By Monica Chard
You may have already visited Liquid Leisure in Charlton Village, and had fun in the water. The new attraction was heavily affected by the Covid restrictions of 2020 but managed to welcome some families to at last enjoy a much needed day out of fun and leisure. Over the winter the team spent much time develop-ing their brand and concept and have a lot of exciting ideas.
The venue was land owned Charlton Sand and Ballast run by John and Geoffrey Pattinson. Once gravel was extracted in the 1950’s the pit filled with water from the water table (the water that naturally sits below the ground) and then left to nature. The lake and its sur-round grew wilder, so much so that locals didn’t even know the lake existed. Since 2018 gradually the land has been tamed, the bram-bles cut back, trees managed and the river Ash which flows through it, cleared of weed.
We met with Emma Pattinson (granddaughter) to hear about the plans for the large site. With a focus on sustainability and nature, the site is set to become an eco friendly destination, a perfect venue for chil-dren’s educational trips. With nesting boxes for birds, planters with bee friendly flowers, created from reclaimed wood and an appro-priate planting plan to attract wildlife. Staff uniforms will be made of recycled organic fabrics and the food outlets will be offering healthy choices on the menu.
Although Liquid Leisure may be renowned for its large inflatables, it offers also an out-door swimming pool, with a 25 m and 50 m length, great for training and improving stam-ina. Life Guard training is on offer at the venue and it also offers kayak and paddle-board hire and tuition, as well as Chilliboats, which look like lots of fun and exercise.
The company is sourcing services and prod-ucts locally as much as it can or within the UK.
It has proved a popular venue for both school trips and also team building days for the cor-porate world. Schools and businesses as far as London choose the venue.
It will be great to see how it all develops.