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Cotswold Water Park

What is the Cotswold Water Park?

The Water Park was formed by the extraction of sand and gravel over the last fifty years. As the sand and gravel pits come to the end of their working lives, the water pumps are turned off and the pits gradually fill with water to form inland lakes. There are now over 133 lakes covering an area of more than 40 sq. miles.  These lakes are put to many uses from windsurfing, scuba-diving and angling to bird watching at Neigh Bridge Country Park.  

Parts of the Water Park fall outside Gloucestershire, in north Wiltshire. 

The Wildlife of the Cotswold Water Park

The Water Park is nationally important for wildlife, supporting large numbers of wintering waterfowl, such as great-crested grebes and pochard. There are also important populations of breeding birds, such as the reed bunting; colonies of the fast disappearing water vole and otters along the rivers.  There are three nature reserves to visit.  For more information contact the Cotswold Water Park Trust

Recreation

There is a great variety of leisure opportunities in the Water Park for both the day visitor and those that wish to stay longer. Some of the facilities are members only, but many are open to the public. For more information contact the Cotswold Water Park Trust

There are a number of holiday developments within the CWP.  For further information about the restrictions applied to this holiday accomodation - follow this link.

Cotswold Water Park Strategic Review and Implementation Plan (2008)

In 2008 the Cotswold Water Park Joint Committee approved a "Masterplan", which had been prepared on their behalf by consultants, Scott Wilson, in consultation with the local community and other stakeholders.  The masterplan will guide the future of the CWP for the  next ten to twenty years.

Cotswold Water Park: Integrated Character Assessment (2009)

A landscape character assessment of the Cotswold Water Park and the surrounding area has been produced by Wiltshire Council.  It includes areas of Gloucestershire, as well as Wiltshire and Oxfordshire.  The LCA can be downloaded from the CDC web-site.