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A rowing eight on the still water of Cleveland Lakes, with reeds and trees along the far bank

Things to do · Cirencester

Cleveland Lakes, Cotswold Lakes Trust

The Cotswold Lakes Trust's reserve near Ashton Keynes: 330 acres with bird hides on Wickwater Lake and open-water swimming and paddleboarding on Waterhay Lake.

Price band 1 of 4 Verified Oct 2026

The calmest way onto the water in the Cotswold Lakes: booked swims and paddleboarding on a 1.6km lake run by the conservation charity, with the profits going to its work. No dogs on this part of the site.

  • Good: Profits go to the Cotswold Lakes Trust, a conservation charity
  • Good: Marked swim courses from 200m to 900m, with lifeguard sessions
  • Good: Bird hides on Wickwater Lake and the heronry at Lake 68
  • Worth knowing: Swims and paddling by booked session only; hours change with the season
  • Worth knowing: No dogs on the swimming and paddling part of the site
  • Worth knowing: Waterhay car park floods in winter

About

Cleveland Lakes is a Cotswold Lakes Trust reserve of 330 acres of lakes, reedbed and wet woodland near Ashton Keynes, in the Cotswold Lakes south of Cirencester. The Trust is the charity that cares for wildlife and access across the Cotswold Lakes, the flooded gravel workings long known as the Cotswold Water Park, and this is where it lets people onto the water.

Its Wild Leisure sessions on Waterhay Lake, which is 1,600m long, offer open-water swimming on marked courses of 200m to 900m, or a gentle dip off the course, for £8.50 (£7 for NOWCA members) in 2026. You can launch your own paddleboard or kayak during the same sessions for £12.50, or hire one of a few paddleboards for £22.50. Everything is booked in half-hour arrival slots; in October 2026 the sessions ran on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 4pm to dusk and on Saturday mornings.

Swimmers must wear a tow float, paddlers need a leash and buoyancy aid, and under-16s must come with an adult. There are toilets, refreshments, a slipway and a pontoon, and lifeguarded sessions. Dogs are not allowed on this part of the site because of the wildlife.

Wickwater Lake (Lake 74) next door is a nature reserve, with a hide for goldeneye, wigeon and teal in winter and spring; dragonflies and hobbies come in summer. The Reed Hide on Waterhay Lake (Lake 68) overlooks a heronry, where young grey herons and little egrets can be seen leaving the nest. The Thames Path runs from the Trust's Waterhay car park towards Cricklade, though the car park floods in winter.

Opening hours and season

October 2026 sessions: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 4pm to dusk; Saturday 10am to 1pm. Half-hour arrival slots; later sessions are released as the season goes on, so check the Trust's page.

Facilities

  • ToiletsAt the Wild Leisure base
  • ParkingAt Rixon Gate for sessions; Trust car parks are cashless, with 2.1m height barriers
  • RefreshmentsAt the Wild Leisure base
  • DogsNot on the swimming and paddling site; on a lead at other Trust sites

The details

Time to allow
An hour or two on the water
Features
By the water · Parking
History
Cotswold Lakes Trust, registered charity 1120518
Parking
Park at Rixon Gate for swims (what3words ship.weeded.strapping). The Trust's Waterhay car park is cashless (contactless or pay by phone), from £1.20, free for Trust members, and floods in winter.

Photos

  • A sandy lake shore with a bench and a floating pontoon, swim buoys on calm water and pink clouds reflected at sunset
    Waterhay Lake at sunset
  • Swimmers in coloured caps following a line of buoys across the lake, with two paddleboarders watching beyond
    Swimmers on a marked course
  • A row of blue and white paddleboards on the shore of a wide lake under a cloudy blue sky
    Paddleboards by the lake
  • Willow trunks and wild flowers on a lake bank, with reeds and trees reflected in still green water
    Willows on the lake shore

Location

Map showing where Cleveland Lakes, Cotswold Lakes Trust is
© OpenStreetMap contributors

Questions about Cleveland Lakes, Cotswold Lakes Trust

Can you swim at Cleveland Lakes?

Yes, the Cotswold Lakes Trust runs bookable open-water swim sessions on Waterhay Lake at Cleveland Lakes, with marked courses of 200m, 400m, 700m and 900m. A swim cost £8.50, or £7 for NOWCA members, in 2026. Every swimmer must wear a tow float, and swimming is not allowed at the Trust's other car parks and picnic sites.

Can I paddleboard at Cleveland Lakes?

Yes, you can paddleboard on Waterhay Lake at Cleveland Lakes during the Trust's swim sessions. Bringing your own board or kayak cost £12.50 a person in 2026, and a hired paddleboard £22.50; both are booked by emailing the Trust's Wild Leisure team. A leash and buoyancy aid are required.

Are dogs allowed at Cleveland Lakes?

Not on the swimming and paddling part of Cleveland Lakes, where the Cotswold Lakes Trust bars dogs because of the wildlife. On the Trust's other sites and car parks, including Waterhay, dogs are welcome on a lead, and the Thames Path runs from there towards Cricklade.

Places to stay nearby

Where to stay in Cirencester
  • The entrance road to Hoburne Cotswold, with its sign in a planted bed and a low reception building beyond

    Hoburne Cotswold

    Self-catering · South Cerney

    A family holiday park of caravans and lodges round four lakes on Broadway Lane, South Cerney, with indoor and outdoor pools, fishing, pedalos and a restaurant, run by the Hoburne group.

    Family-friendly · Dog-friendly

    Verified Oct 2026

  • A table laid with white linen on a terrace overlooking a lake, with the hotel building beyond

    De Vere Cotswold Water Park

    Hotel · The Cotswold Water Park

    A large modern lakeside hotel on Lake 6 near South Cerney, three miles from Cirencester, with bedrooms, self-catering apartments, two restaurants, a pool and spa, and rooms for dogs.

    Dog-friendly · Family-friendly · EV charging

    Verified Nov 2026

  • Modern holiday houses along the shore of a lake at sunset, seen from the air

    Lower Mill Estate

    Self-catering · The Cotswold Water Park

    A family-run private estate of lakes and woodland at Somerford Keynes in the Cotswold Lakes, with architect-designed self-catering homes sleeping two to 12, pools, a restaurant and kayaks, paddleboards and bikes to hire.

    Dog-friendly · Family-friendly · Hot tubs

    Verified Oct 2026

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