side, including the alarm, before you go
The lane itself
At Center Parcs' Leisure Bowl, the bowling lanes are fully accessible via a ramp, and four lanes are designated as wheelchair accessible. The bar counter is 110 cm high with a lowered section at 80 cm, colleagues are happy to assist where needed, and most of the House of Games machines inside the venue are accessible, with pool tables in the bar area. The AccessAble survey of Superbowl in Barnsley's Glass Works records 14 bowling lanes, 15 metres to the right and ahead as you leave the lift, with fixed bench seating in the lane area, and a photograph showing the aide to assist wheelchair users. The height to the top of the screen on the monitors is 120 cm. Before you book anywhere, ask whether ball ramps and lane bumpers are available on your lane, and whether they can be switched on for your game only - those two aids are what turn a ramped lane into a playable one.
Getting in, parking and the lift caveat
Superbowl's main entrance has step-free access, automatic double doors 148 cm wide, and a threshold lip of 2 cm or below. Its car park is multi-storey, with 10 or more Blue Badge bays that are free for Blue Badge holders, the nearest bay 10 metres from the lift, and the route from the car park to the entrance accessible to a wheelchair user unaided, on a concrete surface, though the car park has a height restriction barrier at 210 cm. The lift is about 5 metres from the main entrance and serves the foyer and first floor. Here is the honest caveat that makes re-checking essential: the survey records that the guest lift was out of order on the day of the surveyor's visit. A lift that worked for the survey may not work on your night, so confirm lift status when you book. Center Parcs' route is different: entrance to the Leisure Bowl is via a long ramp from ground level in the Village Square, opposite Parc Market and next to Las Iguanas, with a passenger lift also available in the entrance to the Sports Plaza.
Bar, noise, light and toilets
Center Parcs describes the Leisure Bowl as a lively family bar: music from the Forum Disco is audible throughout the area during the evenings, because there are no doors separating the disco space from the main area, and lighting is generally subdued, particularly in the bar, disco and bowling areas. A portable induction hearing loop is available on request, there is a small children's soft play area in the disco area during the day, accessible toilets are provided at the entrance to the Leisure Bowl, and a Changing Place is available at Guest Services, about a five-minute walk away. Superbowl's bar and diner has no full table service, but food or drinks can be brought to the table, there is no lowered section at the counter, some tables and chairs are permanently fixed, and there is ample room for a wheelchair user to manoeuvre, with table heights from 72 cm to 110 cm. Its accessible toilets are measured in detail: the left-transfer toilet is 146 cm by 193 cm with an 86 cm door, an 80 cm lateral transfer space, a dropdown rail and a functional emergency alarm, while the right-transfer toilet is 147 cm by 212 cm with an 85 cm door, and its emergency pull cord alarm was not fully functional and out of reach on the survey day. Check the toilet that suits your transfer side, and check the alarm, before you rely on it.
