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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

Sailing boats on Southwater Country Park lake
Watersports on the lake

Dip your toe in the water and try sailing, paddle-boarding and kayaking

In this section

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

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.

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.

Sunset Session
Thursday 28 August
6.00pm - 8.00pm

On Thursday 28 August, it's time for our final Sunset Session of the year, and this time it's a celebratory nod to the opening of the Country Park back in 1985.

From 6.00pm - 8.00pm, they'll be DJ sets featuring modern re-mixes of classic tunes from the past 40 years.  

Southwater Country Park Café will be open serving a great selection of food and drink, and you can enjoy time on the water as Southwater Watersports Centre will be staying open later for evening hires.

Come and join us as we see out the summer with a relaxed night for everyone.

Hope to see you there!

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 email parks@horsham.gov.uk 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 March 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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