Kings Mill Reservoir

WHAT IT’S LIKE

Waterside reserve with a dog-friendly café plus a proper adventure base, high ropes, zip wires and an airbag drop you can just turn up and pay for.

Kings Mill Reservoir is a family-friendly nature reserve near Sutton in Ashfield, part of the wider Mill Waters green space that links up with Sutton Lawn and Hermitage Ponds along the River Maun Corridor. It's popular with walkers, runners and cyclists, and there's a dog-friendly café right on the waterside serving homemade hot and cold food if you fancy a sit-down with a view over the water. For older kids and families after something more active, the Mill Adventure Base runs archery, sailing, kayaking, orienteering, mountain-biking, caving, climbing walls, low ropes and a zip wire, and you can even combine a visit with a camping-pod stay or an off-site trip into the Peak District. Since May 2024 there's also a pay-and-play facility called Adventures, open to the public, with two high ropes courses, zip wires, a net park and a giant airbag drop, no need to book through a group to have a go. There's pay and display parking on site including disabled spaces, and it's an easy trip by car from junction 28 of the M1, or by train to Sutton Parkway station 1.6 miles away.