Plan your visit
🛝Family🦅Birds🎠Play
Public accessFree entryDogs welcome
Getting here
51.02044, -0.34683
Open directionsv
Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
- 🐦43+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Turtle Dove and Nightingale
- ☀️Summer family visits work well here — arrive early and plan for a longer stay
- ☕Southwater Country Park Cafe — makes this an easy full-day family visit without needing to pack food
🌤️ Visiting this summer
- 🐦43+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Turtle Dove and Nightingale
- ☀️Summer family visits work well here — arrive early and plan for a longer stay
- ☕Southwater Country Park Cafe — makes this an easy full-day family visit without needing to pack food
- £Free to visit — no entry charge
- 🐕Dogs welcome
☕Café🅿️Parking· Paid🛝Playground🚻Toilets
🛝Family friendly
Very strong match
playground, café, toilets; Urban park — family destination
Free
🦅Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Turtle Dove, Nightingale, Robin +40 more · last seen 2025; Deciduous woodland — woodpeckers, warblers and woodland birds
Free
🎠Playgrounds
Very strong match
playground, toilets, café, parking
Free
Birds — Turtle Dove, Nightingale, Robin +40 more · last seen 2025; Deciduous woodland priority habitat
Free
🧺Picnic day out
Strong match
café, toilets, car park; Urban park — open green space
Free
Dogs allowed with public access
Free
Trails nearby
Within roughly 5 km8 signed routes nearby · 14 public paths nearby
Signed route nearbyPublic paths
Knepp Wildland Blue RouteWalking route▾
Sussex Diamond WayWalking route97 km▾
Named routeLength 97 kmRegional walking route
Downs LinkWalking route59 km▾
A 37 mile shared route for walkers, horse riders and cyclists linking the North Downs Way with the South Downs Way
Named routeLength 59 kmRegional walking route
West Sussex Literary TrailWalking route▾
Named routeRegional walking route
Riverside WalkWalking route13 km▾
A circular walk around Horsham following the Chennels Brook, Horn Brook, Arun, and Boldings Brook
Named routeLength 13 kmRound tripLocal walking route
26 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Route 223Cycling route▾
Named routeRef 223National Cycle Network
Worthing Road to Horsham StationCycling route▾
Named routeLocal cycle route
Pedlars WayCycling route▾
Named routeLocal cycle route
Broadbridge Heath to HorshamCycling route▾
Named routeLocal cycle route
The Forest School & Millais School to Horsham StationCycling route▾
Named routeLocal cycle route
Horsham to WarnhamCycling route▾
Named routeLocal cycle route
15 public paths nearby
Public paths
Stakers Lanebridleway · 398 m▾
Public pathbridlewayLength 398 mSurface fine_gravelPath type: unclassified
Downs Linkbridleway · 2.1 km▾
Public pathbridlewayLength 2.1 kmSurface compactedPath type: bridleway
Eames Viewbridleway · 199 m▾
Public pathbridlewayLength 199 mSurface pavedPath type: residential
Photos
The Lake and Pavilion, Southwater Country Park
Weather for this location
Next 14 daysNearby places
Useful places within 5 km
Events & activities nearby
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Wildlife to spot
21,991 records · National Biodiversity Network
Wildlife to spot
21,991 records · National Biodiversity Network🐦Birds43 species
springsummerautumn
2025▾
Turtle Dove · Nightingale · Robin · Tawny Owl · Pheasant +38
- Turtle DoveStreptopelia turtur
- NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- RobinErithacus rubecula
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- BlackbirdTurdus merula
- RavenCorvus corax
- HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- MagpiePica pica
- Great TitParus major
- FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- NuthatchSitta europaea
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
- PeregrineFalco peregrinus
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Herring GullLarus argentatus
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- CootFulica atra
- Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Little Ringed PloverCharadrius dubius
Bat · Hazel Dormouse · Red Fox
- BatChiroptera
- Hazel DormouseMuscardinus avellanarius
- Red FoxVulpes vulpes
🐝Insects3 species
summerautumn
2025▾
Speckled Bush-cricket · 14-spot Ladybird · Common Red Soldier Beetle
- Speckled Bush-cricketLeptophyes punctatissima
- 14-spot LadybirdPropylea quattuordecimpunctata
- Common Red Soldier BeetleRhagonycha fulva
Perforate St John's-wort · Wood Melick · Wood Millet · Gorse · Pedunculate Oak +15
- Perforate St John's-wortHypericum perforatum
- Wood MelickMelica uniflora
- Wood MilletMilium effusum
- GorseUlex europaeus
- Pedunculate OakQuercus robur
- Common NettleUrtica dioica
- ColumbineAquilegia vulgaris
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot
21,991 records · National Biodiversity Network🐦Birds43 species
springsummerautumn
2025▾
Turtle Dove · Nightingale · Robin · Tawny Owl · Pheasant +38
- Turtle DoveStreptopelia turtur
- NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- RobinErithacus rubecula
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- BlackbirdTurdus merula
- RavenCorvus corax
- HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- MagpiePica pica
- Great TitParus major
- FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- NuthatchSitta europaea
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
- PeregrineFalco peregrinus
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Herring GullLarus argentatus
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- CootFulica atra
- Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Little Ringed PloverCharadrius dubius
Bat · Hazel Dormouse · Red Fox
- BatChiroptera
- Hazel DormouseMuscardinus avellanarius
- Red FoxVulpes vulpes
🐝Insects3 species
summerautumn
2025▾
Speckled Bush-cricket · 14-spot Ladybird · Common Red Soldier Beetle
- Speckled Bush-cricketLeptophyes punctatissima
- 14-spot LadybirdPropylea quattuordecimpunctata
- Common Red Soldier BeetleRhagonycha fulva
Perforate St John's-wort · Wood Melick · Wood Millet · Gorse · Pedunculate Oak +15
- Perforate St John's-wortHypericum perforatum
- Wood MelickMelica uniflora
- Wood MilletMilium effusum
- GorseUlex europaeus
- Pedunculate OakQuercus robur
- Common NettleUrtica dioica
- ColumbineAquilegia vulgaris
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas