Southwater Country Park

country parkpaddlingplay areacafepushchair

9 Aug

Written By Sally Broom

Horsham

Children will enjoy the paddling beach on this walk as well as Dinosaur Island adventure play.

The beach area at Southwater Country Park

The Basics

Time: 30 mins

Distance: 1.5 km / 1 mile

Terrain: Flat, paved paths.

Pushchair: The paths are suitable for pushchairs.

Dogs: Dogs are welcome but must be on leads between March and September and they are not allowed on the shingle area of the paddling beach.

Refreshments: Café overlooking the lake or plenty of picnic tables as well as BBQ hire.

Toilets: There are public toilets at the park.

Public Transport: The No.98 Metrobus from Horsham stops at Cripplegate Lane by the main entrance.

Parking: There are three car parks but for best access to the paddling beach and play area, park at the visitor centre on Station Road. Charges vary throughout the season, a stay of up to three hours in summer will be £2.20. After 6pm when parking is free.

(Postcode: RH13 9UN - W3W: ///uncle.prosper.safari)

The 'nests' at Dinosaur Island play area

At the centre of Southwater Country Park is Cripplegate Lake, where an easy, paved walk will take you around the circumference. If you want to get on top of the water, there are row-boats and paddle boards to hire, and if you want to get in the water, there is a designated paddling beach. Half way around, children will be delighted by the Dinosaur Island adventure playground.

The Route

From the car park, simply follow the large dinosaur footprints painted onto the path. These will take you to Dinosaur Island play area, via the paddling beach. Continue around the lake to complete your walk.
Dinosaur Island has ariel walkways, a huge volcano, dinosaur statues, sandpit with dinosaur skeleton, slides, swings and a complex of ropes and ladders with little ‘nests’.
Note that swimming is not permitted in the lake and an area is sectioned off for paddling only.
Bikes are not permitted in the park.
The Downs Link runs adjacent to the park where you can walk further in either direction.

Did you know?

The dinosaur themed play area is inspired by the fact that an iguanadon skeleton was found in the brickworks where the lake now is.

We are passionate about keeping The Ambling Path as a free resource available to everyone, forever. If you have enjoyed using our walking guides, then please consider leaving us a donation. This will help to cover our costs as well as rewarding the considerable time and effort needed to maintain the site. Thank you.

£2.50

£5.00

£10.00

Custom Amount

Follow us on social media to see our new walks and get regular updates on our old ones:

Collections - Our favourite walks by theme

Tiny Toddles

We are big believers in getting kids out walking in the countryside from as young as possible! The routes in this collection are designed for the very youngest members of the family and will only take around half an hour to complete and are all on easy, flat terrain.

Itchen for a walk!

Making its way from Alresford to Southampton, The River Itchen is one of the world’s finest chalk streams. This guide contains twelve short walks arounds its banks.

Pubs with Play

Post-walk refreshments are all the better if there is something to keep the children entertained while you rest. Check out this collection where every pub has a play area in the garden.

Crab and Go!

With the summer holidays upon us, now is the best time to enjoy a coastal walk. In this collection, we share some of the best spots on the South Coast for crabbing and walking.

Meander along the Meon

From source to sea, this collection takes you on a walk-by-walk journey down the River Meon.

Perfect for Paddling

Just in time for the summer, this collection provides you with all the walks on our website that have shallow access to rivers where children can paddle.

Walking Stays

Sometimes a walk is so good, you want to stay around for longer! In this collection, we share some of the places where we have been invited to stay so that we can make the very most of the great walks from their doorsteps.

Views for Miles

In this collection we take you up to some of the highest points of the South Downs, over the Surrey Hills and on a climb to the North Wessex Downs to find our top ten walks with views.

Trains to Trails

All Aboard! The starting point for all of the walks in this collection can easily be switched to a nearby train station meaning you can leave the car behind.

Curious Churches

Occasionally, communities move on and all that remains is their church, mysterious and isolated with plenty of stories to tell. Here are some curiously lonely churches and the charming walks around them.

Spooky Strolls

Read on to discover haunted ruins, creepy crypts, abandoned churches, pumpkin patches and enchanted woods.

Autumn Colour

Crunchy orange leaves, low golden sun, damp woodland scent, shiny red berries, snuggly jumpers, cosy cafes and warm drinks. Who doesn't love an autumn walk?

Heather in Bloom

During August, the heathlands glow purple with heather. This is a collection of some of our favourite places to enjoy the bloom.

Tempting Tea Rooms

Enjoy some post-walk tea and cake indulgence with these ideas! From quaint village tea-rooms to historic houses, this collection will have you covered if you like a cream tea at the end of your walk.

Basingstoke Canal

Always flat and always beautiful, walks beside the canal are simply a joy. We keep returning to find new routes and have built up this collection that includes pubs, a castle, play areas and paddling spots.

Wild About Garlic

Whether you like to pick it and eat it or just admire its fresh green leaves and fluffy white flowers filling our woodland, then this collection is for you.

Beautiful Bluebells

We are pretty sure that our collection of bluebell walks is one of the most comprehensive you will find in our area. The little violet coloured flowers are an obsession of ours and we have spent many a spring looking for them on our walks.

Favourite Play Areas

Over the years, we have come across some incredible play areas on our walks. These are our favourites, chosen for their charming locations, well built structures, variety of equipment and imaginative designs.

Chichester Harbour National Landscape

Discover our collection of family friendly walks in this National Landscape, which is one of the most important wildlife habitats in the UK and has shorelines to explore and pretty harbour villages to visit.

Country Parks

We are blessed with country parks in woodland, downland, coastal and riverside settings. They all have excellent facilities for walkers from cafes to signed trails, as well as play areas for children. Use this collection to view them all.

Pub Walks in Hampshire

Warm fires, refreshing drinks, tasty food, shady beer gardens; pub walks are always a treat! In this collection, we share some of our favourite family-friendly pubs on our Hampshire walks.

country parksouthwaterhorshamwest sussexwest sussex walkwest sussex country parklakepaddlingcafewest sussex cafe walkboat hireadventure playplay areapushchairpushchair walk sussex

Sally Broom

Southwater Country Park

Horsham

Children will enjoy the paddling beach on this walk as well as Dinosaur Island adventure play.

Follow us on social media to see our new walks and get regular updates on our old ones:

Holybourne

Elsted and Wild Combe Camping