The Rickmansworth Aquadrome Project

A New Chapter at Rickmansworth Aquadrome

The Aquadrome’s exciting plans

Great plans are in the pipeline at Rickmansworth Aquadrome. The nature reserve is special to so many people and local wildlife, and the council are looking at enhancing and protecting it through the Aquadrome project.

These pages take you through the exciting plans to make the important changes to the Aquadrome.

Through the tabs you can find the details on how we will improve the lake and riverbanks, develop the accessibility, upgrade the footpaths and the signage to name but a few.

The Aquadrome project aims to ‘enhance, nurture, and protect the Aquadrome. To achieve a balance so nature can flourish, and visitors can connect with and discover beautiful and unique habitats whilst understanding the importance of the environmental heritage of the site'.

Our priorities include:

• enriching biodiversity and sustainability
• understanding and managing the risks of flooding
• improving accessibility throughout the site
• creating an engaging, but sensitive site identity, with improved signage and  interpretation

Have you seen the Aquadrome from the air?

When is this happening?

The Aquadrome project is mainly being funded by external sources. Once external funding is secured, the council will start a three-year delivery project to enhance the Aquadrome’s waters, wetlands and walkways, to restore and protect its legacy for now and the future.

The councils project team are working towards these milestones to complete the improvements:

*There are a number of variables that may affect the delivery timeline e.g. protected species licensing, weather, flooding or Flood Risk Activity Permits that are required from the Environment Agency. We will provide regular updates to keep everyone informed.

Rest assured the Aquadrome remains open and welcoming for all through these planned improvements – there may just be small areas that are not accessible when contractors are working to improve the site.

To plan your visit to the Aquadrome visit: Rickmansworth Aquadrome | Three Rivers District Council

For information on asbestos management at the Aquadrome, visit: Rickmansworth Aquadrome | Three Rivers District Council

Plans for the future

Detailed plans we hope to deliver at the Aquadrome, are available to view on the website.

This page explains how the project has progressed from RIBA Stage 2 (Concept Design) to RIBA Stage 3 (Spatial Coordination), and how scientific evidence, technical investigations and community feedback have informed the proposed enhancements across the Aquadrome.

Using the button “Development Plans”, you can access the documents, reports and studies that have guided key design decisions. For an overview of the proposed improvements, subject to funding approval, read RIBA Stage 2 to RIBA Stage 3: How Science and Engagement Guided the Design, which explains how evidence and public feedback have shaped the evolving proposals.

You can also explore detailed information on a range of subjects from Ecology, Hydrology, asbestos and accessibility. Together, these studies have helped develop a design that balances nature recovery, accessibility, heritage, recreation and long-term resilience.

Highlights include:

Once funding is secured, the project will be delivered in phases over three years. For a great overview of what this project aims to achieve, watch the video to find out what’s involved:

The plans cover all the aspects of the site, but a few highlights are detailed below:

The Meadow

Some of the highlights in the plans include a new viewing platform to replace the old bird feeding area as you walk up from the car park between the lakes. This area will be named The Meadow and includes new benches, better views and interesting paths across the grassed area.

River Restoration and Woodland Walk

Restoring the river Colne - The river Colne, a chalk river, one of only 240 in the world flows through the Aquadrome. These rivers are rare, diverse ecosystems supporting a wealth of wildlife, they are vulnerable and need protection. The Aquadrome Project will restore natural chalk stream characteristics through allowing more light into the river channel boosting growth of marginal (along the riverbanks) and aquatic vegetation; creation of berms in focused locations along the riverbank will support the banks from eroding, create habitat and slight narrow the channel varying the flow of water.

Further to this, increasing connectivity is vital, by creating a new river channel, a bypass, around Batchworth Weir the opportunities for wildlife to move along the river corridor will be increased. Downstream of this the removal of Bury Weir will support this connectivity, protect the riverbanks, and create gravelly habitat along the riverbed which fish love. This package of works supports each other generating a mosaic of river restoration, which will be sensitively delivered increasing the resilience of the river for years to come.

Woodland Walk

The river restoration stretches beyond the river channel; the Aquadrome forms a key part of the floodplain for the river Colne. A floodplain works at its best when there is strong connectivity to the river which the project also seeks to support. At present the woodland walk prevents some of this connectivity, however by lowering focused sections of the riverbanks the river will be able to flow into the floodplain including the wet woodland. To ensure the Woodland Walk will be enjoyed by all the footpath will be surfaced in a sustainable, but permeable (allowing water to flow through) material with bridges over the lowered points.

The woodland walk will take the visitors through the Pinetum where from this raised footpath (to approximately 0.5m) the diversity of conifer trees can be enjoyed and the floodplain can continue to function through the woodland. These improvements will support the chalk river, the floodplain of the river Colne, a path through this peaceful area and the wet woodland habitat. However, it is important that the floodplain can do its job to the fullest, which does mean that in times of significant flood the woodland walk may need to temporarily close until the water levels on the path have reduced and any maintenance has taken place.

New design for the woodland walk and pinetum (PDF, 6.7 MB).

Visitor and Welcome Hub

The grassed area in front of the café will enjoy a complete makeover including a new landscaped welcome area with seating and new trees. A Changing Places Toilet is included in the plans to help adults with severe disabilities enjoy the nature reserve more. New maps and interpretation boards will ensure all our visitors can enjoy The Aquadrome.

New design for the Visitor and Welcome Hub (PDF, 4.6 MB).

Biodiversity Data Hub

This data hub provides access to a collection of environmental survey data collected at Rickmansworth Aquadrome since 2024.

Surveys included:

• Habitats
• Invertebrates
• Otters
• Rivers
• Bats

Three Rivers District Council is inviting students, researchers or educators who are working on a project or ecological research to use this data. It provides an invaluable resource for understanding local biodiversity, habitat trends and conservation management.

From detailed species inventories to habitat condition assessments, there is a range of data to use to understand Three River’s biodiversity. Explore the data, analyse the trends and contribute to the growing knowledge of the Aquadrome.

Please remember to reference ‘Three Rivers District Council, Leisure Services’ on your work. This project has been funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, and it would be great to share with them how you have used the data. Please share your work with us by sending it to leisure@threerivers.gov.uk entitled Aquadrome Biodiversity Data usage.

Please follow the link below to view a comprehensive summary of the surveys, as well as PDFs of the surveys themselves.

What stage is the project at?

Visitors will have noticed other improvements on the site such a new pedestrian bridge and fishing swims. We are now focused on our lottery bid and delivering the Aquadrome Project. In November 2026, the council will submit a funding application to The National Heritage Lottery Fund for around £5million to fund this major nature recovery and enhancement project.

This large amount of grant funding, known as Delivery phase, will help us deliver the plans that have been developed over the last year.

It will fund the improvements to the river and the erosion on the lakes, improve the path network, signage and maps and help us create more walking and play spaces. It will also help us improve the accessibility of the Aquadrome and make enhancements to the car park.

The National Lottery will review our application from November through to March 2027. Making sure that it meets their criteria such as increasing the heritage knowledge for our visitors, improving biodiversity and making sure the Aquadrome is more accessible for all.

After we submit the application, which includes other plans like a Tree and Vegetation Strategy, a Conservation Plan, an Activity Plan and detailed design drawings of all the new elements, we begin to tender the work.

Tendering is formal, structured procurement process of choosing the best company to do the work, we will ensure that the best quality and price are selected so that the plans created during development are then delivered to the community.

If we are unsuccessful with The National Lottery funding application, there is a small amount of additional funding to carry out a selection of improvements, and we will reengage The Lottery to discuss the next steps.

Have your say

Share your thoughts and memories

We want everyone to be part of the Aquadrome's journey by providing their feedback or explaining what the site means to them.

Please use the ideas board to share your thoughts, feedback and photos so that we can build a picture of how the Rickmansworth Aquadrome is used, and what it means to its visitors.

Have a question?

We have created an FAQ page to answer as many questions about the Rickmansworth Aquadrome Project as we can. However, if you want to ask a question not found on the page, we are more than happy to answer.

The journey so far

Generations of residents and visitors across the UK have enjoyed the Rickmansworth Aquadrome, but the time has come to restore and protect this precious nature reserve for now and the future. Significant work has already happened to develop the plans for these improvements through the Aquadrome project.

How have these projects been funded?

There have been several funding sources over the recent years with the council receiving initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Water, Wildlife and Wellbeing at Rickmansworth Aquadrome project.

• July 2025: Development funding of £736,515 has been awarded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help Three Rivers progress their plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant of £5m in November 2026.  The success of the funding bid was also made possible through using funds awarded by HS2 Colne Valley Additional Mitigation Panel as match funding.
  Find out how the council will use funds to improve the Rickmansworth Aquadrome by watching this video. 
• January 2024: Three Rivers District Council received a £161,691 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in January 2024 to deliver a 10-month-long project at the Aquadrome, looking specifically at recovery and resilience. This project has enabled the council to make some essential first steps in understanding more about habitats, conditions and usage of the Aquadrome - through an engaging programme of community activities and the commissioning of various surveys.
  Two years on, we are celebrating the ‘Identify, Inform, Involve’ - Natural Heritage Networks project successes and sharing the baseline knowledge captured with the local community, who truly value this local nature reserve.
  To find out more about the ‘Identify, Inform, Involve’ - Natural Heritage Networks, please read the Rickmansworth Aquadrome Digital Brochures, which include Natural Heritage Networks Evaluation Report and Aquadrome 2024 Activity Highlights.
• The HS2 Colne Valley Additional Mitigation Plan (AMP) has supported the project and awarded £510,463 for biodiversity improvements. This funding has given us vital match funding for the Delivery phase National Lottery bid.  HS2 Colne Valley Regional Park Panel.

Community and partner involvement

Community and Stakeholder engagement is at the heart of the council’s vision for the Aquadrome. During the last year the council have provided a wide range of opportunities for everyone to share their hopes and aspirations for the site. This has included meeting groups such Three Rivers Museum, local schools and their special needs coordinators, Colne Valley Regional Park, Affinity Water and many more.

Public engagement sessions have taken place on site so that the public can share their views on the project.

Surveys have been wide reaching and well supported including those focused on disability needs and access improvement.

A Project Steering group has been set up to support the development and design through to delivery, ensuring that local stakeholders have a say in what’s planned.

The most recent engagement events considered in detail the emerging masterplan for the site.

Sharing the Masterplan - Public Engagement - Spring 2026:

The development phase has focused on the creation of the Masterplan for the site. This includes detailed designs for landscaping, hydrology, tree and vegetation management, visitor experience and connectivity.

The emerging concepts and draft illustrations showing what the improvements could look like were shown to the residents at an open session at the Aquadrome on Saturday 7 March from 9:30am to 2pm as well as being available on the council website.

Feedback from the local community informed the next phase of design.

Journey from RIBA Stage 2 to RIBA Stage 3 Engagement – September 2026

In September 2026, Three Rivers District Council welcomed residents to a public engagement session where they could hear how the plans for the site had incorporated public feedback and speak directly with the officer team.

Findings from hydrological studies and ecological assessments, alongside an exciting programme of capital works were shared. This includes

• car park improvements and a new one-way traffic system;
• a significantly enhanced Visitor Hub with seating and a welcoming arrival area;
• raised mounds for informal play; and
• new planting to further strengthen the nature reserve’s biodiversity.
• a new Changing Places Toilet outside the Café in the Park,
• new picnic benches
• a bird-viewing platform on Bury Lake
• a peaceful, contemplative space at the newly named Bury Point,
• natural play features in the dog-free picnic area
• River restoration,
• improvements to Footpath 65 (the causeway) and
• a three-year activity plan centred on health and wellbeing round out the wide-ranging proposals.

The evening included opportunities for residents to get answers to questions about the asbestos present at the site, the proposed removal of the weir and the plans for the Woodland Walk.

View the recording of the session below:

View the presentation (PDF, 9.8 MB)

You can view the questions that were submitted in advance of the public engagement session along with the answers here: Questions submitted in advance of public engagement session (PDF, 9.8 MB).

You can view the questions that were asked during the public engagement session along with the answers here: Questions asked during the public engagement session (PDF).

The Aquadrome Steering group

In March 2023, a steering group was established for the Aquadrome project. The group consists of main stakeholders with the goal to oversee and support the project. Members of the steering group use their experiences, skills and knowledge of specific topics to help make strategic decisions.

Agreement of vision and aims: This Steering Group aims to bring key stakeholders together to develop plans for the project outlined in the Rickmansworth Aquadrome Management Plan (2022-27). It is in place to support and work collaboratively at a strategic level, for the greater good of the site and to ensure we have support throughout the community.

The Steering Group should be a critical friend of the project and help to support any required funding bids, to deliver the project outcomes. It meets approximately twice a year to discuss key milestones of the project and receives regular updates.

Meeting minutes:

16 September 2026

A Steering Group meeting was held on 16 September 2026. You can see the minutes of the meeting here:

Aquadrome Steering Group Meeting Minutes - 16 September 2026 (PDF)

Presentations:

September Steering Group Presentation (PDF, 18.8 MB)

Partner Updates:

Partner update - Rickmansworth and District Residents’ Association (PDF)

Video

What's happened during the Development Stage of the Rickmansworth Aquadrome Project

11 March 2026
A Steering Group meeting was held on 11 March 2026. You can see the minutes of the meeting here:

Aquadrome Steering Group Meeting Minutes – 11 March 2026 (PDF)

Presentations:

Aquadrome Project Update (PDF, 14.7 MB)
RSK Presentation (PDF, 6.9 MB)
RSK Storyboards (PDF, 52.3 MB)
RSK Record Report (PDF)

Partner Updates:

Partner update – Canal River Trust (PDF)
Partner update – Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (PDF)

15 October 2025
A Steering Group meeting was held on 15 October. You can see the minutes of the meeting here:

Aquadrome Steering Group Meeting Minutes – 15 October 2025 (PDF)

Presentations:

Aquadrome Project Update – presentation (PDF, 7 MB)
Community Engagement – presentation (PDF, 6.2 MB)
RSK – presentation (PDF, 6.1 MB)
RSK - record report (PDF, 2.4 MB)

Partner Updates:

Partner update – Colne Fishing (PDF)
Partner update – Colne Valley Regional Park (PDF)
Partner update – Sustainable Three Rivers (PDF)

Members include:

• Three Rivers District Council
• Countryside Management Service
• Batchworth Community Council
• Three Rivers Museum
• Rickmansworth and District Residents’ Association
• Colne Valley Regional Park
• Affinity Water
• Colne Catchment Action Network
• Rickmansworth Waterways Trust
• Environment Agency
• Colne  Valley Fisheries Consultative
• Canal River Trust
• Sustrans
• Sustainable Three Rivers
• St Marys School
• Friends of Stockers Lake
• Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust

Frequently asked questions about the project

This section carries frequently asked questions about the project and the work we are doing. Please feel free to send any enquiry you have on our Have your say page: https://haveyoursay.threerivers.gov.uk/rickmansworth-aquadrome-project.

What is happening with the woodland pathway?

Currently the woodland pathway is closed. 

The project has developed plans for the public to enjoy this tranquil space again including a new path through the pinetum.

As part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund Development Phase, works were procured to investigate the potential presence of asbestos at key locations as part of the project plans for infrastructure improvements.

The site investigations comprised of:

• 36 hand dug trial pits at a maximum depth of 1.2m
• Cone penetration testing at 14 locations to a maximum depth of 10m below ground level

The ground investigations and associated site walkovers identified 10 new Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM’s) locations. One high risk, two medium risk and seven low risk areas were identified, of which four, including the high and a medium risk location, are within the vicinity of the Woodland Walk. The specialist consultants have recommended that access to this area remains restricted. Despite the existing closure of the Woodland Walk, continued non-compliance with on-site safety restrictions means that an unacceptable level of risk persists, which has resulted in the council taking immediate action rather than wait for the delivery phase works. A surface pick of the ACMs was commissioned and took place over a two-week period in April and May 2026. Given the scale and nature of the asbestos in certain areas, complete removal is not considered viable and, as a result, it will be necessary to permanently restrict public access to such areas through permanent, secure, fencing. A secure access gate will be incorporated to accommodate staff and specialist contractor access for monitoring and maintenance such as tree works.

The permanent containment of the high-risk area will not, in due course, negate the refurbishment of the woodland path itself nor will it preclude the planned reopening of the path as part of the Aquadrome Programme. However, as is required under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the council has a legal duty to protect the public from coming into contact with known, high risk asbestos. Temporary chestnut pale fencing has been installed to prevent public access in this location.

You can find more details of the Asbestos management plan for the Aquadrome here: Rickmansworth Aquadrome | Three Rivers District Council

How are the planned works for The Aquadrome being paid for?

The Rickmansworth Aquadrome Project is an ambitious one that requires external funding.  The council will be submitting a funding bid to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for approximately £5 million, having already received significant support from them to develop the project. Funding support has also been received from HS2/AMP for biodiversity improvements, and we are applying to the Chilterns Access For All funding.

If you would like to read the details of how each funding stream will be used at the Rickmansworth Aquadrome, please click on one of the following links:

• The National Lottery Heritage Fund (Identify, Inform, Involve - Natural Heritage Networks at Rickmansworth Aquadrome)
• HS2 Colne Valley Regional Park Panel

Questions about the Aquadrome Plans:

Please note this information is live and as such is subject to change and amendment.

How have the Aquadrome plans taken the public’s opinion on board?

The main engagement period ran from 12 February to 17 March 2026 with an online survey, a full day public event, a stakeholder steering group meeting as well as targeted engagement with key groups and direct leafleting to  neighbouring households along the river. All the feedback from that engagement helped shape the final proposals and designed for the site improvements.

View the recording of the public engagement session.

Will the Aquadrome still flood?

Yes. As a floodplain to the river Colne, there will still be instances of flooding within the Aquadrome. The project aims to increase the efficiency of the floodplain, to better manage the flow of water such that public access across the site can be improved during flood events.  The works proposed will increase the ability of pathway to survive flooding without damage, offering better and more controlled connection between the river and areas that benefit from flooding such as the wet woodland helping to keep paths open and accessible for longer.

What is Bury Point?

Bury Point is a newly named area sittings behind the cafe along the bank of Bury Lake. It is the area that is the home to the Radio Control Yachting Club and has many memorial benches, perfectly situated to enjoy the stunning lake views.

To support better access to this area, an improved path and open shelter with seating is proposed.

How can these plans be delivered when there is so much asbestos at the Aquadrome?

A lot of investigative work has been completed as part of the development phase to better understand the extent and nature of the asbestos at the Aquadrome. This will ensure that works can be safely planned and undertaken with appropriate remediation and mitigation to ensure delivery of the improvements whilst protecting the public and fulfilling the councils legal duty to manage.  Strict controls will govern and specialist contractors used for any works that require ground disturbance in line with the Aquadrome Asbestos Management Plan.

Further information on the management of asbestos within the Aquadrome can be found at: Asbestos Management Plan (and FAQs).

Will the new plans make the site even busier?

Improving any public open space will attract people to visit; however, it is not the intention of the council to actively increase the overall number of visitors.

The project aims to improve the infrastructure, enhance the nature of the site, protect its rare habitats, and encourage visitors to take responsibility for their behaviour.

We hope that all visitors will enjoy and respect the nature reserve.

What will the impact of removing Bury Weir be on the millstream?

The removal of Bury Weir is proposed as part of a regrading of the riverbed and protection to the riverbanks restoring the globally important natural heritage of this rare chalk stream. The riverbed will be adjusted appropriately so as not to negatively impact the flow of the river Colne and the millstream.

The ecological impact of removing this structure will be hugely beneficial to the millstream as wildlife will be able to move freely up and downstream.

How is the flooding over the Causeway (Footpath 65) being fixed?

This is a particularly hydrologically sensitive area because of the ground levels at this very narrow stretch of ground. Under the proposals the footpath surface will be upgraded to one which can be permeable to any flood water and easily maintained in the event that erosion does occur. This will be supported by lake bank protection which combined with other measures that will slow the flow of water through the Aquadrome are expected to reduce overland flooding across the Causeway.

You can view the questions that were submitted for the public engagement session along with the answers: Questions submitted in advance of public engagement session (PDF, 9.8 MB).

You can view the questions that were asked during the public engagement session along with the answers here: Questions asked during the public engagement session (PDF).