Hannam's Wake Hub — Local services in East Cambridgeshire

Went to open water swimming session.

We normally swim in rivers but they are flooded and fast at the moment.

Hannam’s is a great venue. There are changing cubicles with a roof so you don’t get rained on, and they have a 100m distance buoyed out in the lake.

Entry to the water is either through swimming pool style steps or if you want to acclimatise slowly like me there is a shelving entry where you can walk in slowly.

Disabled access: you can park about 20m from the changing rooms and it’s flat to get there with a couple of steps up to the cubicles. A few steps up to the cabin where you need to check in but if you waved enough they’d come out.

You need to walk or roll up a fairly substantial slope to get to the lake. I’d struggle in a manual wheelchair but I think my electric would manage it. It’s not long but it is quite steep.

When it’s not misty there are great views and you very much feel like you are in the middle of the countryside.

The swimming sessions are lifeguarded.

There is free (included in the price) tea and coffee afterwards. They also sell chocolate bars etc.

The Google maps pin is not accurate and you will get lost if you are using g it for directions. How to get there: Turn off A10 at the signs. There are banners for Hannams out at the first turn, which has a green gate which always seems to be open. Go down that road and round the corner. Just as you get to the signs for the greenhouse, take the first left. Keep going. It’ll turn into a bumpy track, with Hannam’s banners. Keep going. Go past a farmhouse on the left. Keep going. At the end of the road...

Four of us visited last weekend to try our hand at wakeboarding, which was immense fun! We bought tickets in advance (Boost session) and headed straight to the kiosk at the back where we hired helmets, wet suits and were provided a knee board. We moved up to the lake and had our safety brief and demonstration of how to use the knee board. After that it was straight onto the course for a whirl at knee boarding, great fun! After mastering this we then switched to a proper wakeboard and gave that a try - I was much worse at this! The staff gave some great tips and some instructions on how to improve that were gladly received! The booster session was exciting and extremely cheap for what you got. I would say do bear in mind that it is a lot of swimming and despite the wet suit is quite a cold activity. However if you don't mind that give it a try, I know I'll be...

I visited as a "give it a whirl" customer and caught the bug IMMEDIATELY. The owners, the staff, the facilities and the other riders are fantastic. Supportive, knowledgeable, encouraging and genuinely friendly. This summer (2025) is going to be the first full season in the sport for me and I'm already comfortable and confident mixing and chatting with other riders about what each of us is "working on". Everyone at their own level but everyone appriciative and supportive of all of the other riders from total novice to world class sportspeople. The owners are continuing to improve the facilties each year with massive improvements...