Nene Outdoors Watersports & Activity Centre
In the heart of Ferry Meadows, Peterborough, Nene Outdoors Watersports & Activity Centre is your ultimate destination for outdoor fun and adventure.
Whether you’re planning a weekend outing, an afterschool activity, or a school holiday escape, our centre offers exciting watersports and activities for the whole family to enjoy together.
Open times
Nene Outdoors is open to the public seasonally from March to October, with opening hours varying throughout the year. Click below for full details. Activities for school and corporate groups, as well as room hire, are available year-round.
See our Nene Outdoors FAQs for information about parking, accessibility and more.
Boat Trips
Cafe
Camping
Car Park
Cycle Hire
Holiday Club
Lakes
Sailing
Toilets
Watersports
Dive into Adventure
Looking for adventure on the water? Nene Outdoors offers something for everyone. Enjoy kayaking, paddleboarding, or other watersports on Gunwade Lake, perfect for families, beginners, or anyone up for a splash of fun. If you’d like to take your skills further, try our accredited sailing courses for adults and children.
For a more relaxed pace, hop on a eco-passenger boat trip for a scenic cruise around Ferry Meadows, taking in Overton Lake, the River Nene and the local wildlife.
There’s plenty of adventure to enjoy on land too! From cycle hire to explore the whole of Nene Park to testing your skills on our climbing walls or at archery sessions, there’s something for everyone.
Camp under the Stars
Enjoy a relaxing night under canvas on the peaceful shores of Gunwade Lake in Ferry Meadows. Our two family-friendly campsites, The Glade and Lakeview, offer the choice of cosy bell tent stays and traditional pitch-only camping. Exclusive private hire of our campsites is also available, perfect for family gatherings and group meet-ups!
Action-Packed Holiday Club
Based at Nene Outdoors, the Oak Adventurers Holiday Club is the perfect place for kids aged 8-13 to try new challenges and have fun. From kayaking and paddleboarding to climbing and bushcraft, there’s a wide range of water and land activities for every young adventurer to enjoy. Open during the school breaks, let the adventures begin!
School Trips, Parties & Team Challenges
Nene Outdoors is the perfect place for school groups, a birthday party or for corporate teams to enjoy a day of adventure together. Whether it’s trying new activities, taking on fun challenges, or just having a great time outdoors, we’ll help you plan a day everyone will remember. We also have room hire available if you need somewhere to meet or take a break.
Explore more: School Adventures, Birthday Parties, Corporate Experiences and Room Hire.
Off-Site Hire
Nene Outdoors can bring the adventure straight to your event with our exciting mobile activities. Choose from mobile climbing towers – perfect for charity events, fetes and corporate days, or try mobile archery for a fun, ground‑based challenge. All activities include full safety equipment and are led by qualified Nene Outdoors instructors. Get in touch at nene.outdoors@neneparktrust.org.uk to find out more!
Launch & Storage
Bring your own equipment and enjoy hassle-free sailing at Nene Outdoors. We offer secure storage for sailing dinghies in our grassed boat yard, with a limited number of hardstanding spaces for sailors with restricted mobility.
Our annual launch package is great value, giving unlimited sailing during centre hours, free parking at Ferry Meadows, and membership at Lakeside Sailing Club. Day launch is also available for paddle craft and sail sports, just bring third-party liability insurance and a buoyancy aid for use on the water and jetties.
For storage or launch enquiries see our fees below, call us on 01733 234193 or email nene.outdoors@neneparktrust.org.uk for an application form.
FAQs
Opening hours are available here. We may occasionally have to close early or restrict availability of certain craft due to weather conditions. If you’re planning a visit specially, we advise you give us a call for updates on the day on 01733 234193.
Address:
Nene Outdoors Watersports & Activity Centre, Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5AE
By road:
Ferry Meadows lies three miles west of Peterborough and just two miles east of the A1. On all major routes into the city, look for and follow the brown tourist attraction signs for NENE PARK or the country park symbol. Ferry Meadows is signed on Oundle Road (A605). Please be aware there is a 2.1 metre height barrier at the entrance to Ferry Meadows. Please read the relevant information in the parking section regarding access and permitted and non-permitted vehicles. Parking charges apply. We recommend parking at our Lakeside car park for your Nene Outdoors adventures, take the first exit at the roundabout after the car park barriers and follow the road round.
By public transport:
There are bus stops within walking distance of Ferry Meadows on Oundle Road and on Wistow Way in Orton Wistow. Both are a 15 to 20-minute walk from Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre. For up to date public transport information please visit the Traveline website.
By Nene Railway:
Nene Valley Railway runs between Wansford and Peterborough, with two stations in Nene Park at Ferry Meadows and Orton Mere. To see timetables and to find out more visit www.nvr.org.uk.
By boat:
River cruisers can enter Ferry Meadows from the River Nene into Overton Lake where there are free overnight (24 hour) moorings (sorry, no pumping out facilities available). For information on the River Nene and navigation please visit the Government website.
By bike:
Ferry Meadows is well connected to both the city and the wider Nene Park via traffic-free cycle routes, including National Cycle Route number 63. Maps are available from the Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre.
On foot:
Ferry Meadows is linked to the city centre, the surrounding area and other areas of Nene Park via a network of footpaths. Maps are available from the Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre.
We recommend parking at our Lakeside car park for your Nene Outdoors adventures, take the first exit at the roundabout after the car park barriers and follow the road round.
Parking charges apply to all vehicles all day, every day. The parking system in place uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and has entry and exit barriers. The system is managed by Saba UK.
Please be aware there is a 2.1 metre height barrier at the entrance to Ferry Meadows. Please read the relevant section below regarding permitted and non-permitted vehicles.
Ferry Meadows is accessible to pedestrians and cyclists at all times but the car park opens and closes for entry at different times in summer and winter. Please see these times below.
Car park earliest and latest entry times 2026:
Summer 30 March – 27 September: 06:30 – 21:00
Autumn 28 September – 25 October: 06:30 – 19:00
Winter 26 October – 28 March: 06:30 – 18:30
Please note you can exit the car park at any time. The times above are the earliest and latest entry times to the car park.
How does the parking system work?
Cameras record your vehicle registration number when you enter the Park. No tickets are issued. You don’t need to do anything until you are ready to leave.
When you are ready to leave, go to one of the payment machines in the main car parks (or pay online from your phone – here).
Enter your full registration number into the payment machine – or on the online payment system.
Pay the amount shown on the screen. Where there are two payment machines located next to each other, one will accept cards and coins (with change given) and also have the facility for contactless payment; the other machine will be card only.
Your payment is complete. You have an additional 30 minutes to return to your vehicle and exit the Park.
When you approach the exit barrier, the camera will recognise your registration number, know that you have paid and the barrier will rise automatically.
Remember you can choose to pay for your parking online at the end of your visit instead of going to a payment machine. Just go to: www.nenepark.org.uk/paymyparking
What happens if there’s a problem with the pay machine or I can’t get out of the car park?
There is an intercom system on each payment machine and on the exit barriers which connects to a customer service advisor at all times. If you encounter a problem while you are in the Park, use this service. For general queries contact parking@neneparktrust.org.uk.
You can also pay for your parking online. Click here to go to the online payment system.
Nene Outdoors is a cashless venue. We accept card and contactless payments only.
Yes. We have an accessible changing facility including a height adjustable changing bench, a hoist system and shower available at Nene Outdoors. This facility is available to those who need it during Nene Outdoors opening hours. If anyone is planning a visit to the Park and will require use of the facility, they are advised to check in advance that Nene Outdoors will be open.
Day launch
Day launch is available for £16 for paddle craft and sail sports. You need to have third party liability insurance and we require you to wear a buoyancy aid at all times on the water and jettys.
Annual launch
Single – 1 person, 1 boat – £150
Joint – 2 people, 1 boat – £195
Single (student) – under 25 in full time education – £95
Family – up to 5 people, 1 boat – £285
Family (double) – up to 5 people, 2 boats – £390
Crew – you don’t own a boat but regularly crew for others (12 times in previous year) – £50
Sailability – you don’t own a boat but regularly crew for Sailability (12 times in previous year) – £50
Annual storage
Standard boat space – £190
Multi hull boat space – £260
Additional boat and/or top of racking – £98
Trailor (outside of bay) – £60
Wearing a personal floatation device is mandatory for all activities on the lake. Buoyancy aids are included with all boat hire and we have a wide range of sizes, including infants. Anyone launching their own craft is expected to provide their own buoyancy aid, but if needed you can hire one from the shop.
Yes! We have a wide range of wetsuits available to hire from Nene Outdoors.
Single kayak – 1 person
Double kayak – 2 people
Open canoe – 3 to 4 people
Rowing boat – up to 4 people
Stand up paddleboard – 1 person
Swan & Dragon pedalos – up to 4 adults and 2 small children under 5yrs
There is no minimum age for children to be on the water accompanied by a parent or guardian. Children need to be over the age of 8 to go on the water without a parent or guardian in the boat with them. All children under the age of 18 must be supervised by an adult at all times. The adult does not need to go on the water but must remain within the Lakeside area (having a drink on the café veranda is fine!).
We aim to be as accessible as possible and are happy to let anyone hire one of our craft as long as our staff are satisfied that they have the capability to safely operate the craft they are hiring. Please get in touch if you would like to talk anything through further.
Watersports are available for advance booking to help you beat the queues, click here to make your booking.
All watersports are also available for drop-in bookings at Nene Outdoors. Please be aware that on busy days our most popular activities can book up quickly, so please go to Nene Outdoors to make your booking at the start of your visit to avoid disappointment.
Yes! We deliver tuition in line with the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) and are well placed to cater for group bookings. If you are interested in booking a group activity or private tuition please email nene.outdoors@neneparktrust.org.uk with your requirements. A member of our team will then contact you to discuss what we are able to offer.