Micro Camper beautiful lakeside park up – Cotswold water park in my VW Caddy Maxi

Today I’m visiting the Cotswold Water Park around South Cerney, Cerney Wick and Ashton Keynes on the Wiltshire/ Glos border.

This is a huge and popular area with lots to do including many walks, cycling, water sports, climbing, swimming and sailing to name just a few.

But I have found a little gem of a car park tucked away right on the edge of one of the lakes and will share with you how to find it.
It does have a height barrier so sadly any large vans won’t fit in this one.

It was £10 for 24 hours there and you can stay for a maximum of three days, no facilities as it is a car park but there are cafes, shops and toilets nearby.

The road can be busy in the day so you do get some traffic noise but not too bad, at night I’ve always found it quiet.

Weekends can get really busy in this area in the day time, especially in the summer.
But even just to visit for a few hours is lovely.

[Music] Well, it’s another glorious sunny day and I’m heading to the Gotwood Water Park on the Wiltshire Glousters border and I’m going to share with you one of my favorite parkup cups with lovely views over a lake and some beautiful walks nearby. The water park is 180 lakes over 42 square miles and is a haven for wildlife. Plus, there are many activities to do on the lakes in the area. So, just before I go to my park up, I’ll show you what’s nearby. This is Lake 12, and you’ve got the lodge at Lake 12, which is a little coffee shop, and also the real outdoor experience where you can hire watercraft like canoes or paddle boards if you want to have a go on the water. It seems to be really popular though, so I would have a look on their website and pre-book if needed. Coming out of the car park at Lake 12. If you turn to the left and go about another minute up the road, you’ll find a larger car park on the right hand side. In here, you can find the visitor center, and also a large selection of places to eat and get refreshments, toilets, an outdoor shop, and even somewhere to get something for your dog. [Music] The parking here is free. So, I’ve just pulled up for a moment just so I can show you around and show you what’s on offer, the visitor center and information point. And the old boat house restaurant, Cultsworld K9 Care that has some dog treats in baskets out the front. My favorite, a doughnut shop. And this is Cotzsworld Outdoor. They have outdoor clothing, boots, camping equipment, and accessories. And opposite is the hideout, which is a lakeside bar. This cafe has lovely views, so you can sit by the windows and look across the water. As lovely as it is to stop and have a coffee, I’m dying to get to my park up now. So, I’ve gone back down the road. Then you turn off to the right down Station Road. And then just a little bit further along, you can see the sign for Lakeside Parking. I’ve been coming here for quite a few years now. It’s one of my favorite places, whether it’s just for a day out or you can stay here overnight as well. My favorite parking space is available. So, I’m going to get parked up and then I’ll show you the view. [Music] [Music] 24 hours here. It’s £10 and you can pay with a card or by the Ringo app, but there’s no cash. There is a sign at the end of the car park that shows you where you are. It’s seen better days, but it does give you a rough idea. Sadly, for anyone with a bigger van, there is a height barrier on the way into the car park. At the end, there is a path that leads back towards the Lake 12 complex. And there’s some stone benches along here if you want to sit and take in the view. And a bit further along the path, you come across this sculpture. I’m not quite sure what it is. Let me show you. with all the birds singing. It kind of feels a bit like being in a bird cage. [Music] You can see the cafe and the higher place just across the water from here. Time to head back to my little camper van now. Time for a drink. And it’s almost midday, so it’s getting quite warm to be walking. [Music] I just got back from my walk and I’m start watching the ducks. Apart from the road, it’s quite peaceful here. [Music] So, this is the Ridge Monkey sandwich toaster. It’s just the classic one. Makes the best toasties. And if you haven’t seen my kitchen video, I always put this silicon mat on the side underneath the stove just so nothing burns. [Music] So, I’m just going to get plate out ready. Let’s get the sandwich on. You position it just right. The handle sits on the little guard for the flame so it doesn’t slip about then cuz the handles are quite heavy and sometimes it’ll tip. And then all you got to do is just flip it now and [Music] then. And after a couple of minutes start checking, make sure it’s not burning. Got the guard round just to protect the curtains. I’ve just flipped it again. You can see it’s starting to toast on the top. That should be about it. So, turn that off. Turn the gas off. Sandwich is done. Just leave that on there to cool down a minute. People going past Let’s put the table away. Oh, that’s lunch done. Really warm now, so might have to get out of anchor for a walk or something. It’s lovely sitting here. We listen to the birds, though. There’s so much wildlife out there on the lake. [Music] This time I’m going to head right out of the car park along the road and up a path the other side. I’m going to head towards the little village of South Cernney. [Music] Just up into the village a little way, you’ll find a co-op on the side of the road if you need any of your essentials. I think there’s a one stop just around the corner as well. Turning up a side road, there’s a little cafe called the Pennyrass and a really nice fish and chip shop as well. And then you come across two pubs that are by a river. You’ve got the old Georgian on this side of the road and then just opposite you’ve got the Elliot Arms which has got some really nice tables overlooking the water. Back at the car now. It’s getting really warm out there. I think it’s time to go for a little drive. I’ll show you somewhere else that I like to visit. If you’ve paid parking here, you can leave and come back. It’s not a problem, but the parking fee doesn’t apply to the other car parks in the area. They’ve all got different codes, so you would need to pay if you park somewhere else. Coming back up Station Road, if you go straight over, you will go down towards a little village called Cerny Wick. Down here, there’s a pub called The Crown, which is really nice. You used to be able to camp here, but I don’t think you can [Music] anymore. Just the edge of Cerny Wick, there’s a disused canal that you can walk alongside for quite a few miles. The beautiful roundhouse next to it as well. And if you follow this path along this way, you’ll end up back at the cafes and the restaurants that I showed you at the beginning of the video. All [Music] right, I think it’s time to go back to my parking spot now and chill out for a [Music] bit. Heading back through Cerny Wiki. go past the sailing club as well. It’s nice to see the boats out on the water when it’s a nice day. So, I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing one of my favorite parkups today. Please be aware if you do visit here that there’s no facilities. It is just a car park. Let’s hope everybody continues to respect it and leave no trace. Take care and I’ll see you again soon. [Music]