Mercers Lake is a body of water in Mercers Park, Merstham, near Redhill, Surrey. It is a former quarry that has been adapted for water sports, such as sailing, kayaking, and paddle boarding.

Mercers Lake
View over lake with two pontoons extending into the water and trees lining the opposite shore in the distance
View looking west from the cafe
A map of Surrey with a mark indicating the location of Mercers Lake
A map of Surrey with a mark indicating the location of Mercers Lake
Mercers Lake
Location in Surrey
LocationMerstham, Surrey, UK
Coordinates51°13′03″N 0°09′22″W / 51.2175°N 0.1562°W / 51.2175; -0.1562
TypeLake
Basin countriesUnited Kingdom
Average depth8 metres (26 ft)
Max. depth15 metres (49 ft)
Annotated image showing Mercers Lake from the International Space Station - originally from NASA ISS067-E-147051

History

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The lake was originally a sand quarry created by British Industrial Sands.[1][2]

Watersports

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The water sports centre has received planning permission to expand, and work is ongoing to build a larger cafe and adventure playground as of 2024.[3]

Fishing

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The lake is used for fishing and contains perch, bream, pike, and large carp.[4]

Diving

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The lake is also used for diving. It is up to 15m deep, and contains the remains of the front of a Cessna plane, and an underwater forest.[4]

Accidents and incidents

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A 31-year-old man named Edward Savage drowned in the lake in June 2018. Local police had received a number of calls about youths swimming in the lake earlier in the week. The death was not connected to the company who run water sports there.[5]

In 2023 a swan was killed with a brick, following a similar incident in 2022, where a swan was shot with a ball bearing.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Murphy, Mark (July 23, 2020). "Mercers Country Park Inland Diving Lake". Oyster Diving. Archived from the original on 2024-05-14. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  2. ^ "Mercers Park". Archived from the original on 2023-05-22. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  3. ^ "Surrey lake to be 'transformed' into community hub for water sport enthusiasts plus a new playground - Surrey Live". www.getsurrey.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-03-04. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  4. ^ a b "Mercers Lake - Redhill dive site | PADI". PADI Travel.
  5. ^ "Man who died at Mercer's Lake in Nutfield named". June 27, 2018 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  6. ^ "Redhill: Police investigate after swan killed at Mercers Lake". BBC News. June 14, 2023. Archived from the original on 2024-02-10. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
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