The Cotswold Water Park is an area of 42 square miles and 180 lakes, with many different leisure providers, and a variety of places to stay. This stunning wetlands landscape hosts tens of thousands of breeding and watering birds and is an ideal destination for watching wildlife all year round.
Cotswold Lakes Trust is a charity dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of the Cotswold Water Park for the benefit of wildlife and people..
Cotswold Water Park Videos…
News headlines…
Lesser Emperors
Lesser Emperor dragonflies were unknown in the UK until 1996, but have gradually colonised the...
The Gateway Cafe is closing for refurbishment
The Gateway Cafe will be temporarily closed from 10th to 22nd October for a refurbishment. During...
FLOOD WARNING
The permissive footpath at Cleveland Lakes and the adjacent Thames Path at Waterhay have both been...
A new hide for Waterhay Reed Bed
The hide at Waterhay Reed Bed has finally succumbed to its slow, yet inevitable, rot-assisted...
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Cotswold Lakes Trust Membership
Join the Cotswold Lakes Trust and get a range of benefits, whilst helping us make the Cotswold Water Park a better place for wildlife and people.
With 12 months membership from just £24, you get:
- Free parking for 12 months at all Cotswold Lakes Trust run car parks: Neigh Bridge Country Park, Clayhill, Bridge, Lakeside, Waterhay and Riverside Park in Lechlade.
(Single membership – one vehicle / Joint & Family membership – two vehicles) - A range of Cotswold Lakes Trust guides
- 15% discount off all purchases from the Gateway Cafe
- 10% discount off food and drinks at The Old Boathouse
- 10% discount off food at Lakeside Brasserie
- 10% discount off all drinks at the Cotswold Lakes Brew Co. Taproom
- 10% discount off watersports at Lakeside Ski & Wake
- 10% discount at Regatta clothing in Cirencester
- Members’ newsletter
- Voting rights at AGM
- Family membership also includes a copy of the Family Activities Booklet and 25% off the admission charge to Cotswold Country Park & Beach (excluding peak season- 8th July until 12th September).
Please note that Cotswold Lakes Trust membership does not include free entrance to Cotswold Country Park & Beach.
The buttons below will open a new browser window on the Cotswold Lakes Trust website.
Events
Event highlights – for a full listing of forthcoming events please see the Events Page
October 2024
November 2024
Seasonal News
The Gateway Cafe
The Gateway Cafe will be temporarily closed from 10th to 22nd October for a refurbishment. During this time, there will be a Pop-Up Cafe for coffee and treats.
The Cotswold Water Park Visitor Centre is located next to the Old Boat House on Spine Road East. The Centre is open at weekends and every day during school holidays from February to November.
Leisure maps and guides are also available all year from the Ashton Keynes Community Shop or can be ordered online.
CWP Nature Reserve Guide
Take a look at the Nature Reserve Guide and explore the wildlife sites within the Cotswold Water Park.
Printed copies can be ordered online.
Car Parking
All of the Cotswold Lakes Trust’s car parks are open 7 days a week. We ask that visitors utilise the ‘Covid-free’ RingGo card payment option at all our sites, to avoid the need to touch parking machines – we recommend downloading the RingGo app in advance of your visit. Cotswold Lakes Trust members park for free, so if you are a regular visitor then we would encourage you to join us here:
Cotswold Lakes Trust Membership
Reporting Incidents
Please see REPORT which provides links of where to report incidents which happen in the Cotswold Water Park.
Lake Swimming
Please only swim in lakes which are specifically operated for water activities. Lakes may look inviting but can be dangerous. Swimming is not permitted at Neigh Bridge.
We would also like to remind all visitors that maintenance of sites is extremely challenging at busy times, so please help us by keeping dogs on a lead, and taking your litter and dog waste home with you.
Cotswold Water Park Blog
Lesser Emperors
Lesser Emperor dragonflies were unknown in the UK until 1996, but have gradually colonised the country since then, with global warming the most likely reason. The first definite sighting in the Cotswold Water Park occurred in 2006, however until the last 2 or 3 years...
A new hide for Waterhay Reed Bed
The hide at Waterhay Reed Bed has finally succumbed to its slow, yet inevitable, rot-assisted slide into the silt lagoon, and has had to be demolished after many years of service. The site has changed enormously since the hide was relocated there, with an open, active...
Come and meet a Barn Owl, eagle, falcon, starlings and Bran the Raven on 25 September
If you asked a selection of people what their favourite bird was, I suspect that Puffin and Barn Owl would be right up amongst the front runners. Now, you are going to struggle to see a Puffin locally! But Barn Owl is possible. Quite a few farmers have Barn Owl Boxes...