Needham Lake
Needham Lake is a 13 hectare popular countryside attraction, centred around a flooded gravel pit, close to Needham Market.
It's been consistently ranked among Visit England's top most-visited free attractions in the UK, and was ranked twelfth during 2020.
Part of the site is a Local Nature Reserve - with wetland areas, meadows and a small woodland. It's home to a variety of wildlife, and in the summer you can find many species of dragonflies and small birds.
Look out for the nest boxes found throughout the site. Wild flowers are plentiful with pyramidal and bee orchids easily seen from the paths.
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How to find us
Access from B1078 Coddenham Road, IP6 8NU
OS Grid ref: TM 093547 (Explorer 211)
Activities on offer
| Walks | 20 minutes walk around the surfaced lakeside path Longer walks via access points off the path |
| Orienteering |
We have two permanent orienteering courses Maps for these can be downloaded below or picked up from the information room on site |
| Angling |
Angling permits for the lake (both day ticket and club membership) are available from Birds Tackle (Tel: 01473 830683) on Station Road, Great Blakenham |
| Children's play areas |
For younger children: play equipment is sited close to the car parks For older children: a climbing boulder and informal play equipment is located around the lake. There is a small den building area where children can build their own shelters from the materials provided |
| Events |
During the school holidays there are regular children’s activities and other events |
| Field games | We have plenty of grass space for outdoor games |
| Picnics | Picnic tables can be found around the site Please help to keep the site clean and bring a bag for any left-overs after your picnic |
| BBQs | Barbecues are permitted in part of Mill Meadow only They must be raised off the ground and not placed on the wooden picnic tables An ash disposal bin is provided |
Facilities
| Food | The kiosk near the main entrance offers refreshments including tea, coffee and ice cream We're currently building a new visitor centre at the lake which includes a café - look out for more details soon! |
| Toilets | We have a small toilet block on site |
| Visitor centre | We are currently building a new visitor centre on site, to compliment the information room at the lake - here you can find a range of information about the site and surrounding area |
| Car parking | We have two free car parks at the lake, including a charging point for electric vehicles |
| Dog bins | Dogs are welcome, but they should be kept on a lead on the surfaced paths Owners must clean up after their dogs, and there are several dog bins located around the site |
| Litter bins |
We encourage visitors to take their waste home for recycling |