The Cotswold Water Park

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The Cotswold Water Park is not just a ‘park’, it is an area of 40 square miles with more than 150 lakes set across the countryside of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and West Oxfordshire. Within the Cotswold Water Park there is a diverse range of businesses offering accommodation, leisure activities and places to eat and drink.

The first stop for many visitors is the Gateway Information Centre, a barn construction with stunning views across a lake. The Gateway Centre is open 7 days a week from 9am – 5pm, with easy access from the main road, and plenty of free parking. From here you will be able to pick up a free Leisure Map which will tell you where you can do the various activities and how to get there.

There are many activities to choose from catering for all ages and abilities. With crystal clear water and no tides to worry about, the lakes are perfect for beginners to experts to try a wide range of water sports friendly and experienced tutors available. Choose from sailing, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, windsurfing, water skiing and wakeboarding. The area also has an inland beach for family bathing and paddling and it even has its own separate paddling area for dogs.

If you prefer to stay on dry land, the area has miles of off road paths for walking and cycling or alternatively you could try archery, shooting, fishing, golf, paint balling, wildlife skills and even rally driving.

Wherever you go in the Cotswold Water Park, take your binoculars with you. The area has a huge variety of birds visiting and living in the area throughout the year. In summer, watch the aerial antics of hobbies as they hunt dragonflies, look for bats skimming the lake surface for flies at dusk and seek out the magical carpet of wildflowers in the ancient water meadows. On hot sunny days, walk through clouds of blue damselflies near the lake edges and keep a look out for nesting grebes. Ducks love the Water Park in the winter too, with 20,000 water birds feeding on many of the larger lakes.

Much of the accommodation in the Cotswold Water Park is situated right next to the lakes. Choose from charming wooden chalets, New England style lodges, a family holiday park or four star hotel luxury. Whether you choose self-catering, full board or B&B, each of these places has its own unique character offering facilities such as indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, luxury spas, beauty treatments and fine dining. In the local area, you can discover traditional country pubs serving local beers and home cooked dishes, plus some great lakeside cafes and bistros.