 Get spooked and have Halloween fun
If you haven’t planned anything yet for Halloween, pop down to our country parks with your children and have some frightfully good fun.
California Country Park café
Jacksons’ Café in California Country Park will be hosting a spooktacular Halloween party this Saturday (29 October), offering a fantastic finger buffet, spooky cocktails and great music from 7pm until it closes at 11pm.
There will also be a best dressed competition, so if you want to win a prize, join the party in your best Halloween costumes!
Tickets are available at £10 per adult and £5 per child aged 16 and under. Book your tickets by emailing info@jacksonscalifornialake.com to avoid disappointment.
If you can’t make it to the party, exploring the country park following the half-term pumpkin trail is equally fun. From now until 30 Oct, you can get a map from Jacksons’ Cafe for a suggested donation of £3 or more for your exploration with your young ones. All funds raised will go towards the children’s charity First Days. Do return to the café for a trick or treat, after you've finished.
Find out more on Jackson’s Café Facebook page.
Dinton Pastures cafés
The Coffee Deck and the Coffee House at Dinton Pastures Country Park have shaped up for Halloween and are offering some savoury delights for the celebrations, including Pumpkin Spiced Latte and Halloween cakes.
You will get 10 per cent off your coffee, if you bring your own re-usable mug.
 Sunday archery by Dinton Activity Centre
Did you know archery is one of the most accessible sports?
Dinton Activity Centre is offering archery sessions every Sunday from now until 27 November for all aged six and above.
You don’t need to have any previous experience. Our professional team will teach you how to shoot an arrow and bow, and provide you with tips and technique through competition and games.
You can also book the activity as part of a party with your family and friends.
Archery is a fun sport that tests your hand-eye coordination. You can be assured of having fun in a safe environment while developing your skills at Dinton.
Why not book a session and give it a try?
 Heathlake improvements
Contractors for Thames Water will soon be carrying out surveys at Heathlake near Crowthorne, which we own and manage, as part of a long-term scheme to improve the quality of the water.
The seven-acre lake, a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and one of few acid lakes in Berkshire, has typically supported several rare aquatic plants but these are threatened by a build-up of silt due to surface run-off from the surrounding area.
Thames Water, which is responsible for the wider area's drainage network, is drawing up plans to remove this sediment and install underground traps to make sure it doesn't build up again.
The company could improve the amount of sunlight reaching the lake through careful management of the surrounding trees, giving the aquatic flora a better chance to thrive, and also hopes to create new wildlife habitats and viewing areas for visitors.
Its surveys will run from this week until the end of January, with work expected to start later in 2023 and finish early in 2024. For more updates, see our website.
 New entrance to Rook's Nest Wood
We’re going to provide a second entrance to our nature park at Rook's Nest Wood near Finchampstead, encouraging local residents to walk there instead of driving, in partnership with Finchampstead Parish Council.
Since we opened Rook’s Nest Wood in 2011, we know that some local residents have been entering via the neighbouring woodland off Booth Drive and then crossing the ditch instead of using the main entrance and free car park off Barkham Ride.
Following a positive response to a recent consultation, we're going to formalise this arrangement and make it safer by installing a kissing gate at the gap in the fencing and a bridge crossing the ditch. We’re very grateful to the parish council for conducting the survey, applying for planning permission and funding these works.
The woodland itself, which we own, won't become part of the nature park and the new path won't be signed or made a formal right of way so it won't appear on maps. The existing fencing that protects the badger sett will remain and our ecologist is happy that there will be no significant impact on the badgers.
This proposal has been broadly supported but we know some people still have concerns, so we'll review things after a year to see if there's been any impact which we might need further measures.
 Closure Notice
The Coffee Deck at Dinton Activity Centre will be closed on 7 November and 15 November due to maintenance work. The Coffee House will remain open as normal on both days.
Dinton Activity Centre will also be closed on 15 November due to the maintenance work at the Coffee Deck.
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