Rutland Water

Saturday 22nd March 2014

Last year I travelled to Rutland, the smallest county in England, for a seminar at The Lodge Trust and since that was over by lunchtime I thought I would take advantage of the good weather and of being in the area to head across to Rutland Water, the largest reservoir in England. I used to walk around the perimeter of the reservoir every year as I saw it as a good way of getting my hillwalking fitness back up to scratch after the winter for the start of spring. For some reason I stopped coming, possibly because of a perceived lack of hills that led me to think a better preparation could be had elsewhere. Nevertheless it was enjoyable to come back to Rutland Water after so many years and see all the changes that have taken place over the last couple of years, particularly in the western end of the lake where lagoons have been created to enhance the nature reserve.

Rather than parking in one of the car parks that surround the reservoir I parked in the village of Manton, in the south-western corner of Rutland Water, not far from the Horse & Jockey Inn, which is where I had parked previously. I set off immediately eager to make up for the time that I’d lost in the morning, and immediately discovered a new section of path that I didn’t remember from my previous visits. A track heads downhill from Manton alongside a railway line to reach the main road beside a bridge. Originally the cycle track that follows the perimeter of the reservoir followed this track down to the road and then went under the railway beside the main road. Perhaps in order to keep cyclists (and those who walk all the way around Rutland Water) off the main road a path has been built around the top of the entrance to Manton Tunnel and down to the road on the other side of the line.

Further along the track the route has been diverted further away from the reservoir to make room for the lagoons that have been created and to prevent cyclists (and the occasional walker) from disturbing the birds that people come to the reserve to see. After passing the Birdwatching Centre I passed through the picturesque and daffodil-filled village of Egleton before walking along quiet country roads to a T-junction where a right turn would take me around the Hambleton peninsula and extend the walk to a leg-breaking 25 miles, but since I had started the walk late I turned left, missed out the peninsula and followed the road onto the main road on the northern shore of the lake. The cycle track keeps well away from the road on its own good path and finally veers away from the road to come back down to the shore of the reservoir.

By the time I reached the deserted Barnsdale car park, the first of three on the northern shore of the reservoir, the good weather that I had gazed at longingly all morning had gone and it had now started to rain. I had actually anticipated this rain and planned to use it as an opportunity to test a new rain cover for my rucksack: I would need a smaller one. Since Barnsdale car park has always been deserted whenever I do this circuit, usually early spring, I must conclude that it is only used during peak times as an overflow. After passing through Barnsdale the track plunges into a wood that later in the season must surely be covered with woodland flowers, but unfortunately, except for a few primroses, it was too early in the season for me to see them. Despite the lack of flowers I would still consider Barnsdale Wood to be the best part of the entire walk.

Not far beyond the wood is the large car park of Whitwell with its associated marina where the rain finally stopped and I was able to put my new rain cover away, and by the time I reached the third car park on the north shore, Sykes Lane, the sun had come out again to compensation me gloriously for my wet and dull walk along the north shore. By the time I had crossed the wind-swept dam the weather was fabulous with lovely blue skies, bright sunshine and stunning views across the reservoir that left me with a thoroughly enjoyable walk along the south shore of the reservoir. I couldn’t help lingering at the stranded Normanton Church that is such an icon of Rutland and a frequent visiting place for me when I was young, so I couldn’t resist taking a picture or two before continuing along the circuit to Normanton car park and beyond to Lyndon nature reserve.

The circuit deteriorates after passing the visitor centre as it climbs up to the south shore road to follow that, sometimes actually on the busy road, all the way into Manton and back to my car. I enjoyed this walk immensely, and more than I was expecting, partly because I was actually expecting more rain than I got, and the good weather at the end was a surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated. This walk reminded me of why I used to return to Rutland Water year after year, but I was still stuck with that lack of a hill despite the presence of a couple of steep gradients. This is not a walk that deserved to be abandoned, even though it has been ignored by my blog until I became desperate enough to put it in. A walk in Scotland or the Yorkshire Dales might sound more exciting, but for a good, long walk that took me less than an hour to get to, there are few better options.