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Southwater Country Park

Southwater Country Park visitor centre has picnic benches and a view of the lake
Cafe and visitor centre

Sit back and enjoy the view from our lakeside café, serving food all day

Dinosaur Island play equipment
Dinosaur Island

Follow the dinosaur footprints to our children’s play area, a must for little adventurers

In this section

  1. Find us, opening times and parking
  2. Cafe and visitor centre
  3. Dinosaur Island
  4. Watersports
  5. Paddling beach 2024

Take an easy-going walk around the lake on our flat level paths, follow the footprints to our Dinosaur Island play area, or visit The Quarry, a natural conservation area home to lizards, kingfishers and butterflies.

Southwater Country Park makes a perfect day out as it's suitable for all ages and abilities - the cafe and visitor centre has toilets and serves food and drink all day, while watersports sessions are run on the lake. The park is located next to the Downs Link, a beautiful off-road trail popular with families.  Hire bikes from Southwater Watersports to make your day even more adventurous.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION - Parkrun returns on Saturday 14 December
Visitors to the park should be aware that Parkrun is returning to Southwater Country Park on Saturday 14 December for its winter season.
Worthing Road car park, the circular lake path and the Downs Link are likely to be busy with runners from 8.30am - 10.00am.

Find us, opening times and parking

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Our address is Cripplegate Lane, Southwater, Horsham RH13 9UN

Southwater Country Park is open daily, 8am until dusk.

Parking charges

Southwater Country Park has three car parks.

  • The Visitor Centre/Station Road
  • Stakers Lane/Ben's Field
  • Worthing Road car park at the top end of the park

There are four disabled parking bays marked out in the Station Road car park.
Please be aware that there are height barriers in place in the car parks. If this will affect your visit, please call 01403 731218 prior to travel.

Annual permits are available to purchase. To buy an annual permit, email parking@horsham.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can pay as you go at the prices below.

Dog walking policy

Between April and September, all dog owners must keep their dogs on leads in Southwater Country Park.
This is to protect the local wildlife and is in the interest of other users of the Park as well as for the dogs' own safety.
The café has a dog bowl outside and sells dog treats.

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