We have driven past Caldecotte Lake in Milton Keynes a million times, usually on the way to doing a review of somewhere else! And we always say we should go for a walk around it, we’ve even driven half way there and had to turn back because of car trouble! Well, finally we got there!
2-4-1 lakes
Much like Willen Lake, Caldecotte Lake is kind of make up of two lakes; a north and a south lake. At first it doesn’t look like there’s a path across between the two lakes so you need to do the full figure of 8. However there is a path away from the lake that leads back up to the main road. Walk across the road bridge and follow the path back down to the lakeside.
The South Lake
We only walked around the north lake, using this route so I can’t really tell you much about the route around the south lake. I can tell you that Oldest Child did water sports on the south lake and went for an expected dip in here. Lol. There’s also a couple of picnic areas and a bird watching area on this side of the lake.
The North Lake
We parked by the pub, which also has the playground and miniature railway by it. I didn’t even know the railway was there! It’s £1 per ride. You can check when it is running on their website. The playground was a little bit pants, and certainly nothing to write home about.
It’s not the quietest little walk in the world as you’re right next to the A5 and that road is NOISY! There’s loads of really lovely houses on the lakeside but TBH I think the noise would put me off. Anyway, it’s a nice and easy walk to do with the kids. You don’t get too close to the water most of the time and the path is paved (with one exception that I’ll get to) and that always makes it easier.
There’s a couple of nice spots to have a picnic on your way around if you want to (although some delightful individual decided to leave their bag of rubbish there! Better than leaving the litter everywhere but come on, take it with you!). There’s plenty of ducks, swans and geese to see but not a huge amount of other wildlife. We actually ended up making up some animals. Did you know Milton Keynes is home to the Bucks Platypus? Well it is now!
It took us around 45 minutes to complete a full circle of the lake.
The Weir
There’s one bit behind the pub where the weir is that might cause a few issues for accessibility. It’s got this weird paving and there’s no way around it. Bikes can go across it, scooter don’t have a hope in hell, pushchairs will find it either bumpy or difficult.
Caldecotte Lake Dinosaur
Fun fact – they found an Ichthyosaur when they were digging out the lake! And you can find a park with a dinosaur theme on the nearby Caldecotte housing estate, near the south lake. There’s a review of it on Milton Keynes Kids.
This review of Caldecotte Lake is based on our experiences at the time of our visit. Things can change over time, including the facilities available. If you have any specific requirements such as access it’s always best to check with the site directly before visiting. If anything I’ve said in this review is no longer accurate then please do let me know. Thank you.
Our Caldecotte Lake review
It’s a nice, easy little walk. Not too long, nice and flat. Free parking but toilets are an issue, because there aren’t any. Well, there are customer toilets at the pub but of course only customers can use those. Is Caldecotte Lake a good walk? There are better walks around Milton Keynes but it’s a fairly pleasant one, and it’s a free one! I actually think that gives it parity with somewhere like Willen Lake.
Admission cost
Free
Parking / How to get there
Parking – there’s a couple of different car parks, all free.
Address – Caldecotte Lake, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
- (North Lake) H10 Bletcham Way eastbound (next to the hotel and restaurant). What3Words location giant.react.defend.
- (South Lake) Monellan Grove, off H10 Bletcham Way westbound, Simpson Road, Simpson. What3Words location acid.comic.trendy.
Toilets
None, except in the pub
Food
Picnics allowed. Pub and there was an ice cream van.
What else is there to do nearby?
Milton Keynes is packed with free and cheap things to do. There’s Milton Keynes Museum, Great Linford Manor Park and Bletchley Park. For all my other reviews click here.
If you’ve found this post useful please consider supporting the future of blog by buying me a coffee. You can either click the blue coffee icon in the corner, or the blue button below. It’s quick, secure and very much appreciated!
You can get all of the latest reviews, what’s on guides and discounts sent straight to your phone by following my WhatsApp channel. It’s completely confidential; no-one (other than your contacts) can see that your number or that you follow – including me. Click the button above to follow.
Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook
