Alderford Aqua Park in Whitchurch, Shropshire, has introduced a brand new swing for 2026, offering thrillseekers a fresh way to launch themselves into the water. The park, located just over an hour's drive from Birmingham, features a 120-person on-the-water obstacle course that already includes bouncing, jumping, sliding, and leaping challenges.
New Swing Adds Excitement to Water Park
The addition of the swing allows visitors to swing out over the lake before dropping into the water, adding a new dimension to the Total Wipeout-style activity. The venue also offers swimming sessions, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), kayak and canoe hire, and lessons. Visitors can walk, cycle, and take part in woodland activities across the site, and there is an on-site café.
Sessions are priced from £21 for 50 minutes, including a safety briefing, buoyancy aid, and all-day swim pass. Wetsuit hire is available for £9. More details can be found on the Alderford website.
Whitchurch: A Historic Town with Indie Shops
Whitchurch is one of the UK's oldest towns, with buildings dating back to Medieval, Tudor, and Georgian times. The town is packed with independent shops, gardens, and parks. St Mary's Arcade offers a range of indie shops selling clothes, lifestyle items, and homeware. Homefolk, a quirky homeware store, supports more than 30 artisans and makers and offers gifts for under a fiver.
Cafés include Café Eleven, Walters, Joli Coffee, and Lockside Café, which has a shaded outdoor seating area. The zero-waste shop Refill Your Boots allows customers to bring their own containers for oats, rice, sugar, coffee, shampoo, bubble bath, and washing-up liquid. Family-run Lornashouse sells reasonably priced clothes, accessories, shoes, cushions, candles, toiletries, and gifts. Wagstaffes, dating back to the 1940s, now sells shoes and gifts. A market is held on the first Saturday of each month, featuring local art, craft, and food.
Getting to Whitchurch from Birmingham
By car, the journey takes just over an hour via the A41, traffic permitting. By train, catch a service from Birmingham New Street to Crewe, then change for Whitchurch, with a total travel time of around 90 minutes.
