1. Definitions and Interpretation

1.1 The following definitions apply:

1.1.1 Adult: any person aged 18 or above.

1.1.2 Accompanying adult: a ticket for a person who accesses the grounds around the lakes but is not permitted to participate in any activities.

1.1.3 Child: means any person between the ages of 8 years and 18 years who is accompanying the customer to the lakes.

1.1.4 Company: or us means Whitmore Lakes ltd incorporated and registered in England and Wales with company number 14864696 whose registered office is at graphic house, 124 city road, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom, ST4 2PH, or any other member of its group from time to time together with the company’s employees who may perform the obligations under these terms and conditions.

1.1.5 Customer: or you means any adult who accepts and agrees to these terms and conditions by reading these terms and conditions displayed on the website and then ticks the box to confirm their acceptance. 

1.1.6 Fee: means the fee set out on the website as amended from time to time.

1.1.7 Lakes: mean all lakes or grounds used for swimming, aqua sports or other leisure activities at Whitmore lakes or anywhere on the Whitmore estate, Three Mile Lane, Whitmore, ST5 5HN.

1.1.8 Order: means the customer’s order to purchase an entry ticket to the lakes, sauna or classes through the website.

1.1.9 Activity: means any of the company’s activities or events that are bookable via the company website that take place at the lakes or surrounds within the company’s premises.

1.1.10 Temperature: means the temperature of the water in the lakes as recorded daily by the company and advertised at the reception office.

1.1.11 Sauna: means any one of our onsite saunas located on the premises of Whitmore lakes or Whitmore hall.

1.1.12 Sauna ticket: a ticket purchased to access the sauna via the website.

1.1.13 Classes: all wellbeing and fitness classes held at Whitmore hall or surrounding grounds of the Whitmore estate

1.1.14 Whitmore: means the company’s website https://whitmorelakes.co.uk/.

2. Background

2.1       the lakes, and all activities bookable via the website are managed by the company. The customer wishes to enter the lakes in order to participate open water swimming, use of the sauna, a class, or a stay. The purpose of these terms and conditions is to set out the terms on which the company offers:

2.1.1    the customer and any child access to the lakes for the purpose of open water swimming and aqua sports.

2.1.2    the customer access to the sauna.

2.1.3    the customer access to classes.

2.2       any person accessing the lakes for any reason must sign these terms and conditions including the disclaimer on behalf of themself and any child before accessing the lakes for any activity.

2.3       any person agreeing to these terms and conditions are accepting the knowledge that whitmore lakes is an un-lifeguarded facility and participation in all water based activities are entirely at the customers risk.

2.4       any person making a group booking accepts the role of lead booker and must provide a copy of these terms and conditions, and ensure a waiver is signed by all members of the party attending the lakes.

2.5       all customers should ensure they and any child fully understand the dangers associated with open water swimming, aqua sports and sauna usage including the potential for personal injury and property loss. Customers must observe these terms and conditions at all times and sign the disclaimer set out below.

2.6       no person under the age of 8 years old is permitted entry to the lakes except for a training session with kuotos swim.

Whilst the company makes all reasonable efforts to ensure that the descriptions of the lakes and the sauna are correct and reasonably accurate, images and video footage of the lakes and sauna are for illustrative purposes only. By proceeding with an order, the customer confirms that they are not relying on any representations made by the company.

3. Booking

3.1       by submitting an order, the customer:

3.1.1    agrees and accepts to be bound by these terms and conditions including the disclaimer and confirms that each child is able to satisfy the entry conditions; and

3.1.2    represents to the company that the customer has authority to make the order on behalf of itself and any child and that the order is subject to these terms and conditions.

3.2       the order constitutes a contractual offer that the company may, at its sole discretion, accept. The company’s acceptance is indicated by it sending the customer a booking confirmation by email. Only once the company has sent the customer a booking confirmation will there be a legally binding contract between the parties.

3.3       no person (other than a child who is aged 8 years old and above) will be admitted to the lakes who has not bought their own ticket and read and accepted these terms and conditions.

3.4       the company may at its absolute discretion decline an order.

3.5       payment of the associated fee for each activity must be made by the customer before entry to the lakes or surrounding grounds.

3.6       all pre-booked tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.

3.7       the customer agrees to be legally responsible for any child and confirms that the child understands these terms and conditions and the customer therefore accepts these terms and conditions on behalf of themself and the child and confirms they are legally able to do so.

All attendees in the customer’s group will be required to sign and complete a waiver prior to entry into the lakes or surrounding grounds. Any attendee who fails to complete the waiver prior to the date on which they are due to attend will be refused entry into the lakes and their chosen activity.

4. Closure or changes to the lakes

4.1       the company reserves the right to close the whole or any part of the lakes or suspend the operation of open water swimming, aqua sports, sauna usage, or classes at any time for any technical or operational reasons (including staff illness), weather, capacity, special events or to ensure the safety and security of customers or if the company reasonably considers that the circumstances so require. If the lakes are closed for any of the reasons set out above the company reserves the right to offer a refund in full for your prebooked activity.

5. Entry Conditions

5.1       all persons accessing the lakes and surrounding grounds for any activity may do so subject to the following entry conditions:

5.1.1    all persons must have a valid entry ticket and have agreed to and accepted these terms and conditions and signed the disclaimer. All entry tickets purchased are only valid on the date and time printed on the ticket.

5.1.2    all persons must check in at whitmore lakes reception (water activities), or whitmore hall (classes), prior to commencing their chosen activity.

5.1.3    no dogs are not permitted on or around the lakes or grounds of whitmore estate.

5.1.4    a person should not participate in open water swimming, aqua sports, sauna or class activity if they have a known medical condition that would render such participation to be potentially unsafe for them. If the person has any medical conditions, they should consult with their own doctor to ascertain if they can take part. If there is any possibility the person might be pregnant, they should seek medical advice before swimming at the lakes or joining a class and use of the sauna is not permitted.

5.1.5    all persons accept that they have a duty to take reasonable steps to ensure their own safety. All persons in and around the lakes or sauna should always behave in a safe manner and must not act in any manner which may disturb other users of the lakes.

5.1.6    all persons taking part in an aqua sports activity at the lakes must wear a life jacket.

5.1.7    all persons must comply with any reasonable instructions given to them by the company’s personnel or any third party instructed on behalf of the company. If a customer disregards such instructions then the company reserves the right to remove them from their activity at the lakes, without any right to a refund.

5.1.8    a person must not enter the lakes or sauna if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. No drugs or alcohol will be bought or consumed in any area of the lakes. Anyone found to be under the influence or in possession of drugs or alcohol will be removed, without any right to a refund.

5.1.9    all persons must enter and exit the lakes at the specified place.

5.1.10  no person is permitted to dive into the lakes.

5.1.11  all persons participating in a water activity must be confident in the water and able to swim 50m unaided.

5.1.12  between 1st november to 31st march inclusive all persons must ensure they have a tow float attached to them at all times when in the lakes.

5.1.13  for water activities where the water is below 14degrees, please refer to the outdoor swimming society guidelines available here: https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/cold-water-feels-temperature-guide/.

5.1.14  children under the age of 8 may access the lakes for the purpose of attending a training session with kuotos swim only.

5.1.15  children participating in open water swimming aged 11 to 13 years must be accompanied in the lakes by a competent swimmer over the age of 18 in a ratio of 3 at all times. The adult must stay within 5 metres of the child/ren at all times.

5.1.16  customers participating in open water swimming aged 14 to 18 must be accompanied in the lakes by an adult, or otherwise be within direct sight of an adult at the edge of the lakes at all times.

5.1.17  children participating in aqua sports aged 8 – 13 must be accompanied on the water by an adult over the age of 18 in a ratio of 3:1 at all times.

5.1.18  children participating in aqua sports age 14 – 18 must be accompanied to the lakes by an adult remaining on site at all times.

5.1.19  a person below the age of 18 years will only be able to use the lakes with parental consent and are not permitted to enter the lakes between 1 november and 31 march inclusive.

5.1.20  a person must not cause any damage or disturbance to the wildlife or flora and fauna surrounding or in the lakes.

5.1.21  the following additional entry conditions apply to use of the sauna:

(a)        only adults with a valid sauna ticket may use the sauna;

(b)        no more than the advertised number of persons are permitted in the sauna at any time;

(c)        nudity is not permitted;

(d)        jewellery should be removed before entering the sauna to prevent burning. All persons should ensure their swimsuit does not contain any slimming panels or metal parts which may heat up and possibly burn skin;

(e)        a person must not spend more than 15 minutes in the sauna at any one time and must leave the sauna immediately if they start to feel uncomfortable, dizzy, nauseous, or lightheaded;

(f)         all persons must take care and move slowly as they exit the sauna;

(g)        bring a clean towel to sit on inside the sauna. This helps to keep the sauna clean and protect the benches from body oils;

(h)        the entry space to the sauna can be used to store personal belongings during your sauna session but all persons do so at their own risk. The company accepts no responsibility or liability for missing, lost or stolen possessions;

(i)         follow operators’ instructions on how to gently drizzle water onto the hot rocks only. Use the ladle provided to ensure that your arm stays away from the stove and the hot steam that will arise. Only pour the ‘sauna water’ (provided in the bucket inside the sauna) on the hot rocks and nothing else. This should only be done intermittently to ensure the temperature does not increase too quickly and only when all users are seated. Never throw water on the stones;

(j)         lakeside sauna; never touch the stove or open the stove door. Only trained members of staff are permitted to operate the stove and will be nearby for any queries.

(k)        portasauna; you will be given a full safety brief on how to refill your sauna if required during your allotted booking time. The sauna will be lit for you at the beginning of your booking time, should it go out fully, please contact reception for assistance.

(l)         do not hang towels or clothes to dry in the sauna, as this may cause a risk of fire;

(m)       keeping access points clear to allow other users to exit safely and swiftly if needed;

(n)        be very careful when moving in the sauna, as the platform and floors may be slippery;

(o)        to prevent your body from dehydration, drink plenty of cool water after leaving the sauna. Please bring sufficient drinking water with you;

(p)        never drink alcoholic beverages before or during sauna use. You will be asked to leave site, without refund should you do so.

(q)        do not eat just before you use the sauna or inside the sauna;

(r)        all persons using the open water as a ‘cold plunge’ do so at their own risk. It is recommended to rest for at least ten minutes after finishing your sauna session. Find a cool place where you can sit still. This will give your body some time to rebalance and for your heart rate to slow down.

5.2       the customer understands and accepts that the water quality of the lakes is tested regularly by the company but may change due to weather conditions or other factors.

5.3       the customer understands and accepts that there are no lifeguards at the lakes but that life rings are around the lakes and there are exit points at frequent intervals on the edge of the lakes.

5.4       if a customer does not comply with these terms and conditions or they fail to agree to these terms and conditions they will not be permitted access to the lakes or sauna and may be removed from the lakes and/or sauna, without any right to a refund.

6. Data Protection

6.1       how the company uses any your personal data is set out in the company’s privacy notice available here: https://whitmorelakes.co.uk/privacy-policy.

7. Photography

7.1       the customer grants the company permission to use any photograph of you at the lakes for the purpose of marketing the activities we offer at the lakes.

7.2       you agree to the company storing copies of the photograph for as long as necessary to fulfil the permitted purpose and storing your contact details on our database in case it we need to contact you.

7.3       you can withdraw your consent given in clause 7 of these terms and conditions at any time by contacting us via the website. This will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdraw your consent.

7.4       for data protection purposes we are the controller of (and responsible for) the personal data comprising the photograph and your contact details. 

7.5       we will:

7.5.1    ensure that we comply with the requirements of all legislation and regulatory requirements in force from time to time relating to the use of the photograph and your contact details; and

7.5.2    process the photograph and your contact details in accordance with the privacy policy.

8. Complaints

8.1       the company always welcome feedback from its customers and whilst it always uses all reasonable endeavours to ensure that a customer’s experience is a positive one, the company nevertheless wants to hear from any customer if they have any cause for complaint. If the customer has any complaint about the lakes or any of our staff, please raise the matter with the operations manager who can be contacted at reception or by email on info@whitmorelakes.co.uk.

9. General

9.1       the company reserves the right to vary these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice as required by law or necessity.

9.2       if any provision or part-provision of these terms and conditions is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable, it shall be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, legal and enforceable.

9.3       these terms are governed by english law and wherever you live you can bring claims against the company in the english courts. If you live in wales, scotland or northern ireland, you can also bring claims against the company in the courts of the country you live in. The company can claim against you in the courts of the country you live in.