Latest news with #splashparks


BBC News
18-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Two Nottinghamshire splash parks to reopen after bacteria found
Two splash parks in a Nottinghamshire district can reopen, a week after tests found a potentially harmful a third in Bassetlaw will remain closed as testing found a crack in a water tank which needs to be district council said the splash zones at The Canch in Worksop and Kings' Park in Retford have both had a deep clean and returned clear water samples, allowing them to operate between 10:00 and 18:00 splash park will remain shut for work to be carried out. A council spokesperson said: "Thank you for your patience. "The safety of people using our splash parks will always be our top priority."


BBC News
11-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Nottinghamshire splash parks deep cleaned over bacteria risks
Splash parks in part of Nottinghamshire are being cleaned after tests found levels of a potentially harmful bacterium. Bassetlaw District Council confirmed on 10 July it had shut three parks in Retford, Worksop and Langold, after water tests found a bacteria called pseudomonas aeruginosa. The authority said it was advised by the UK Health Security Agency that prolonged exposure to the bacteria could lead to "mild infections".A spokesperson for the council said retesting would take place after a deep clean was completed and the parks would only reopen when the results were clear. 'Rigorous deep cleaning' According to the council, the recent test results came after "enhanced testing", which was recommended following an inspection of all its parks earlier this year. Although the authority was not legally required to carry out that level of testing, it said it chose to do so to "provide the best facilities possible".The bacteria found in the water could lead to symptoms including skin irritations and mild infections, such as ear infections, which could take five days to present, the council said. It added the decision to close the parks was also taken as a precaution to protect people with a low immune system or existing health conditions.A spokesperson said: "The safety of people using our splash parks is extremely important to us, and since receiving these results, we are now in the process of rigorously deep cleaning our splash parks, which includes disinfecting the splash park surfaces, jets, drainage, pipework and plant rooms."Following guidance from experts in water management, we will also be increasing our daily and weekly water treatment routines and monitoring so that we have the best chance possible of preventing instances like this from happening again."Results from retesting are expected to take seven to 10 days to be reported to the council.


The Sun
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The 10 best outdoor splash parks to take your kids to cool off this weekend – and some are even free
SPLASH OUT And the best outdoor waterparks to find in the UK THE UK is heating up, with highs of 31C for the rest of the week. But if you're looking for somewhere to take the kids to cool off, there are a number of splash parks across the UK. 5 Not to be confused with outdoor water parks, splash parks are usually much smaller and are a much cheaper alternative. From huge pools to some even having free entry, here are our pick of some of the best. Splash 'n' Play, Milton Keynes One of the biggest outdoor splash parks in the UK, Splash 'n' Play has more than 60 water attractions including cannons, tunnels and splash buckets. Sessions run for 45 minutes and cost £6.50 per child (adults go free). Malden Splash Park, Essex Essex 's Malden Splash Park has fountains, slides, and splash pads for kids of all ages. Sessions run for 30 minutes and cost £2.50 per child. Splash Park Barking Kids can interact with the park's mascot Splashy while making the most of the water attractions, while parents can relax on some of the deck chairs surrounding it. Sessions run for 90 minutes and cost £8 for kids and £5 for adults. Victoria Park Splash Park, Cardiff Forced to close early last summer due to a fault, the Cardiff splash park is open again in time for the summer with 33 features including tunnels and jets. Free to visit. Huge new waterpark opens in winter sun hotspot with 14 slides and country's first cable car Blackpill Lido, Swansea Not to be confused with an actual lido, Blackpill Lido has a smaller kids pool as well as a play area and climbing rock. Free to visit. Fishers Farm Park Splash Attack, Sussex Part of Fishers Farm, the splash park has sprinklers, water guns as well as ice cream shacks. Tickets cost £16.95 and includes access to the farm. 5 5 Embankment Splash Park, Northamptonshire The Embankment Splash Park has sprays, mists and even water shoots from the ground that kids will love. Free to use. Rivelin Splash, Yorkshire The long Rivelin Splash in Rivelin Valley Park has three pools as well as jets, sprinklers, bucket drops and water tables. Free to visit. 5 Swanley Park, Kent Part of the huge park is an outdoor splash park with huge fountains in the middle. Free to visit although booking ahead is required. Kensington Memorial Park, London The park, which dates back to 1926, has a huge outdoor splash attraction with fountains and structures. Free to visit. In the mean time, here is a tropical indoor waterpark in the UK. And here is how to find the UK's biggest outdoor waterpark. 5


The Sun
13-05-2025
- The Sun
I live in the water park capital of the UK – we can visit 5 of the country's best on a day trip from just £8
LIVING in a landlocked part of the country, as far away from the sea as we can be, we have a raft of fantastic water parks to make up for our lack of coastline. I can drive less than 90 minutes in any direction and get to some of the best indoor splash parks in the UK. 6 6 From our home in Leicestershire, we can visit five water parks on day trips, including Alton Towers, The Wave Coventry, Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent and two Center Parcs. My boys love a splash about and what we look for in a great waterpark is a wave pool, a variety of slides and flumes and a splashpad with fountains and jets for little ones who might be too small for some of the bigger rides. An outdoor space with rapids or a lazy river is an added bonus. So we're excited that American holiday chain Great Wolf Lodge, which has 23 resorts overseas, could be bringing one of its epic waterparks to neighbouring Derbyshire, after already getting planning permission to build one near Bicester. That'll mean my boys have access to eight indoor waterparks in driving distance, as well as several great outdoor options, like Twinlakes near Melton Mowbray and Wheelgate up near Nottingham. The new Therme Manchester, due to open in 2027, and Blackpool's Sandcastle are only a couple of hours away too. Our favourite is actually a council-run park as it's just such a cost-effective option for a few hours of fun. Moorways in Derby only opened its indoor splashpad with slides and rides in 2022 and it often has deals that drop the price down to £8 per person, even during school holidays. With free parking and a huge aqua inflatable course in the main pool included in the price for some sessions, it really is incredible value for money. There's a soft play on site and other sports facilities too, so you can make a day of it. If you decide to head to one of the other options, there's ways to keep costs down so you don't end up paying over the odds for a day of water fun. At Alton Towers, you can get a parent and toddler waterpark ticket for £23 on term-time midweek dates if you're visiting with a little one aged five or under. That's quite a saving compared to around £25 per person normally. If you have Blue Light Card membership, you can visit the waterpark from £15, depending on the date. At the Wave in Coventry, if your children are on benefits-related free school meals, you could use your Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) code to get family entry free for certain sessions in the school holidays. And while you can't visit Center Parcs just for the day unless you know someone who is on holiday there, it's worth an ask if you've got family members or friends who have a break booked. If my family of five book a lodge, we have a spare sixth space that we could assign to a friend or relative, even if they're only coming for the day. 6 6 6 And there was recently a midweek term-time deal that included two free day visit passes, so it's worth keeping an eye open in case that pops up again. I can't wait to see how the plans to bring Great Wolf Lodge to the UK progress. Work is already underway at the site near Bicester, which will include accommodation and other attractions as well as the waterpark. And now discussions with Bolsover Council in Derbyshire to bring a second resort to Clowne near Chesterfield means we could get a park an hour north of us, as well as an hour south of us, as we are exactly in between the two Great Wolf spots. Hopefully the American ethos of bigger is better will be in full force when Great Wolf unveils its plans. The Sun has also listed the UK's best outdoor water parks and lidos – as temperatures rise. Plus, the £75million indoor tropical waterpark that nearly opened in the UK. 6