Chorlton Water Park

A bittersweet experience was had on my first ever visit to Chorlton water park. Driving here is a little strange with it being situated in such a densely populated area. You get the feeling your Satnav is taking you to the wrong place. Don’t worry it’s not.
An old reservoir was transformed into a huge lake a while back and that’s the park’s main feature. A mile radius around the lake acts as a perfect biking/​hiking trail which isn’t too strenuous and is littered with relaxing spots with great views. There’s an icecream van to cater for all your refreshment needs and does a lot of business on a hot summer’s afternoon. It’s a perfect venue to have a picnic and for young families (There’s a large play area for kids) All in all a lovely green space in a heavily populated urban area.
My only beef with the place was the unsafe nature of the car park. Make sure you park in an area that’s camera visible. I returned after a pleasent afternoon to find my windscreen cracked quite badly. I hadn’t parked under a tree, falling debree was thus out the question so I suspected some sort of foul play. My little trip therefore cost me nearly £150. Perhaps the place is cursed for me, but don’t let that put you off.

I’ve lived next to CWP for over 20 years and spent many happy hours visting with the family and 3 different dogs. When its quiet it can be a fantastic place but avoid weekends and school holidays. If you’re a dog owner beware of dangerous, out of control dogs running around at weekends (especially Sunday afternoon). There are regular dog fights and frequent deaths. Watching a dog being ripped apart by a Rottweiller is sickening. Early mornings and evenings site used as a velodrome by local cyclists who are only interested in setting their own personal best for the fastest lap. Shame the site isn’t better managed. Really needs a regular police presence at weekends.

A lovely place, hard to believe what it used to look like forty years ago. It was a gravel pit for building the motorways. I saw a model of what the council thought it would look like and I didn’t believe it. I was very wrong. It can be a bit depressing at popular times but it is still a lovely place.

Ok, so don’t come here for a day trip but little kids LOVE the play park, joggers find the mile long lakeside a handy measure, rare water fowl spend the winter on the water, and the rangers give bird and wildlife speaking tours throughout the year. When it’s hot in summer it’s picnic central and in the coldest winters the lake freezes over. Walking round is a pleasure an you’re only minutes walk away from a pub, Jackson’s Boat, on the other side of the river, and a café a little further on. Ask dog walkers for directions. An ever changing living vibrant natural world a short walk/​run/​cycle/​drive from your house. Bargain.

Water Parks! You’ve got to love those, they speak to our inner child in a way no other regressive activity can.
Well, you’re unlikely to find waterslides here. Instead it is just a water park, in the most literal sense. A park with water in it. But it’s pretty and peaceful enough to make a visit more than worthwhile. The lake might be manmade but it’s still tranquil and plays host to many a watersport, including angling (for which fishing platforms dot around the lake) and canoeing. It’s a great place to walk or cycle, and its status as a Nature Reserve means you’re likely to see some lovely little animals. As you’d imagine many Chorltonians take the family there to feed the ducks and enjoy the fresh air, especially with a small playground for younger children. Orienteering is a super way to pass the time and there’s a course for that purpose.
The site was formerly home to Barlow Hall Farm, where a gravel pit the farmer created was filled to form the lake. Coarse fish reside there and May to December is fishing season with permits available from the Wardens. My father used to be a Park Warden so this is where I get all nostalgic. Five mile-​long health walks are available to follow and there shouldn’t be any accessibility problems. It’s a top spot to just relax and take in the countryside, especially if urban living’s getting a bit too much for you.

When I first moved to Chorlton and I heard people talking about this water park I had visions in my head of chutes and river rapids.
Sadly, the water park bears absolutely no resemblance to Stoke-on-Trent’s Water World or Florida’s Blizzard Beach. Instead it is a large man-​made lake with a path around the edge which attracts walkers, joggers and cyclists. The path is well-​surfaced and links on to the Mersey Valley trail, which is unsurfaced. However, there is a car park and visitor centre if you don’t fancy the trek down from Chorlton or Didsbury.
The water park was formed in the 1970s when gravel was dug up from this area to build the M60, and the area was flooded to form the lake. Despite the fact that the water park is surrounded by the M60, the busy Princess Parkway and Chorlton town centre it is a surprisingly peaceful and serene place — so peaceful that it is the place that the hippies flock to for the summer solstice.

Chorlton Water Park is a nice place to go to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and out into the (relatively) fresh air. I don’t think its as picturesque or amazing as some people think it is (have these people been to the real countryside?!), but it is a nice place to lose yourself for an hour or so.

Tend to agree with Mushy and Simon. I can’t see the attraction of this place. I prefer to go to the Chorlton Meadows and head to Sale Water Park. I no longer walk as far as Chorlton Water Park. The meadows are great for a walk after a pint or nice lunch on Beech Road.

I can’t believe the reviews on this page. This place is a sh1t-​hole. It’s full of dog turds and hoodies. I will never go to this place again. It seems that the reviews on here are written by people who have an interest in this place for some reason. Oh, and it’s really funny, they have a small area which is supposed to have been restored and they call it Undersea world, well we walked there. Its a 10 metre wide (if that) mucky and muddy pond full of crisp packets and boots etc,… and a shopping trolley lying on the ground. Get the idea? And tons of dogs dogs dogs and none on leads (even though there is a sign there which asks people to NOT bring their dogs. It’s a dump. Sorry but it is.

So. good for dogs and kids and cycles. And this supposed to be nature friendly or an oasis? I suppose everything’s relative. A curmudgeon.

A real oasis in the middle of Manchester. Chorlton Water Park feels like a million miles away from the urban hustle. Its further from the motorway than Sale waterpark so seems more rural. There is a lovely lake where you can fish and a path round the lake you can walk, cycle or ride round. THe park links to the Mersey so you can join the trans pennice trail from here or just make the short (ish) walk up to Sale water park were there is a café.
There is lots of wildlife here including plenty of ducks and geese so a good place to take children. There is a carpark at the entrance which never seems full or there are varoius access points you can walk to.
Its a great place for a picnic in the summer or enjoying the quiet anytime of year.

This is a fabulous place to go and really get away from things. It is situated on the edge of Manchester and is easy to get to by bike, as the cycleways to Chorlton are very well maintained.
The park includes a childrens play area, and in the summer months there are activities for children on the water such as kayaking. You can actually cycle by the water all the way to Stockport although it is a little muddy going. But I would definitley say that bike is the best way to see this beautiful little area.
Take a picnic for a great day out!

Fantastic place to visit in the summer months. Lots of things to see for children and adults alike. The water is full of ducks, geese and swans. I go there by mountain bike down the Trans Pennine Trail. There’s lots of wildlife to see, as well as the birds, there are squirrels and I have even seen the odd fox. If you are feeling adventurous, you can also walk further down the Trans Pennine Trail to Sale Water Park.
Would make a lovely place to have a picnic, lots of benches and tables are dotted around the park and there’s plenty of open grass spaces for the children to play.

An oasis of calm and tranquility, it’s sometimes difficult to believe that somewhere as picturesque as this could exist in Manchester, and yet there it is, just a short walk away from Chorlton through the area known locally as The Meadows.
Standing on the site of the old Barlow Hall Farm, the land in this area was used for gravel during the construction of the M63 (now M60) in the 1970s. The gravel pit it created was then flooded and became the lake which is now the primary focal point of Chorlton Water Park. The park is a designated local nature reserve and home to a number of birds and insects.
There is a path around the lake which is suitable for walking, cycling and horse riding, and there are plenty of places to sit either in the sun or in the shade under the trees, it’s a great place to have a picnic. The lake itself is used for fishing and canoeing.
Chorlton Water Park doesn’t have the café and leisure facilities that its counterpart across the river in Sale has, but for me that adds to its unspoilt nature and peaceful ambience. It also doesn’t have the electricity pylons and the M60 traffic rattling past, unlike Sale.
A lovely lovely spot, and well recommended for anyone of any age.

A great spot for dog walking, you can watch people jet skiing and boating across the water as you have a stroll. Not a great deal here other than a lot of greenery and a snack shack, so not really a place for a ‘proper day out’.

chorlton water park is a nice place to go for a picnic & a walk around the lake with plenty of ducks& geese to feed on the way. it is popular with dog walkers & men fishing. there is a small playground for the kids but no café so be prepared & take your own refreshments!