Chorlton Water Park
🏟 Playground & park · Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester
Chorlton Water Park
A Mersey Valley nature reserve built around a lake reclaimed from old gravel pits, with a small playground, lakeside walks and wildlife — a different site from Chorlton Park.
🕑 Opening & entry
🌱 Open daily, dawn to dusk · Free · No booking needed
📍 Location & directions
Address: Maitland Avenue, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, M21 7WH
Plus Code: 9C5VCPFG+M4
About Chorlton Water Park
Chorlton Water Park is a Local Nature Reserve in the Mersey Valley, south Manchester, centred on a lake surrounded by grassland and woodland and managed by Manchester City Council's Mersey Valley team. It opened in 1978 on former sand and gravel workings, the excavated pit having been flooded to create the lake, and is a nationally important refuge for wintering wildfowl that has won a UK-MAB Urban Wildlife Award for Excellence. For families there is a small children's play area, toilets, a free car park and accessible lakeside paths; the lake is used for fishing, canoeing and sailing, but swimming is not allowed.
⭐ What makes this place special
- Lake (coarse fishing by permit)
- Canoeing, kayaking & dinghy sailing (seasonal, no swimming)
- Pond with dipping platform
- Circular lakeside walk (~1 mile) on the Trans Pennine Trail
- Woodland & grassland
- Footbridge link toward Sale Water Park
🏞 Facilities
- Free entry
- Parking: Free car park off Maitland Avenue (~100 spaces) with disabled bays and bike racks (M21 7WH)
- Toilets on site
- Accessibility: Well-surfaced, accessible paths suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs; disabled parking bays.
- Dogs: Dogs allowed
🧒 Ages & play
- Children's play area with swings, slides and climbing structures
📍 Nearby places to play
- Chorlton Park Playground · approx 0.8 miles · Chorlton-cum-Hardy
- Wythenshawe Park Playground · approx 1.4 miles · Wythenshawe
- Fog Lane Park Playground · approx 2.1 miles · Withington
Browse all places to play in Manchester →
❓ Frequently asked questions
Is Chorlton Water Park the same as Chorlton Park?
No. Chorlton Water Park is a nature reserve centred on a lake, off Maitland Avenue (M21 7WH). Chorlton Park is a separate municipal park on Nell Lane with a playground and sports facilities.
Can you swim in the lake at Chorlton Water Park?
No — swimming in the lake is not allowed, although canoeing, kayaking and dinghy sailing are permitted under guidelines.
Is there a children's play area?
Yes — a small playground with swings, slides and climbing structures, with toilets nearby.
Is entry and parking free?
Yes. Admission is free and the car park off Maitland Avenue is free, with disabled bays (sat-nav M21 7WH).