There’s a whole host of indoor and outdoor water parks in London and the surrounding areas to really make a splash in. So, grab those swimmers and get ready to splish, splash, slip and slide, Londoners. Let’s dive straight into our rundown of the very best water parks in and around London.
1. Coral Reef Waterworld, Bracknell
Bracknell’s Coral Reef Waterworld is arguably one of the UK’s best water parks, boasting everything from thrilling water slides to an erupting volcano. In terms of slides, there’s the gentler ‘Aqua Splash’, which is perfect for younger children and families. But there’s also the more extreme ‘Cannon’, ‘Storm Chaser’ and ‘Maelstrom’ slides which are great for adrenaline junkies.
📍 You’ll find Coral Reef Waterworld at Nine Mile Ride, Bracknell, RG12 7JQ.
🚇 Nearest stations are Bracknell and Martins Heron.
🎟️ Find out more about Coral Reef Waterworld here.
2. Splashdown, Poole
Ok, so this one isn’t exactly London per se, but you can easily hop on a train there for a day trip, so we figured it was worth including. Based in Poole in Dorset, Splashdown has thirteen exhilarating rides and slides, including ‘Infinity’, which has funky lights and music playing throughout the course of its run. On top of waterslides, they’ve also got an outdoor splash pool, an interactive play area complete with canons and a starter flume, and a cafe to boot. A fun day out for the whole family.
📍 You’ll find Splashdown at Tower Park, Poole, Dorset, BH12 4NY.
🚇 Nearest station is Poole.
🎟️ Find out more about Splashdown here.
3. Aqua Splash, Essex
The perfect activity for a kid’s party, team-building or even a stag do, Aqua Splash has two outdoor inflatable assault courses based just outside of London. Open weekends, bank holidays and school holidays between April and September, it’s a great one for dare devils and competitive types, whatever the occasion. Both courses are based in open water lakes and supervised by RLSS fully-qualified lifeguards. Out of the water, there’s a snack bar for pre or post-splash fuel.
📍 You’ll find Aqua Splash at Redricks Lane, Sawbridgeworth, CM21 ORL or Luxborough Lane, Chigwell, IG7 5DF.
🚇 Nearest stations are Sawbridgeworth or Roding Valley respectively.
🎟️ Find out more about Aqua Splash here
4. The Pavilion, Bromley
Credit: @the_pavilion_by_mytimeactive via IG
Next up on this roundup of the best water parks near London is The Pavilion in Bromley, which on top of a leisure pool also has a bowling alley, a state-of-the-art gym, a soft play area, table tennis and a bar-come-restaurant. There are a couple of water slides here, as well as a wave pool that run regularly over the weekends. Of course, if you’d prefer to just go for a dip, then they’ve got ample space for that here too.
📍 You’ll find The Pavilion at Kentish Way, Bromley, BR1 3EF.
🚇 Nearest stations are Bromley North and Bromley South.
🎟️ Find out more about The Pavilion here.
5. Waterfront Leisure Centre, Woolwich
Credit: @waterfrontleisurecentre via IG
Staying south of the river you’ll find the Waterfront Leisure Centre in Woolwich: a vast spot with a fully kitted-out gym, a multi-use sports hall, five-a-side football pitches, a studio with plenty of fitness classes, a 25-metre-pool and a leisure pool with slides and a wave machine, too. For thrills and spills, don’t miss taking a ride on the ‘Anaconda’ – an extensive slide which takes you all the way from the building’s ceiling to the pool below. It’s certainly not for the faint-hearted!
📍 You’ll find the Waterfront Leisure Centre at Woolwich High Street, London, SE18 6DL.
🚇 Nearest station is Woolwich.
🎟️ Find out more about the Waterfront Leisure Centre here.
6. Thorpe Lakes Aqua Park, Surrey
Next up on this roundup of the best water parks near London is Thorpe Lakes Aqua Park, a leading watersports facility that is right in the shadow of Thorpe Park. Home to ‘London’s ultimate floating obstacle course’, it also offers the chance to go wakeboarding, water skiing, wake surfing and cable skiing, too. Of course, you’re also just a stone’s throw from the hair-raising roller coasters and drop rides of Thorpe Park, one of the country’s best theme parks. Double dose of adrenaline perhaps?
📍 You’ll find Thorpe Lakes Aqua Park at Thorpe Lakes, Thorpe Road, Chertsey, Surrey, KT16 8PH.
🚇 Nearest station is Chertsey.
🎟️ Find out more about Thorpe Lakes Aqua Park here.
7. Leyton Leisure Centre, Leyton
Credit: @mykai_adventures via IG
Next up on this roundup of water parks in London is Leyton Leisure Centre in East London. There’s really something for everyone here: including two swimming pools with a water slide; an aqua play area for kids; a teaching pool for swimming lessons; fitness classes; group cycle studios; plus a sauna and steam room. Another one run by Better, they’ve also got a fantastic gym with 70 different work stations – great if you’re looking to make a day of it. Reward a gym session with a slide down a water slide!
📍 You’ll find Leyton Leisure Centre at 763 High Road Leyton, London, E10 5AB.
🚇 Nearest station is Leyton Midland Road.
🎟️ Find out more about Leyton Leisure Centre here.
8. Aqua Action, Fairlop
Next up on our list of the best water parks in London is another one perched on the eastern edge of the capital. Aqua Action is located in an idyllic east London lake and opens for the season on April 5. There’s a gigantic inflatable obstacle course, and is the perfect sunny day, action-packed activity for older children (aged 6 and over) and big (adult) kids. Visitors can expect to tackle the 3.5 metre climbing tower and the two metre high balance beam, squeal in delight as they’re blasted into the air on the blast bag, channel their inner Olympic diver on the jumping platforms, and their inner adrenaline junkies on the drop slides.
📍 You’ll find Aqua Action at Fairlop Waters Country Park, Ilford, IG63HN.
🚇 Nearest station is Fairlop.
🎟️ Find out more about Aqua Action here.
9. Splash Park, Barking
Credit: @mothergoodadventures via IG
Our penultimate entry to this roundup of the best water parks near London is Splash Park in Barking – an outdoor water park with a whole host of fountains, walk-on-water balls, little pedal boats and even a dance-loving mascot named Splashy. Though there are no water slides to speak of here, there’s ample space to enjoy yourself in the water here; especially when the sun is shining.
📍 You’ll find Splash Park at Longbridge Road, Barking Park, Essex, IG11 8SS.
🚇 Nearest station is Barking.
🎟️ Find out more about Splash Park here.
10. Cascades Leisure Centre, Gravesend
Credit: @cascades_cygnet_swanscombe via IG
Rounding off this list of the best water parks near London is Cascades: a combined fitness centre and swimming pool with the ‘Typhoon’ and ‘Twister’ water slides, a wave pool, a mushroom water fountain, water jets, a waterfall and a baby pool with an elephant slide. The water here is heated to a balmy 30 degrees, and there’s also a fitness pool, a gym, tai chi lessons, and even a beauty salon so you can pamper yourself silly.
📍 You’ll find Cascades Leisure Centre at Thong Lane, Gravesend, DA12 4LG.
🚇 Nearest station is Gravesend.
🎟️ Find out more about Cascades Leisure Centre here.
So there you have it – a roundup of the best water parks in London and the best water parks near London. So if you’re looking for a bit of fun, grab your swimmers and a towel and dive on in!