Willen Lake is one of Milton Keynes' best-loved green spaces, cared for by The Parks Trust. Split into a lively South Lake and a tranquil North Lake nature reserve, it's a place to paddle, walk, cycle or simply unwind by the water.
On the northern shore stands the Peace Pagoda — the first to be built in the Western world, completed in 1980 by Buddhist monks and nuns — set among a thousand cedar and cherry trees planted in remembrance of the victims of war.
What to see & do
- Watersports: paddleboarding, kayaking, sailing and open-water swimming
- Walk or cycle the lakeside loop and the Grand Union Canal Broadwalk
- Visit the Peace Pagoda and Buddhist temple on the North Lake
- Play areas, treetop adventure and Gulliver's Land nearby