Man-made reservoir with an awesome beach
While visiting my sister-in-law in London, we took a short drive to a great little beach around a lake called Ruislip Lido. We did not expect to find places like this around London, but were pleasantly surprised!
One of the things I find really cool about England is how easy it is to navigate to most places using GPS having only a zip code. For instance, we put HA4 7TY into the GPS, and it took us right there. One thing to note about the parking at Ruislip Lido is that it is a bit expensive. There is a parking lot near a pub outside of the beach area, and it is like 5 quid for the first hour or so. I can't remember exactly how much for more time, but to be fair, everywhere is expensive to park in London.
Even though there are red flags warning that there are no lifeguards on duty, it is kind of beside the point because swimming is always banned in the lake. According to the official website swimming is not permitted for multiple reasons, including that the shock of cold water makes it difficult to swim and get out of the water. I guess that's a good reason.
I probably would not want to get into the water anyway. I imagine all kinds of crap must be in there, including broken glass and who knows what else.
Here you can see @afturner pushing @little-ricky with granddad trailing behind. They are headed straight to the cafe at the end of the road. They have some really good ice cream in there, but be forewarned, you pay 3 pounds for the smallest little container that you could imagine eating ice cream in. It is nearly doll sized. As the English would say, 'cheeky monkeys'
For sure, the best thing about the beach is the awesome array of playground equipment. As you can see, there are multiple swings, slides and really cool pirate ship shaped climbing frames. @little-ricky was having an amazing time. We will be bringing him back here for sure next time we're in town.
We happened to go on a weekday so we mostly had the place to ourselves. On the weekend this place is absolutely packed with people. Also, they have lots of vendors selling various food items, but only on weekends. It's a tossup for me, because I think I'd rather just come on weekdays while little Rick is still small. He can get a bit overwhelmed when there are a lot of bigger kids around.
I really enjoyed the walk around the nature path leading to and away from the beach. I was told that you can actually walk around the entire lake. I don't know if it is paved, or just a trail. Perhaps I can try next time.
The little one particularly enjoyed digging around the sand in this little ship wreck. There was also a workable crane arm that you can use to dig up sand and dump it out. I don't know how I managed it, but I didn't seem to get a single photo of it. It was probably the coolest gadget there. I suppose I was too busy playing with it to take a photo!
I imagine that this water park is pretty active on the weekends. Nothing was on while we were there. I don't think it would make much sense to run it for the 5 families that are there at any given time on a weekday.
It was kind of funny how as soon as we got to the lake, my first comment was "This looks like a man-made lake."
Everyone with me was basically shaking their heads, saying "No, there are lakes everywhere, it's natural, blah blah" like some kind of weirdly misplaced pride. I walked over to the sign, and sure enough, it states that the reservoir was dug in 1811 to supply drinking water.
It makes a lot of sense. It reminded me immediately of a reservoir in Elizabethtown, Kentucky called Freeman Lake. It serves the same purpose, essentially. Also, the sand looks completely out of place here. But nothing wrong with that, it's a perfect little beach!
The pirate ship was by far @little-ricky's favorite attraction. To be fair, this thing was really a bit out of his age range, but he still managed to climb around on it. He actually scaled that rope ladder all on his own! Of course, with a nervous parent ready to catch him at a moment's notice.
We also came across a caged in area under the road. I suppose this is where they keep the guard dragon? I wonder if the water ever rises to this level? I'd hate to be trapped in there when that happens!
Some of the views are just absolutely gorgeous. I never grow tired of the beautiful English countryside. Even when it's in the middle of London!
This area of London is extremely expensive to live in, and I can understand why it is prime property. My sister-in-law is an officer in the US Navy and is currently stationed nearby. The house prices around where she is living are comparable to some of the more expensive areas of Los Angeles. At first I couldn't figure out why, but then realized that we were a five minute walk from the Underground which will take you anywhere in London. So to be able to get to nature and into town easily from home is pretty much the gold standard for high value property.
I would likely be coming down to Ruislip Lido most weekends if I lived nearby. It is a great place to go if you've got some kids. You can let them run around and play on the beach and playground while you kick back on one of the benches and have some drinks or a snack. Be sure to check it out, if in the area!
That's an amazing place to visit with a great views. You really had a great shot. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day
Thanks for reading! It was indeed a great afternoon.
You welcome sir
Awesome pics again, Rick!
Glad you enjoyed your holiday. I am reposting this one as well!
As for the beach sand, yeah, it must have been trucked in. In Vienna, along the Danube Canal, we have a few places where they did the same, to give it a exotic vacation look. One of the places I like to go to there is Herrmanns Strand Bar - here are a couple of my own pics from May 2019:
Another place, along the Danube, is the "Copa Cagrana", a whole stretch with lots of beach bars and restaurants. While the Danube Canal is a side arm close to the downtown area in Vienna, the Copa Cagrana area is on the north shore of the Danube river, or as we call it 'Transdanubia' (I live on that 'other' side of the river). But the actual Transdanubia is in Hungary, we just 'borrowed' the name, same meaning 'the other side of the river'.
Once again, I must say that Austria is on my bucket list of places to visit. That bridge in the last photo looks like it is floating! Thanks for sharing the pics, and stopping by my blog. I've been trying to get back in to posting more now that my son is allowing my a bit of time!
Yes, it is a pontoon bridge. The area is (or was) under redevelopment (I have not been there in a while) - there are some really nice restaurants and bars on that strip. Maybe time for me to check it out again. Here is a Google map where you can also check photos: Copa Beach. I could start from where I live and walk the length of the Danube Island, eventually winding up at the International Center (UNO City) and then take the U-Bahn from there home again (or maybe downtown - the line U1 goes to the City Center and beyond). Should you ever come, Tourist passes for Public Transport are your best and most economic bet.
What a nice creation made by man. Anything created by man is always awesome. Enjoy Buddy!🥂🍾
Thanks! I did indeed enjoy.
You are welcome Sire
🥂🍾
Wow,my favourite part is the shipwreck,it looks very old to the sight.you did enjoyed yourself.
The ship is really cool. My little one was really loving it!
Yeah,i would like to take a vacation also like you,all work with no play makes jack a dull boy,don,t you think?😀
Hello!! Welcome to UK! Don't know if you're still around London, if so, the Battle of Britain is worth a visit, if you haven't been yet http://battleofbritainbunker.co.uk/, it's not far from Ruislip.
By the way, would you like to pin this on Pinmapple for a bit more love? 😊
Have a great weekend
We are already back in California, but thanks for the tip! Maybe I will check it out when we go back later this year.
Thanks for reminding me about Pinmapple. I always forget! I added a pin.
That is pretty cool. I honestly never really think of England having beaches like that. I guess it makes sense though. I can't really fathom having a beach on a lake that you can't swim in though. The playground equipment is pretty neat. Nice post!
Me neither, I was kind of surprised.
That part I found to be pretty bizarre. I don't know how they keep the kids out of the water when it gets super busy. I have a hunch that people get in the water anyway. The signs are probably for liability, I think. Thanks for reading!
Yeah, that is probably true. You always have to cover your butt!
Broken glasses can really make a big injury. So it's a wise decision. Better to stay away from the water.
I think it is probably for the best. I certainly will not get in!
Congratulations, your post has been added to Pinmapple! 🎉🥳🍍
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And every post has their own map too!
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