Canch Splash Park In Worksop Closed For Major Plant Room Replacement — Reopens After Equipment Upgrade

The Splash Park at The Canch in Worksop will remain closed for several weeks while major replacement works take place in its plant room, Bassetlaw District Council has confirmed. The decision follows a full audit conducted over the winter, which identified "significant" equipment that needed replacing in the system that handles water treatment and distribution. Families looking to cool off in the meantime can use the council's two other splash parks, at Langold Country Park and Kings' Park in Retford, both of which are now open.

What's happening at The Canch

The Splash Park at The Canch, the main outdoor water-play facility for Worksop families, will be out of action for several weeks while major works are carried out in its plant room — the unit that handles water treatment and distribution for the entire site. The closure is now in effect.

According to Bassetlaw District Council, the works were identified during a full audit of the splash park carried out over the winter. The audit followed what the council described as "a number of mechanical and water quality issues" experienced at the site last summer. Several pieces of significant equipment in the plant room were flagged as needing replacement.

The council has been frank about the timing. In its public update, it acknowledged that the closure is "really disappointing, especially when the weather is so nice", and apologised to families affected. Delays in sourcing replacement equipment and in securing specialist contractors to install it have pushed the work into the start of the summer holiday season.

When will it reopen?

The replacement programme is planned to begin on Monday 1 June 2026. The council has not yet published a confirmed reopening date, but says the work will extend the lifespan of the Splash Park and bring its safety standards in line with current best practice.

Where families can go in the meantime

Two other splash parks in the district are open and running normally:

• Langold Country Park splash park — on the north-eastern edge of the district, near Carlton in Lindrick and Oldcotes. Free parking on site. The park itself is one of Bassetlaw's largest country parks and a popular family destination.
• Kings' Park splash park, Retford — in central Retford, easy walking distance from the town centre and Retford railway station.

Both sites are operated by Bassetlaw District Council. Opening hours and any temporary closures are listed on the council's official site.

The wider picture

Splash parks are typically among the heaviest-use council leisure assets during the summer school holidays, and the Canch site in particular sees high footfall from across Worksop. The council's audit response — replacing rather than patching the plant room — suggests it wants the Worksop site to be reliable for several summers to come, but the timing of the closure is unavoidably bad for families whose children break up from school in late July.

We will update this article when a confirmed reopening date is published.

Source: Bassetlaw District Council — Splash Parks Update, May 2026.