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Summer hours are now in effect! (from March 23rd). Please note that the car park is open until 7pm. The Visitor centre still closes at 5pm.

Please note the water play area is closed on Monday mornings for routine cleaning and maintenance.

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Book a Swim!

Organised open water swimming sessions with lifegaurds – booking required – tickets available now!

Home > Open Water Swimming Booking Page

Select dates from May – Sept

Booking required.

Stanwick Lakes is a conservation site and a designated SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). Swimming is only permitted during organised open water swimming sessions, within Natural England approved areas, and in controlled conditions, which includes water testing.

Join us for open water swim sessions (with lifeguards) in a stunning nature reserve setting. Choose from 1-hour or 2-hour Friday evening swims, with an extended 15+ dates across 2026. Tow floats (hire available) and bright swim hats required. Booking essential – unsupervised wild swimming is not permitted in our lakes due to our SSSI status. Join us for a one off session or block book and fill your Friday nights throughout summer!

Come along with friends – but please book each swimmer’s session separately. To do this, select the sessions for the first swimmer, complete their details, and add them to your basket. Then, repeat the process for each additional swimmer. Once all sessions are in your basket, you can purchase them together! This ensures we have all the swimmer safety information we need. Thank you.

Booking Form

Browse the calendar below to book your selected sessions. Use the left and right arrows to navigate between months, or click “List Year” in the top right to view all available dates.

Pick an event on the calendar:

Please make sure the sessions currently selected above are for the same swimmer.
To book on behalf of someone else, add your own sessions to the basket first, then repeat the process for each additional swimmer. This ensures we have the correct safety and ICE details for each participant.

Age Requirements

  • • No swimmers under 12 years old are permitted to swim.
  • • 12 – 15 years participation is by prior arrangement with the Swim Director. Please email events@rftrust.org.uk to gain permission. There must be a responsible adult aged 18+ with the consent of the parent/legal guardian on site who must be appropriately positioned to be constantly watching the young person in the water. Wetsuits and brightly coloured swim cap are compulsory for all swimmers.
  • • 16 – 17 years participation is subject to having written permission from parent/legal guardian.

Swimmer Declaration:

Participating in open water swimming requires fitness and skill. I confirm that I have done sufficient training to ensure that I am fit enough to cope with the demands of open water swimming and that my technical skills are adequate for the activity. I accept that taking part is by its nature hazardous and contains certain inherent risks and I accept that I owe a significant duty of care to Rockingham Forest Trust and its organising partner(s) as well as to other swimmers, to act responsibly and follow all safety instructions.

This includes but is not limited to:

  • - Only entering the water when given the all clear to do so by the session leader
  • - Wearing a brightly coloured swim hat at all times when in the water
  • - Wearing a tow float
  • - Following the prescribed swim course
  • - Complying with the instruction to exit the water at the end of my current lap in the event of a course evacuation or the end of the session (signalled by an air horn)
  • - Being aware of other swimmers and summoning assistance if I notice a swimmer in difficulty.

I confirm that I, or those I book on behalf of, meet the age requirements set out by Rockingham Forest Trust and its organising partner(s).

I accept that in the event of my requiring medical attention, Rockingham Forest Trust (RFT) and its organising partner(s) take no responsibility for the treatment provided for any unreported existing condition which increases the risk of a medical emergency.

I acknowledge that RFT has relied on this statement (in its entirety) in accepting my participation in the open water sessions at Stanwick Lakes and that if I was unable or unwilling to agree to all the matters set out above in this statement of responsibility RFT would not allow me to participate.

All statements of fact are true.

We collect vehicle registration numbers to help us understand visitors and share insights with our funding partners. Your data will be stored securely and used only for these purposes. Parking is paid separately and helps raise funds for the charity. Payment can be made on the day, depending on length of stay.

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