The Adventure Lake
A new 4-acre lake for year-round paddling, coasteering and more. Grand opening Friday 4 June 2027.
A lake of our own
This summer we dug a 4-acre Adventure Lake, now fully excavated, at our site in Clanfield, West Oxfordshire, and used the earth to build The Hill beside it. From summer 2027, groups will be able to get out on the water all year round, a short walk from hot showers, warm beds and meals prepared fresh on site.
Until now, our canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding and raft building have been limited to the summer months on the Upper Thames. The Lake changes that, and opens up new adventures for schools, churches, youth groups and teams.
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Watch The Lake take shape
See the diggers at work on The Lake and The Hill, filmed over summer 2026.
Opening summer 2027
All of these open with The Lake in summer 2027, alongside the archery, climbing, bushcraft and team games already on site. A new high ropes course is also under way.
- Canoeing
- Kayaking
- Stand-up paddleboarding
- Raft building
- Coasteering
- Wild swimming
- Bridge building
- Island camping
- Beach volleyball
- Bird watching and pond dipping
An inland coasteering wall
The foundations are in for an artificial coasteering wall at the top end of The Lake, which we believe will be the first of its kind in the UK. It opens to groups in summer 2027. Our Witney to Westminster canoe marathon raised over £20,000 towards it. Groups will be able to climb, traverse and jump into deep water, safely and with instructors, without travelling to the coast.
Image: visualisation of the finished wall.
The Hill and the caving trail
Around 100,000 tonnes of earth from The Lake now form The Hill, a new landmark on otherwise flat farmland. Underneath it, we plan to build a caving trail with chambers, squeezes and an up-and-over section to explore.
The Lake, The Hill and the coasteering wall are funded thanks to our supporters. Rising costs mean the caving trail is on hold until the remaining funding is in place, and every gift helps get it built.
Wildlife and conservation
The Lake is part of a wider plan, with A Rocha UK, to turn intensively farmed land into a home for wildlife. This winter 2,500 trees arrive for planting around The Lake’s edge, alongside reed beds, wet scrapes, ponds and planting on the lakebed itself, creating breeding and feeding areas for wildlife, including migrating birds.
We’re planning to offer our Rangers conservation sessions, already popular on our holidays, to school groups, so pupils can learn to identify plants, insects and wildlife, and take part in practical work from tree planting to pond dipping.
Dates for your diary
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Open Afternoon
2pm–5.30pm · All welcome
Discover our Christian adventure youthwork and see the developing Adventure Base, including The Lake, before it opens.
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Summer Drinks & Jazz: grand opening of The Lake
7pm–10pm · In the marquee
A free supporter evening with background jazz, drinks and canapés, an update on our work, and the unveiling of The Lake and The Hill. A chance to celebrate and catch up with friends old and new.
Free and open to everyone. Registration required.
Progress so far
- September 2022: new bridges link our woodland and bushcraft copse to the rest of the site.
- Winter 2022: the first of hundreds of new trees and hedgerow plants go in.
- September 2023: the new shower block opens, with an accessible shower room and hoist, a drying room and a wash-up kitchen for campers.
- Autumn 2024: overhead power cables across the site are buried, clearing the way for The Lake.
- September 2025: Octoball, Nine Square and the outdoor bouldering rock open for groups.
- Summer 2026: after extra planning and archaeological surveys, the 4-acre Adventure Lake is fully dug, The Hill is built from the spoil and the coasteering wall foundations go in.
- Autumn 2026: foundations go in for a new high ropes course.
- Winter 2026 to 2027: 2,500 trees, reed beds and wetland planting around The Lake, and work on the coasteering wall.
- 4 June 2027: grand opening of The Lake and The Hill at our Summer Drinks & Jazz evening.
- Summer 2027: the Adventure Lake opens to groups, with paddling, raft building, coasteering, wild swimming, island camping, beach volleyball and more.
What a great charity A+ is. Some people dream of changing the world. This lot actually do it!
Questions about The Lake
When does the Adventure Lake open?
The Lake and The Hill are unveiled at our Summer Drinks & Jazz evening on Friday 4 June 2027, and groups can use them from summer 2027, with canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, raft building, coasteering, wild swimming, bridge building, island camping, beach volleyball, bird watching and pond dipping. We’re taking bookings for residentials, group stays and activity days from then now.
Can we book The Lake now?
Yes. Make an enquiry with your preferred dates and group size and we’ll come back to you within two working days.
Will water activities run all year?
That’s the aim. Until now we’ve paddled on the Upper Thames in summer only; The Lake will let us run water activities through the year, with instructors and the right kit.
What ages are lake activities for?
Our activities are recommended for children aged 8 and over, as well as teenagers and adults.
Where is The Lake?
At our site on Main Street in Clanfield, West Oxfordshire, about 35 minutes from Oxford, next to our accommodation, dining room and shower block.
For media
For interviews, filming or photos of the Adventure Lake, contact Sara in our communications team on 07595 309768 or at comms@adventureplus.org.uk. We can provide high-resolution photos, drone footage and visualisations of the coasteering wall and caving trail.
The Adventure Lake is part of the Adventure Base, a long-term project by the Christian youthwork charity Adventure Plus to give more young people affordable, accessible adventures. A+ Hospitality runs the accommodation and catering on the same site.