Lakeside Country Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lakeside Country Park |
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Beach Lake, one of the three lakes in the park
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| Type | Country park |
| Location | Eastleigh, Hampshire, UK |
| Area | 60 acres (240,000 m2) |
| Operated by | Eastleigh Borough Council |
| Status | Open all year |
Lakeside Country Park is a super cool country park located just south of the town of Eastleigh in Hampshire, UK. It's a big place, covering about 60 acres (that's like 45 football fields!). This park is famous for its beautiful lakes and is also home to the fun Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway.
The park used to be a place where people dug up gravel. When they stopped, the big holes filled with water, creating the lovely lakes you see today. Besides the lakes, you'll find pretty meadows and some young woodland, making it a great spot to explore nature.
Lakeside Country Park is surrounded by the town of Eastleigh to the north, a road called the A335 road to the east, the border between Eastleigh and Southampton to the south, and a stream called Monks Brook to the west.
Discover the Eastleigh Lakeside Railway
Get ready for a ride! The Eastleigh Lakeside Railway is a special miniature railway that opened in the park in 1992. At first, it was just a temporary track, but it became so popular that a more permanent railway was built in 1993.
Over the years, the railway grew. In 1999, two stations were opened: Eastleigh Parkway and Monks Brook. Later, in 2003, a fun tunnel was added to the track. If you visit Eastleigh Parkway station today, you'll find it's even bigger, with a café and a shop added in 2005. The railway uses two different track sizes, 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) and 7 1⁄4 in (184 mm), which means they can run different kinds of miniature trains!
The railway has many cool locomotives, including steam engines and diesel engines. Some of the steam engines have awesome names like The Monarch, The Empress, Silver Jubilee, and Lord Nelson. They even have a special electric train called University of Southampton!
Enjoy the Water Sports Centre
Lakeside Country Park is also a fantastic place for water activities! In 2014, plans were made to build new facilities for water sports. These new buildings, which were finished in late 2016, have much better toilets, changing rooms, storage areas, offices, and a big multi-purpose room for events.
If you love swimming, you're in luck! Open water swimming clubs have been using the park's lakes since at least 2010. As of 2017, you can join swimming sessions run by HOWL Multisports. It's a great way to enjoy the water safely!
Images for kids
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1001 The Monarch in service
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The Empress ELR.JPG
The Empress ELR in service
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Western Queen 1003
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2005 Silver Jubilee.JPG
2005 Silver Jubilee in service
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Edward VIII Train in service
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21C1 Channel Packet in service
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35004 ELR out of service
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Sandy River under overhaul
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Rob Roy ELR out of service
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850 Lord Nelson in service
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Sir Nigel Gresley ELR out of service
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Heywood in service
