Willen Lake
Willen Lake
4.5
Sports ComplexesZipline & Aerial Adventure ParksWater ParksEquipment HireGame & Entertainment Centres
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Full view
About
Willen Lake is Milton Keynes’ most popular park attracting over hundreds of thousands of people each year. Visitors can take part in a range of family-friendly activities both on and off the lake. There is a wide variety of watersports to choose from including paddleboarding, kayaking and sailing. Visitors can also climb, swing and jump on the Treetop Extreme high ropes course or perfect their aim in an archery session. There is also a huge outdoor play area and accessible leisure routes with wildlife and beautiful scenery to enjoy along the way. A café is available on-site serving snacks and hot drinks. The park is open year-round and there is no admission fee however, car parking charges apply. Leisure activities at Willen Lake are managed by Whitecap Leisure Ltd, a trading subsidiary of The Parks Trust.
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
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4.5
1,152 reviews
Excellent
672
Very good
283
Average
95
Poor
34
Terrible
68
helen_dewilde
Langford, UK99 contributions
Aug 2021
We took our three grandchildren aged 11, 8 and 3 years to Willen Park for the day out and booked the two eldest on the Tree Top Adventure. This proved to be a great idea and they thoroughly enjoyed it and we considered this to reasonable at £10 each for just over an hour.
This could not be said for the rest of the park facilities, which were really quite expensive. We visited the new restaurant (Benugo) by the boating lake, which in retrospect, was really the only good point about it. The menu was very limited, with three items in a child's lunch box (one an apple) for £5.501 I tried to purchase a jam sandwich for our three year old grandson, but was told that I could only purchase jam on toast and came as two slices of toasted bread, with butter an a pot of jam!! It then cost me £16 for two coffees, jam on toast and a small sandwich, which were average.
We then proceeded to the attractions and rides. The Ferris wheel and trampoline were £5 a child, the toddler vehicle ride £3.50, the hook a duck £2.50 (for a cheap plastic toy), slush or ice cream £3.50, the splash park £5, the cost could have gone on and on.
The car parking was a further disaster, as being disabled, with difficulty in understanding certain instructions, not only was it difficult to follow on how to pay, but with some machines out of order, there was an extremely long queue forming and I felt quite hurried. We had been informed by a member of the public that the car registration was noted when entering the car park and you then paid on the way out. When I then came to pay, I presumed I simply made payment and thought I had paid the right amount, then quickly realised that the clock showing the time of day had not automatically taken into account the time we had actually arrived and had not taken the correct amount by card. Being unable to cancel the transaction, I took note of the telephone contact number and immediately phoned to make additional payment, but the automated response would not allow me to do, as apparently we had already left the park!!
I am now having to contact the company via email to try and rectify this issue, before being issued with a fine, adding to even more stress.
Yes we had a lovely time and the lake is a beautiful place to visit with plenty of facilities and walks and if you take your own picnic could have proved to have been much more cost effective, but it would have been difficult to deny eager grand children any of the other attractions on offer.
This could not be said for the rest of the park facilities, which were really quite expensive. We visited the new restaurant (Benugo) by the boating lake, which in retrospect, was really the only good point about it. The menu was very limited, with three items in a child's lunch box (one an apple) for £5.501 I tried to purchase a jam sandwich for our three year old grandson, but was told that I could only purchase jam on toast and came as two slices of toasted bread, with butter an a pot of jam!! It then cost me £16 for two coffees, jam on toast and a small sandwich, which were average.
We then proceeded to the attractions and rides. The Ferris wheel and trampoline were £5 a child, the toddler vehicle ride £3.50, the hook a duck £2.50 (for a cheap plastic toy), slush or ice cream £3.50, the splash park £5, the cost could have gone on and on.
The car parking was a further disaster, as being disabled, with difficulty in understanding certain instructions, not only was it difficult to follow on how to pay, but with some machines out of order, there was an extremely long queue forming and I felt quite hurried. We had been informed by a member of the public that the car registration was noted when entering the car park and you then paid on the way out. When I then came to pay, I presumed I simply made payment and thought I had paid the right amount, then quickly realised that the clock showing the time of day had not automatically taken into account the time we had actually arrived and had not taken the correct amount by card. Being unable to cancel the transaction, I took note of the telephone contact number and immediately phoned to make additional payment, but the automated response would not allow me to do, as apparently we had already left the park!!
I am now having to contact the company via email to try and rectify this issue, before being issued with a fine, adding to even more stress.
Yes we had a lovely time and the lake is a beautiful place to visit with plenty of facilities and walks and if you take your own picnic could have proved to have been much more cost effective, but it would have been difficult to deny eager grand children any of the other attractions on offer.
Written 28 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elise
Milton Keynes, UK175 contributions
Jan 2021 • Friends
Had a lovely walk around Willen lake, it was quite busy but you could still keep your distance from others. Parking in the cricket pavilion car park is free down Hooper Gate and Portland Drive but there are not loads of spaces and it was filled quickly as we went on a Wednesday morning. The bit round the north lake where the path dips and rises was flooded so we were unable to walk around the smaller lake, but there had been efforts to make the bird hide walk less muddy. It was a very relaxing walk.
Written 9 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travelwell_always123
England, UK157 contributions
Apr 2022
We have been to Willen Lake many times. The children enjoy the trips and it makes a good day.
This time we took a pedalo, and went out onto the water for about an hour. You get to see the views across Willen Lake park from the water, and as the weather was calm, some great photos too. The price is very reasonable for a family ticket and the process time at the gate has a very quick turnaround, so you do not have to wait that long. All safety equipment is provided including a debrief on procedure, so all good. The staff are knowledgeable, friendly and polite. Worth doing if you are in the area .
Would recommend a visit. There is also a bar and restaurant nearby where you can get refreshments afterwards, as well as loads of ice cream vendors everywhere, so the kids are sorted. Worth noting that this is perhaps not ideal in cold weather or rain. Winter trips best avoided.
This time we took a pedalo, and went out onto the water for about an hour. You get to see the views across Willen Lake park from the water, and as the weather was calm, some great photos too. The price is very reasonable for a family ticket and the process time at the gate has a very quick turnaround, so you do not have to wait that long. All safety equipment is provided including a debrief on procedure, so all good. The staff are knowledgeable, friendly and polite. Worth doing if you are in the area .
Would recommend a visit. There is also a bar and restaurant nearby where you can get refreshments afterwards, as well as loads of ice cream vendors everywhere, so the kids are sorted. Worth noting that this is perhaps not ideal in cold weather or rain. Winter trips best avoided.
Written 24 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a five star review. We're glad you had a good day with us and enjoyed our pedalos! We hope we can welcome you back again soon!
Written 25 April 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lionel Richtea
3 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
Well well well, what an amazing and fanastic day! We enjoyed ourselves so much we could have done it all day and all night long! Such fun with three levels to choose from. We would highly recommend this to anyone as this is one of the best and most challenging high ropes courses we've been on. The staff were friendly, very helpful and enthusiastic, a truly great bunch of people. I'm surprised at the low price considering how much effort they put into the customer experience. I would of happily paid more, especially as there is a free fall jump which everyone love oh loved. If I could rate Tree top Extreme higher than 5 stars I would, we were so happy when we got home that we were all dancing on the ceiling!
Written 30 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul the Disgruntled Parker
Leigh-on Sea, UK3 contributions
Sept 2021 • Friends
A lovely day out ruined by a crazy parking fine. We won't be going back!
We queued up and made every reasonable attempt to pay. We used a debit card and authorised payment. We found out a week later that the payment had been voided. It certainly wasn't by us. Napier have not supplied any reason for the payment being voided. We paid the reduced fine in order to prevent the ludicrous escalation of the fine. Napier now regard the case as closed. Please be very careful, pay attention to your bank transactions and do not give Napier any more money!
We queued up and made every reasonable attempt to pay. We used a debit card and authorised payment. We found out a week later that the payment had been voided. It certainly wasn't by us. Napier have not supplied any reason for the payment being voided. We paid the reduced fine in order to prevent the ludicrous escalation of the fine. Napier now regard the case as closed. Please be very careful, pay attention to your bank transactions and do not give Napier any more money!
Written 28 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rashid
Luton, UK1 contribution
Aug 2020 • Family
From a you age I always been taking my kids to walk around this lake and use to enjoy it.
Since nappier parking came I got a ticket for parking, their system is faulty as it only allowed me to pay 50 pence. They don’t provide any number to call or anywhere to seek advice. I have appealed against this.
I would advise all parents to be care full and preferable looks some where els as this has turned into more of a business than to facilitate a day out for the family.
I am not coming back here anymore till they remove this nappier parking. If you decide to go just be care full and record everything.
Since nappier parking came I got a ticket for parking, their system is faulty as it only allowed me to pay 50 pence. They don’t provide any number to call or anywhere to seek advice. I have appealed against this.
I would advise all parents to be care full and preferable looks some where els as this has turned into more of a business than to facilitate a day out for the family.
I am not coming back here anymore till they remove this nappier parking. If you decide to go just be care full and record everything.
Written 5 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
leighleigh
Heathfield, UK8 contributions
Sept 2022 • Family
First time in MK so very pleased with the lakeside location I couldn’t quite get my ahead around that when booking but brand new hotel with a brewers fayre within walking distance of all the attractions on the lake including the Lakeshore pub where we ate and enjoyed our evening meal. We had a family room that could have benefited from being bigger as there was no room for four people to move around. No soap in the dispenser. Staff polite and helpful. The £4 parking is for each day not 24 hours so an overnight stay costs £8. Great breakfast.
Written 4 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for leaving us a review, we're glad you enjoyed your stay at Willen Lake. For any feedback about the hotel, please contact Premier Inn directly as we do not operate the hotel itself. Otherwise, we hope can welcome you back to Willen Lake again soon!
Written 5 September 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sarah Gillham
Hertfordshire, UK95 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
We visited with friends and our children aged between 8 and 15. Two adults and 5 kids and 1 spectator, they all loved it . Due to Covid regulations the aqua parc was separated into 3 sections and you had 20 minutes on each section. Safety instructions and lifeguards were excellent. It was a shame that as a spectator I wasn’t able to see anything. However, this was made clear beforehand and was probably due to the current construction work/improvements being carried out. It was a lovely day so I was happy to sit by the lake and enjoy the sunshine ☀️
Written 13 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JET B
1 contribution
Mar 2022
Visited The Lakeside pub and grill at Willen Lake in Milton Keynes food was nice and had a pleasant evening which was spoiled by Napier Parking.
Even though we had paid for the parking we received a parking charge from the company for £100.
This company is a con and rip off. As long as that parking company remains there, I will never visit Willen lake again. Furthermore I will ensure that I warn others not to visit Willen Lake which is a shame because it is a nice location, just houses a predator and rip off parking company.
Even though we had paid for the parking we received a parking charge from the company for £100.
This company is a con and rip off. As long as that parking company remains there, I will never visit Willen lake again. Furthermore I will ensure that I warn others not to visit Willen Lake which is a shame because it is a nice location, just houses a predator and rip off parking company.
Written 21 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We're sorry to hear about your experience. Napier Parking have an industry approved appeals process you can follow should you feel you have been issued a fixed charge notice incorrectly. This will be outlined on any correspondence you have received.
Written 29 March 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Katie M
2 contributions
Jul 2021 • Friends
The best thing about Willen Lake is the Aqua Parc! The course is great fun, however, we had poor changing facilites. The last time we visited there were these great wooden changing stalls that were private and clean. However, we visited last Sunday and as their new building has issues we were not able to use their shower/changing facilities. We all had to get changed in a marquee with no dividing walls and the floor was damp due to the volume of people using it in such a small space. Please bring back the wooden changing stalls AND open the new building to help with the high capacity of people using the Aqua Parc. Was a great day out but this really let it down.
Written 26 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review. Aqua Parcs is operated by a third party, but we have passed your feedback to them about the changing facilities and they are currently looking into alternative options.
Written 19 August 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Question about the treetop extreme. Can I wear my go pro strapped to my arm or chest?
Written 12 August 2022
Hello there.
Sorry, we have not used that ride yet.
Cannot offer any suggestions.
Try it and see !
Good luck :)
Written 14 August 2022
Could anyone advise how to pay for parking?
I am aware there are two car parks with parking management but I'd like to know if you can pay by contactless card or through an App (like RingGo)?
I am not currently carrying cash around due to the pandemic and don't necessarily want to press buttons or have to ring a phone number.
Written 10 June 2020
Michael P
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Is this location accessible by train? Is there an entrance fee to just walk around the lake?
Written 28 December 2018
Hello
It is only accessible by bus or car.
Unfortunately train station is 7 min drive away.
You don’t have to pay any amount to enter. Only parking if using a car. Excellent area for families.
Written 4 January 2019
Are we allowed to bring our dog ?
Written 28 August 2018
How much is it to rent a off all or kayak
Written 21 August 2018
Christina @ The Parks Trust
Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
Hi Joanne, at Willen you can hire single kayaks, single kayaks with cockpit and double kayak. All the prices and information can be found on on the Willen Lake website (sorry I am not allowed to post links). Prices start from around £5-9 for half hours hire and £9-15 for an hours.
Written 22 August 2018
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