Rickmansworth Aquadrome is a huge public park and an award winning local nature reserve located in the town of Rickmansworth, in Hertfordshire.
Spread over 100 acres of wetlands, Rickmansworth Aquadrome is a popular attraction amongst locals and a great place to be close to nature.
With three man made lakes, easy access to Grand Union Canal, myriad walking paths, plenty of wildlife watching, Rickmansworth Aquadrome is arguably one of the best outdoor attraction outside of London, yet accessible within Greater London.
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Where is Rickmansworth Aquadrome
Rickmansworth Aquadrome is located five miles west of Watford in the historic town of Rickmansworth, in Hertfordshire. If you are coming by train, Rickmansworth train station is less than a mile away from the park.
There are also frequent bus services from Watford and Amersham connecting to Rickmansworth. By car, Frogmoor Lane is the easiest access to the car park.
Facilities in Rickmansworth Aquadrome
As one of the largest nature reserve in the Hertfordshire, there are a few facilities at your disposal. Tesco Superstore, one of the largest departmental stores is a stones throw away. The car parking is huge and is free, with a designated disabled bays.
Cafe in the Park offers breakfast, brunch and lunch with good options of vegan and vegetarian menu.
There is also a dog free picnic area, toilet near to the cafe and children play area too. The park is open all through the year.
Things to do in Rickmansworth Aquadrome
Rickmansworth Aquadrome is home to three stunning man made lakes – Batchworth Lake, Bury Lake and Stockers Lake, all of which form part of Colne Valley. There are walking trails around the lake.
Grand Union Canal runs next to the lake, that offers yet another perfect walking trail all year round. There are also water sports facilities within the park. Rickmansworth Aquadrome is also a perfect spot to catch sunsets.
Batchworth Lake
Batchworth Lake is less than 10 acres in size, and is a naturally spring fed lake that gets additional top up from the nearby River Colne. It is possible to walk around the lake.
Batchworth Lake is also home to Water Skiing Club that hosts a series of events and a few watersports activities in the lake that includes jetski and boating.
Bury Lake
Bury lake is a smaller lake that gets water drained from the nearby Batchworth Lake. Home to award winning local youth charity Bury Lake Young Mariners that are dedicated to canoeing and sailing.
Stockers Lake
Largest among the three, Stockers Lake is the farthest away from car park. The lake is a designated Local Nature Reserve and a local haven for bird watching. Grab your binoculars and watch the unique birds from the hides.
There are as many as 60 species to be found here. Stockers Lake is also one of the largest heronry in the UK. Spot herons, ospreys, litter egrets, common redpoll, kingfisher, common terns and plenty of ducks, geese and swans.
Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal was one of the pride of Industrial revolution in UK. A stunning network of waterways that connect London to Midlands. With easy access to Grand union canal, and long path of water network, a walk along the canal is a must do activity here as you watch the colourful boats.
Rickmansworth town centre
It is easy to access and walk through the Rickmansworth town centre, which is located close to the park. Rickmansworth is a historic town, and there are many buildings that dates back to 1000 years.
Walking trails in Rickmansworth Aquadrome
With many wetland, woodland and canal walks, Rickmansworth Aquadrome is a hidden gem within Greater London. These walks are family friendly and provides wonderful opportunity to stay close to nature.
For short walks, take Batchworth Lake Circular walk or Bury Lake Circular Walk. For a slightly longer 3.5 mile long, take the Batchworth Lake and Grand Union Canal Circular Walk. For pro walkers, take the Rickmansworth Three rivers 7 mile circular walk.
To sum up, a visit to Rickmansworth Aquadrome is a must if you happen to be travelling around Hertfordshire with plenty of walking trails, bird watching and outdoor space. If you are looking for a good accommodation around Rickmansworth, we recommend Bedford Arms Hotel located in Chenies village, only 10 minutes from the M25 motorway. Alternatively, Days Inn Watford Gap is a good choice in Watford.
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Danik the Explorer
I used to live near here and go running down the canal and aquaduct. This is one of the nicer areas of North-West London/Hertfordshire (inside the M25 motorway) and then is quite a bit to do for walkers, runners and those with children. This post brought back some good memories. 🙂
Danik the Explorer recently posted…France travel guide: Nice on French Riviera
countryhoppingcouple
That’s nice to know Danik. Indeed, this is one of the best open areas for outdoor activities in and around North West. We take the kids on most weekends to walk, let them play and catch the sunset.
AW
I’ve lived in North London for most of my life and never visited here before, but you kind of had me at “Free Parking”
Linda (LD Holland)
Rickmansworth Aquadome looks like a great spot if we wanted to get out of London. I love when there is a cafe in the park to sit and take a break. We are not bird watchers but we would love to stroll along all three of the lakes.
Linda (LD Holland) recently posted…Wander The Maria Luisa Park In Seville
Renata - byemyself
I’ve visited London so often and have never heard of the Aquadrome. It looks like a good place for taking a break from London’s hustle’n’bustle. I absolutely need to visit there next time I’m going to London….whenever that will be….
julie
I hope to visit London someday. This sounds like the kind of place I would love to visit, walking on the trails around the lakes!
Carol Colborn
Three lakes and lots of walking trails make Rickmansworth Aquadrome a great place for families!c
Briana Baker
I’ve never been to London but this part of it looks amazing! I love being around water and having so much our family can do!
Jacqueline
That sunset looks absolutely perfect. What a beautiful place to spend some quality time in nature.
nicole
Thank you for sharing this, I live up north and once our lockdown lifts I’ll be visiting family down south, this could be a great place for us to relax when the weather is nice.