Dorney Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dorney Lake |
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Aerial view of Dorney Lake in 2007
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 Dorney Lake
Location in Buckinghamshire
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| Location | Dorney, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Coordinates | 51°29′36″N 0°39′56″W / 51.4933°N 0.6655°W |
| Type | Artificial lake, rowing lake |
| Basin countries | United Kingdom |
| Built | 2006 |
| Max. length | 2.2 kilometres (1.4 miles) |
Dorney Lake is a special lake in England, built just for rowing. It's also known as the Eton College Rowing Centre. You can find it near the village of Dorney, in Buckinghamshire. It's about 3 km (2 miles) west of Windsor and Eton, close to the River Thames.
Eton College, a famous school, owns and paid for the lake. They spent a huge amount of money, £17 million, to build it! It took 10 years to finish, opening in 2006. Even though it's mainly for the school, other groups can rent it. People use it for rowing, canoeing, dragon boating, open water swimming, and triathlon events.
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Dorney Lake at the Olympics
Dorney Lake was a very important place during the 2012 Summer Olympics! It hosted the rowing and canoe sprint events. It was also used for rowing during the 2012 Summer Paralympics. During the Olympics, the lake was officially called Eton Dorney.
To get ready for the Olympics, the lake added 20,000 extra seats. Most of these seats were temporary. Work started in October 2009 to improve the lake. This included a new path between the race lake and the return lane. A new bridge and better roads were also built. During the Olympic events, about 3,500 people worked at Dorney Lake. It could hold up to 30,000 visitors each day. A temporary bridge over the River Thames helped people get to the lake.
Big Events at Dorney Lake
Dorney Lake has hosted many important international rowing events. Some of these include:
- 2005 Rowing World Cup
- 2006 World Rowing Championships
- 2011 World Rowing Junior Championships
- 2012 Summer Olympics (for rowing and canoe sprint)
- 2012 Summer Paralympics (for rowing)
- 2013 Rowing World Cup
How the Lake is Built
The lake is built to special rules set by the FISA. These rules make sure it's perfect for big rowing competitions.
- It has calm, still water.
- The racing part is 2200 m (7,200 ft) long and straight.
- There are 8 rowing lanes, each 13.5 m (44 ft) wide.
- The water is at least 3.5 m (11 ft) deep.
- There's a separate channel for boats to return to the start. This channel is separated by an island.
Local Rowing Races
Since Dorney Lake opened, many annual rowing races have moved there. These races used to be held on the River Thames. Now, events like the Marlow Regatta, the Metropolitan Regatta, and the Wallingford Regatta take place at the lake.
Visiting Dorney Lake
When there are no big sporting events, the public can visit Dorney Lake. The flat, straight paths along the lake are 2 km long. This makes it a popular spot for runners and skaters. You might even see cross-country skiers practicing with roller skis. The beautiful scenery also makes it a great place for dog walkers and people just enjoying a day out.
