Alone Beneath The Sky: Rutland Water 23/07/15

15 miles, from Manton via the Perimeter Cycle Path.

It seem like an age since I did a single reservoir walk, indeed it was nearly three years ago, and I'd have thought I'd have gotten out to Scar House or the Washburn valley by now, but here we are, needing a trail that doesn't need a huge amount of way finding. So onwards to Rutland Water, the neighbouring (and tiny!) county's most defining feature, the reservoir constructed in 1976 to supply East Anglia, over 4 miles square, the largest in the country by area, offering a long and short perimeter walk, and I'll be taking the short one, avoiding the Hambleton peninsula, which seems like a cop out until you consider that 25 miles is a long way past my walking limit at present. Start out from the Horse and Jockey in Manton, dropped off by My parents at 10.15am, a little later than I'd have liked, so early steps are hurriedly made along Cemetery Road to meet the Manton Sounding Bridge, carrying Leicester- Peterborough railway over the A6003, to pace the roadside, passing over the inlet of the River Gwash and getting a few slight views of Manton Bay before meeting the off-road path proper. Head eastwards with plenty of vegetation preventing views, and just where the waterside starts to come close, it becomes apparent that the has path been moved northwards, skirting the woods and moving inland around areas of newly developed managed wetlands, something planned to satisfy the twitchers, but causing disappointment for those that had hoped to walk near the shore. Arriving at the nature reserve at Egleton, it seems that the close path is only accessible to employees of Anglia water, and so a detour through the scenic little village is necessary instead, pretty but further still from the shore as we move along Church Road and along the edge of more managed wetland developments, as if the reservoir hadn't attracted the birdlife that had been hoped for it. Meet the nobly tree-lined road to Hambleton, but take a left to not add many extra miles to the day, moving on to meet the edge of the A606 for a long trek east paralleling it, the sight of Burley on the Hill House providing a distraction from the traffic, and after an hour of water-free viewing we finally get a view of the reservoir again, looking over Burley Reach towards the Hambleton peninsula but we don't get away from the main road until the path enters the water company's grounds at Lodge Inlet.

Finally close to the water and continuing east as we pass below the Barnsdale Hotel and Country Club, complete with A-framed chalets, but away from the water again as we meet the old Stamford Road, ascending it away from its disappearance beneath the reservoir, meeting the road to the Barnsdale car parks, taking a roller-coaster ride along the lane with the parking enclosures forming a natural multi-storey. Once down low again, the path goes into Barnsdale wood, to give us another water-free view, eventually rising to the track above Barnsdale creek, which gives some challenging rises and falls to those setting out from the major tourist centre at Whitwell, where it has gotten pretty busy on a summer lunchtime, and signage issues, good until now, cause me to lose the cycle path, and I try to follow the one illustrated on my map. This takes me up Bull Brig lane and through the grounds of Whitwell Hall hotel, a route clearly superseded as development has closed the hotel and fenced off the lane, but a gate can be scrambled over to find the track coming around from just above the boating wharves looking like it should be impossible to miss. The track naturally busies up as we move into the heart of the tourist quarter, families out on bicycles and on foot, and some respite is needed on the opposite side of Whitwell creek, lunch taken whilst watching the tourist steamer plying its trade and looking out across the water to the limnological tower and to Normanton church on the far bank. The following mile to the Sykes Lane car park is a very short one, again passing among the tourists out to use the one safe paddling area on the whole lake, and through the next thicket, Empingham Dam presents itself at the east end, having hidden from view until now, 3/4 of a mile long and 35m tall, the embankment looms above the valley of the Gwash, and provides one of the few landscape views of the day, downstream over Empingham village on the waterworks. The westwards path along Mowmires Reach takes us past the inlet pumping station and onwards along among the sheep meadows offering an extended view up the northern arm of the reservoir, whilst the southern arm hides its perspective well, and it's odd that there really isn't a point on the whole perimeter where you can really get a feeling that you are on the edge of a >-shaped reservoir.

The really notable feature of the reservoir is Normanton Church, (19th century but aping the 18th's neo-classical style) surviving the flooding and surrounded by an embankment, slightly below the water level, and an idyllic setting to be sure, indeed it's the setting for wedding today, the bridal party arriving just as I pause to take my second lunch break and I might note that the bride was looking appropriately radiant. I need to press on, away from the hotel occupying the stable block of the now lost Normanton Hall, though the car parks and past the small boat hire marina, tackle shop and Italian restaurant to get back to the rougher grasslands on the perimeter path, watching the view change to finally get a good perspective on the southern arm and the other side of the Hambleton Peninsula. One of the wildest sections of the path is oddly one of the closest to habitation, the run-in towards the major boating marina being overlooked by the plush houses of Edith Weston, yes, that is the name of the village, and once we've passed around the back of the Rutland Sailing Club, the path goes very quiet indeed, as if the day trippers are confined to the eastern shores and the western half is for the hardcore tourers, as several familiar faces from earlier in the day pass me on an anti-clockwise course. The path gets twisty, staying close to the shore and again providing sharp elevations to test those on two wheels, offering views to the eastern shore and towards Hambleton and Egleton which have the unfortunate side effect of sending my brain to the pub, which is unfortunate when there's still a few miles to go. The path close to the reservoir ends at the Lyndon Nature Reserve, and I'm sure that a path should exist that takes me on a direct route towards Manton, but all the signage sends me uphill and away from the water, past caravans and a balloon launch site, and we have to follow Lyndon Road for most of the last leg. At least we get a dedicated path for most of the way, the section across the car park of the Garden Nursery looking pretty new, so this is the approved path still, and the benefit we get in the closing stages is a few lofty views and a walk through Manton village, a prime example of Rutland styling, lots of house built in warm-toned ironstone. Anyway, land back at the Horse and Jockey at 4pm, in the full heat of the day, and retire inside to meet My Parents again, back from their tour to Stamford and Oundle, with a pint of lager shandy coming my way to satiate my thirst at the end of a successful jaunt Down Country. Cheers!

5,000 Miles Cumulative Total: 1808.5 miles
2015 Cumulative Total: 406.3 miles
Up Country Total: 1648.8 miles
Solo Total: 1596.5 miles