Testwood Lakes, near Southampton, is a valuable water resource for Hampshire and a haven for wildlife which is managed in partnership with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildife Trust.

Completed in 2002, Testwood Lakes is made up of three distinct areas:

Little Testwood Lake:
A reservoir which can store 270 million litres of water pumped from the River Test.

Testwood Lake:
A natural feature to encourage wildlife.

Meadow Lake:
The centrepiece of a conservation area with a bird-hide.

The Testwood Lakes Centre houses a permanent exhibition on water, wildlife and conservation. It is open to schools, community groups and individuals and has two function rooms for hire and a classroom for up to 60 children.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust* runs an education and training programme linked to the National Curriculum.

During construction of the lakes, Wessex Archaeology* discovered the remains of a timber bridge, part of a boat and a rapier from the Bronze Age about 3,000 years ago. They also found a red deer bone thought to date back 10,000 years and information on these can be found in the visitor centre.

Testwood Lakes is also home to a water efficient garden.

*Please note Southern Water is not responsible for external websites.