A new season, a few small changes…

The clocks have changed and lighter evenings are returning.

It’s a lovely time of year on the nature reserve – longer days, more time to explore, and plenty changing in the landscape as the seasons shift. Alongside that, we’re making a few small updates that we wanted to share with you.

Longer evenings on site

As the days get longer, so do our opening hours. From 23 March, the car park is open until 7pm for the summer season — giving you more time for an evening walk, a later visit, or simply a bit more time outdoors.

The visitor centre continues to close at 5pm.

The Walkers Rest and The Hide kiosk (adjacent to the play area) will also be open daily during the holidays, weather permitting.

A refreshed approach to parking

From 1 April, we’re introducing a new, more gradual hourly approach to parking, moving away from broader time brackets. This gives a bit more flexibility depending on how long you spend at Stanwick Lakes.

Some visits may see a small adjustment, while others may find the new structure works more favourably, depending on how long the stay.

You can find full details here:

From 1st April 2026:
up to 2 hours – £4.00
up to 3 hours – £4.60
up to 4 hours – £5.20
up to 5 hours – £5.80
All day – £7.00

Pedestrian and bicycle access remains free, and minibus and coach rates are unchanged.

As a charity, income from parking is one of the most important ways we raise funds, helping us care for the landscape, protect wildlife, and maintain the reserve for everyone to enjoy.

Introducing the Annual Parking Pass

Many of you will already be familiar with what we’ve previously called “membership” – in reality, a simple and well-used way to enjoy Stanwick Lakes through unlimited parking and regular updates.

From 1 April, we’ll be giving this a clearer name: the Annual Parking Pass.

Nothing about the pass itself is changing:

• Free, unlimited parking while your pass is active
• Regular newsletters keeping you up to date with everything happening on the reserve

It’s simply a more accurate way of describing something many people already know and value.

From 1 April, the Annual Parking Pass will be £52 per year.

For regular visitors, it continues to offer excellent value – the equivalent of around £1 per week for unlimited visits throughout the year.

For current pass holders

If you already hold a membership, this will become known as your pass, though nothing changes until your renewal date.

Looking ahead

This change also gives us the opportunity to think more broadly about how people might like to support Stanwick Lakes in the future.

We know from recent surveys and conversations that some supporters are keen to do more, while others value exactly what they already enjoy. Having a clearly defined Annual Parking Pass allows us to begin responding to both.

It also opens up the potential for us to explore new membership options over time, including ways the charity might benefit more from Gift Aid. We’ll share more on this as things develop.

Thank you

Whether you visit every week or just occasionally, your support helps make Stanwick Lakes the special place it is.

We hope you enjoy the longer evenings and everything this new season brings.