Willen Lake

About

Willen Lake is a balancing lake that is also a visitor attraction and public park in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire The site is owned by Milton Keynes Parks Trust, an independent, self-funded charity that cares for and maintains over 2,400 hectares (6,000 acres) of green space across the city. The lake was purpose-built to mitigate flooding from the River Ouzel, a tributary of the Great Ouse. Created during the development of the city in the 1970s, it forms part of its surface-water and flood-control system. The lake system covers approximately 40 hectares (100 acres) of water across two basins and is one of the largest purpose-built balancing lake systems in Britain. Surrounding the lake itself, there are a further 32 hectares (80 acres) of landscaped parkland.

Willen Lake is Milton Keynes's most popular park; being free to enter, the number of visitors is not recorded. It comprises 180 acres (73 ha) of landscaped parkland which surround around 40 hectares (100 acres) of water across two conjoined basins. The southern basin offers a wide range of activities on and off the water, whilst the northern basin offers a more natural and tranquil setting, ideal for quiet walks and spotting wildlife.

Huginn is scouting Willen Lake for you — this takes a few seconds the first time.