St. James’ Lake is a narrow lake lying to the south west of Brackley, set in a beautiful park of around five acres. Created in 1976 as a balancing lake for Anglia Water as a result of the increasing residential development, this man-made lake is believed to incorporate two smaller ponds near to Brackley Castle that was destroyed in 1173 by Henry III.

In 2016 Brackley Town Council made the lake area accessible for all by developing a kilometre of meandering, formal pathway around the perimeter of the lake and introducing a picnic area with picnic benches to the North east of the lake.

The Lake provides a good habitat for birds, fish, and other wetland species.