Askern Lake appears to be a natural feature as it is surrounded by land that was formerly wetland and remains liable to flooding. Still the visual centrepiece of the village, the lake may well have been landscaped during the 18th and early 19th century, when the settlement flourished as a spa town - famed for its waters infused with sulphate of magnesia (Hunter 1831, Campsall). The spa fell out of popularity soon after the conversion of the town into an industrial community in the 20th century. The polygon includes modern recreation grounds. There is significant legibility of the earlier spa.