Cotswold Water Park

The countryside within the Cotswold Water Park provides an oasis for relaxation and discovery for adults and children alike with a fantastic assortment of recreational and learning opportunities to make a perfect family day out.

For walkers there are miles of footpaths around the lakes, along canal paths or rivers banks, it's a birdwatchers paradise with hides for watching thousands of birds and waterfowl, there are several nature reserves and for photographers hundred's of picture taking opportunities.

Within the Cotswold Water Park are two country parks, Cotswold Country Park and Beach (formerly Keynes Country Park) and Neighbridge Country Park which members of the public are able to visit. Cotswold Country Park and Beach is the larger of the two, providing a range of facilities all year round to suit all of the family including the children’s beach, The Shack café, adventure playgrounds and a variety of water sports and activities. There is an admission charge for visiting Cotswold Country Park and Beach. Neighbridge is also open year round and free to all visitors offering a more relaxed and idyllic setting for people who want to get away from it all. Facilities include a children's play area and toilets.

The Cotswold Water Park is rich in archaeological remains and many discoveries made during the quarrying of gravel. The artefacts include fossilised dinosaur remains and other mammals such have the mammoth are on display at local museums in the area and at the Gateway Centre. Other finds of historical interest includes archaeological remains from the Iron Age, Saxon and Roman periods of settlement.

The Cotswold Water Park offers many opportunities to take part in a wide range of outdoor sports and activities to enjoy. Water sports including fishing, sailing, windsurfing and water skiing are available and for those who prefer to stay on dry land, walking, cycling or horse riding is available.

The Cotswold Water Park has many miles of footpaths, cycle ways and bridleways. The Thames Path, National Trail runs through much of the Cotswold Water Park and many of the footpaths run alongside lakes, rivers and streams, and the Sustrans route 45, which runs from Salisbury to Chester.

For lovers’ of nature there are numerous reserves, North Meadow with a vast array of wildflowers, and bird hides to view wildlife living in the Water Park, many of these are Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

If you want to come and stay in the area, accommodation available includes lodges, cabins, camping, hotels and bed and breakfasts. Hundreds of new homes are under construction.

To find out more information about the Cotswold Water Park start your visit at the Gateway Centre, this is located just off the A419 near South Cerney. Here you can get much of the information about all 40 square miles of the Water Park, refreshments at Coot’s café and a Jurassic fossil exhibition that includes the huge mammoth skull discovered recently.

The Gateway Centre is open all year round. For more information call the Gateway Centre on 01285 862962.