 |
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| See inside |
 |
| Click here to visit our photo gallery |
| Places to visit |
 |
| Click here to see local towns and attractions |
| Where are we? |
 |
|
Click here to find us |
Walking at Rutland Water
Walk as far and as fast as you like - there are 25 miles of footpaths at Rutland, so you have plenty to choose from (and if you would rather take a bike, click here)
Click here to find out more about other walks in the area
This is a lovely moderate walk through beautiful lakeside scenery and the sleepy stone villages of Rutland.
From Lyndon Top Nature Reserve, the route circles part of Rutland Water to visit the villages of Edith Weston and Lyndon, giving clear views across the lake to where stately homes and villages with church spires poke through the trees.
"There's something about the contradiction of Rutland Water, one of the largest man-made reservoirs in Europe, being located in England's smallest county that only enhances the drama of this setting. The reservoir was finished in 1977 to supply up to 65 million gallons of water a day to the growing cities of the East Midlands." [Guardian.co.uk]
Details of the Walk
Distance 5.8 miles (9.3km)
Typical duration 3hr 30min
Height gain 45m
Starting point Nature Reserve car park
OS grid reference SK 895 056 (Explorer map 234)
Look out for Ospreys
Ospreys, which the Rutland Wildlife Trust is reintroducing to the area, the bird having disappeared as a breeding species in the 1840s.
Take note of Normanton Sunken Church
By suggesting a stop at "sunken" Normanton Church, which was saved from flooding by brave local residents when the reservoir was built by surrounding it with a protective "moat" of stones.
Where to stop
The Wheatsheaf in Edith Weston does good beer and food Monday to Saturday lunchtimes
The Walk itself
1-2. From car park at nature reserve, take walker's gate leading on to hedged track signed to Normanton. There's an open stretch with great views of the water before track enters woodland. Track bends right, continue round edge of lake past grasses and waterfowl. Pass entrance to sailing club and walk on.
3-5. Turn left at junction on to Weston Road and walk into village of Edith Weston. Turn right into Rectory Lane and pass stone archway into superb garden. Turn right and pass Church Lane with steepled church, and continue past cottages. Turn right out of King Edward's Way and walk beside road, passing village school further on.
6-7. Leave village, turn left at T-junction and walk on single track road, until village of Lyndon. Turn right on road to Manton, and right again to pass village hall and stone cottages. Walk on past entrance to Lyndon Hall on left; Top Hall sits above valley on right.
8. Take gate on right and aim for yellow marker, then gate below valley slope. Head upwards beside woodland, continue on enclosed path up to road. Turn left along it for short distance.
9-10. Turn right to walk between hedge and field. Take a gate on left and walk over track, through another gate, and then down rough pastures back towards Rutland Water. Bear left to reach gate. Turn left through it and retrace steps along track of outward journey, back to nature reserve and car park.
Directions taken in admiration from the Guardian.co.uk, May 2006
