opened spring 2021

A brand-new jewel in Pembrokeshire’s crown will be opening this year. The redevelopment at Llys-y-Frân Lake has included the refurbishment and expansion of the visitor centre and café. A new Outdoor Activity Centre and Waterside Cabin is being built to support walkers, cyclists and watersports enthusiasts. It will include a food stop, meeting rooms, changing facilities and cycle hire.

A £4 million major investment to the visitor centre and recreational facilities is being backed with £1.7 million of European Regional Development Funds through the Welsh Government. The Welsh Government’s Tourism Attractor Destination programme, led by Visit Wales, which aims to create 11 must-see destinations across Wales. The redeveloped site is intended to attract an estimated 100,000 tourists and outdoor enthusiasts each year to the site.

Outdoor activities at Llys-y-Frân Lake will include both water and land-based recreational fun. On the water, visitors can enjoy sailing, kayaking, canoeing, stand up paddle and pedalboarding. Fishing on the bank or by boat will also make a welcome return.

Land activities include walking and cycling with over 14km of trails to explore and a brand new Pump Skills Track and a wide range of bikes available to hire. Visitors can also learn the art of axe and knife throwing, how to fire a crossbow or have a go at archery. Other activities include Crazi-Bugz, six-wheeled off-road buggies for young adventurers.

Plans to develop camping facilities are also underway. These will include a range of pitches from hardstanding with full services through to basic grass pitches. The site will also benefit from amenities such as electric hook-ups, water points, toilets and showers, a wash-up area and access to the site’s main facilities such as the café, playpark and activities.

Chief Executive of Welsh Water, Peter Perry said, “As we head into 2021, we all need to enjoy the outdoors, reconnect with nature and reap the benefits that being close to water has been proven to offer.

The EU funding, on top of our own investment, will enable the development of a year-round offering both for recreation and education and will have a positive economic, social and environmental impact whilst also improving the health and well-being of both local residents and visitors. Welsh Water has been working hard to re-open this exciting Pembrokeshire destination in 2021. This is great news for the local community, visitors and the tourist economy in Wales after a difficult 2020.”

Llys y Frân Lake is located in a rolling pastoral landscape in the central-northern part of Pembrokeshire, West Wales near the foot of the Preseli Hills. It’s approximately 11 miles northeast of the County Town of Haverfordwest and 2 miles south of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

The safety of staff and visitors remain our priority, and Welsh Water ensures that all Covid-19 Welsh Government guidelines are followed at the time of opening. As we head further into 2021 it is likely that social distancing will still be encouraged, and it has more than one health benefit. Many of us need to escape urban living and technology so, with over 350 acres to explore, Llys-y-Frân Lake is soon going to be another jewel in Pembrokeshire’s crown.