Question 1

Do I need to be a member?

Accepted Answer

To use the lakes and café you need a pass or a membership. Compare the options on the passes & memberships page.
Classes and events are open to the public.

Question 2

Do I need to book?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We have limited parking, and in order to keep people safe and provide a relaxed atmosphere we have a cap on spaces, so please book before you come to avoid disappointment.

Question 3

Can I just come and look around?

Accepted Answer

No, but if you are interested in joining our community, you can book onto a Test the Water session for a tour of the lakes and enjoy a swim.

Question 4

Can we just come to the café, or do we have to swim?

Accepted Answer

You can bring your friends and family with you to enjoy the café while you swim, but the café is not open to the public.

Question 5

Can I bring a picnic?

Accepted Answer

No. We have an on-site café selling drinks and delicious food, from cakes to sandwiches, soups, salads and specials. Money taken in the café allows us to keep prices down for swimming.

Question 6

Can we buy a day ticket?

Accepted Answer

No. You book an hour-long session, which allows you to be in and around the lakes for up to an hour and then come up to the café. If you wish to stay longer, book another session.

Question 7

Do you have parking close to the lake?

Accepted Answer

We have a car park right next to the café. We can also allow a few vehicles to park nearer our jetty if you have access needs or equipment like a paddleboard. We recommend stopping at the main car park to check in at the café first before heading down to these spaces, to save you a walk and let us make sure the bottom gate is open for you.

Question 8

Do you have toilets?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we have a toilet next to our café.

Question 9

Where do I get changed?

Accepted Answer

We have an undercover area next to the café, or you can just change lakeside. As we do not have private changing rooms and just the one toilet, we recommend bringing a dryrobe, poncho towel or similar to get changed under.

Question 10

Can I bring my dog?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Dogs must be on a lead around the café area. If your dog has good recall you may let them off the lead around the lakes, but if your dog has a strong prey drive, we ask that they stay on the lead so they do not chase our resident wildlife.
Please pick up after your dog. We have poo bags in the café if you forget.

Question 11

I am new to outdoor swimming - do I need any special kit?

Accepted Answer

Everybody is different: some people wear a wetsuit, some a swimming costume, some just their birthday suit! We advise having wetshoes or boots and gloves in winter, plus warm layers you can get dressed into easily so you warm up as soon as possible. A hot water bottle is a useful and inexpensive bit of kit.
You must wear a tow float in our lakes. We have some to hire for a donation, and wetsuits to hire for £10.
If you are new to cold water, we recommend attending one of our cold water induction classes, where you can learn about the body’s response to cold water and tips for staying safe.

Question 12

Do you allow children to swim?

Accepted Answer

During the winter season, under-16s are not allowed in the water or on a paddleboard. During spring and summer, young people aged 14+ are allowed to swim and paddleboard, but must be accompanied by someone aged 18+.
We also run occasional family-friendly events through the summer, so keep an eye on the events page.
Your date of birth is checked automatically when you book, so you will only ever be offered sessions you can join.

Question 13

Do I need to sign a waiver?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Everyone signs our waiver once, before their first booking. It covers the swim declaration, the tow float rule, the site rules and your medical declarations, and it is stored on your account. If the wording ever changes, you will be asked to sign the new version at your next booking.

Question 14

Why do you ask for my car registration?

Accepted Answer

So the team knows whose vehicles are on site each day. It is captured when you book and pre-filled from last time, so it only takes a second.

Question 15

How do I book?

Accepted Answer

Create an account, and the calendar shows real availability for every session, class and event.
The platform knows what you hold (a membership, a pass with sessions left, or pay-as-you-go) and shows the options and prices that apply to you. When you book, it settles the right way automatically: included with your membership, a session from your pass, account credit, or a card payment.
You will get a confirmation email straight away, and a reminder before your session.

Question 16

Can I use the website as an app on my phone?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The site is an installable app. Add it to your home screen and it opens full screen with its own icon, so you can book in a few taps and check your sessions at the water’s edge.
On iPhone: open the site in Safari, tap Share, then “Add to Home Screen”. On Android: open Chrome’s menu and tap “Add to home screen”.

Question 17

How many sessions can I book in a day?

Accepted Answer

Two a day, on different time slots. The one exception is bringing a guest on a guest pass, when you book two places into the same session.

Question 18

What if a session is full?

Accepted Answer

Join the waitlist. If a place opens up, you will be notified automatically.

Question 19

What is the difference between a pass and a membership?

Accepted Answer

A pass holds sessions: a bundle to use within its validity window, or the Flexipass, which unlocks pay-as-you-go booking for a year. A membership is a book-anytime contract for its term: unlimited bookings of whatever is included, with monthly allowances that renew automatically.
Compare them all on the passes & memberships page.

Question 20

What happens if I need to cancel a booking?

Accepted Answer

Cancel 48 hours or more ahead and the booking goes back to wherever it came from: a pass gets its session back, a membership allowance resets, and a card payment becomes account credit, ready for your next booking. Closer than that, nothing comes back.
Event tickets have their own tiers: a full refund two weeks or more ahead, account credit between two weeks and 48 hours, and no return inside 48 hours.
If we have to close the lake for weather, sessions are non-refundable, though the team can issue goodwill credit where they choose to.

Question 21

What is account credit?

Accepted Answer

Money on your account, from a cancellation or a reward, that goes towards your next booking automatically. You can see your balance, and where each credit came from, in your account.

Question 22

Can I cancel my membership?

Accepted Answer

Memberships are fixed-term contracts and cannot be cancelled, whether paid one-off or by monthly instalment: the full term is committed, as set out in the terms.

Question 23

Can I bring a guest?

Accepted Answer

Every lake and Swim & Sauna membership includes one guest pass a month. You book your guest’s place under your own account, at the same time as your own. The same guest can be brought on guest passes up to three times, and Swim & Sauna members also get four sauna guest passes a year.

Frequently asked questions

Visiting the lake

Kit, safety & children

Booking & the app

Passes, memberships & credit