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6 Best Water Activities In Hertfordshire
Be clear about what these six entries are, because four of them are water you look at rather than water you get into. College Lake Nature Reserve, Fairlands Valley Park and Lee Valley Regional Park are filed as parks, and Lee Valley Boat Centre is a hire operation on one of them. That distinction is the whole age story on this page: looking at water suits a two-year-old perfectly, getting into it does not, and a county without much coast ends up with more of the former than the latter.
Top water activities in Hertfordshire
Showing 1–6 of 6
Parks and PlaygroundsCollege Lake Nature Reserve
Parks and PlaygroundsFairlands Valley Park
SightseeingLee Valley Boat Centre
Parks and PlaygroundsLee Valley Regional Park
WaterThe Priory Lido
Swimming PoolsHitchin Swimming Centre
The two entries where children actually swim are The Priory Lido, flagged outdoor and therefore very much a summer proposition, and Hitchin Swimming Centre, which records indoor space and is the one thing here that works in February. Six listings is a small total and it is fair to say so rather than dress it up. If you are after a proper swim with young children, the swimming pools heading will hold far more for this county than the water heading does.
Water Activities in Hertfordshire: FAQs
Is a lido a good idea with young children?
In warm weather and with the right expectations, yes. An outdoor pool is bracing, which children mind far less than adults do, and the open setting suits families who want to spread out rather than queue for a slide. The Priory Lido is recorded outdoor only, so it is weather-dependent in a way an indoor centre is not. Check depths and whether there is a shallow area before you go, since not every lido has one.
What can a toddler do at a nature reserve with a lake?
More than you would think, and it is one of the better under-five outings in the county. Water at a distance is fascinating: birds land on it, things float, sticks get thrown. College Lake Nature Reserve and Fairlands Valley Park both give you flat paths, a pushchair-friendly circuit and something to look at, and none of it requires a child to change, swim or be supervised in water. Bring wellies and expect to go slowly.
Can we take children out in a boat here?
Lee Valley Boat Centre is the entry set up for it and is flagged for open ground, which fits a hire base on the water. Age and supervision rules are set by the operator and are worth confirming, since what is allowed with a five-year-old in a rowing boat differs from what is allowed in a canoe. Rowing on a sheltered stretch is one of the gentler ways to get a young child afloat, provided everybody accepts a buoyancy aid without a fight.
Only six entries. Where is the rest of the county's water?
Mostly under other headings. Hertfordshire is inland, so it has leisure centres rather than a coast, and those are filed under swimming pools where a family looking for a swim will find far more of them. This page is best read as the outdoor-water shortlist: lakes, a lido and somewhere to hire a boat. For anything involving a changing room and a lifeguard in winter, search the pools heading instead.