A stay in South Cerney can have many different focuses: ROX brings together water sports and outdoor adventures, village walks take you through the village, and Shorncote Reedbeds Nature Reserve lies 650 metres to the west. Choose between activities on the water, village history and nature watching without combining these options into a single route.
Water sports, outdoor activities and village walks
The Real Outdoor Xperience (ROX) is at Lake 12 on Spine Road in South Cerney. The water sports and outdoor adventure centre is on the shore of a 50-acre lake and in an area of special scientific interest. ROX offers taster experiences and qualification courses in sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding.
The programme also includes high ropes and climbing activities, raft building, archery, team challenges and bushcraft experiences. The selection ranges from activities on the water to options on land. If you are planning your stay around its activity focus, you can distinguish these options from the quieter village walks.
South Cerney Parish Council provides a series of village walks with route descriptions and embedded maps. GPX versions of all South Cerney village walks are also available through Cotswold Lakes’ walking offer. Route descriptions, maps and GPX versions provide different formats for finding your way; the walks are therefore a distinct way to explore South Cerney.
Churches and village history
The Church of All Hallows in South Cerney dates back to a Norman foundation. It is considered the village’s most architecturally and symbolically significant building. On Station Road, a long row of 16th-century cottages shapes the streetscape; the road is also one of the widest village streets in the Cotswolds.
The Church of Holy Trinity in Cerney Wick also offers a historical point of reference: it was built by St. Aubyn in 1847. For a focus on cultural history, you can distinguish between different periods—from the Norman foundation and the 16th-century cottages to the church built in 1847.
Nature at Shorncote Reedbeds
Shorncote Reedbeds Nature Reserve lies 650 metres west of South Cerney. Its 20-hectare reedbed provides a habitat for birds, otters, water voles and dragonflies; the nature reserve also has two bird hides. The hides put the focus squarely on birdwatching, while the range of habitats is home to other animal groups too.
The reserve offers a different focus from ROX: here, the emphasis is on the reedbed and birdwatching, while ROX focuses on water sports and outdoor activities. You can choose how much to prioritise nature watching or activities according to your interests, rather than treating them as the same kind of outing.
Directions and parking
Cotswold Lakes Visitor Centre is on Spine Road in South Cerney, is easy to reach from the main road and offers free parking. It is open from March to November. On weekends and during school holidays, volunteers staff it daily from 10 am to 3 pm. Check the opening hours before your visit.
Lakeside Car Park is on Station Road at the eastern edge of South Cerney. It offers lake views, designated parking spaces for people with disabilities and picnic areas. On the western edge is the car park at Upper Up Playing Field; it is a suitable starting point for the walk to Shorncote Reedbeds Nature Reserve and for exploring the village.
Bicycle stands have been installed at the One Stop Shop, Village Hall and Upper Up Playing Field. Together with the two car parks and the Visitor Centre, these provide different reference points for your stay: at the eastern edge of the village, on the western edge or on Spine Road.
Discover more destinations: Coleford, Cinderford, Shipton Moyne, Soudley, Berkeley, Charlton Kings, Westbury-on-Severn, Cutsdean
For the broader travel overview: Gloucestershire.
