Rudyard Lake - Rudyard, Nr Leek, Staffordshire Moorlands, England, UK. - Public Access Lands on Waymarking.com

Rudyard Lake is a two and a half mile long artificial lake that was created between 1797 and 1800 as a reservoir.
It is popular location offering walking, boating, sailing and fishing, a converted boat house as a visitor centre and a miniature steam railway that runs along the eastern side of the lake. There is a five-mile walking route available around the lake.

The arrival of the North Staffordshire Railway in 1849 meant that the area was more accessible. It became a popular destination for tourists and day trippers; with crowds arriving from the Potteries to enjoy the leisure facilities on offer, such as a golf course, pleasure boat trips, footpaths and tea shops. Much of the property along Lake Road was built at this time, often offering accommodation and refreshment. Many small wooden chalets and a second railway were built at the northern end of the lake. By the end of the 19th century up to 20,000 people visited the lake each day. Photographs can be seen at the following links. (visit link) (visit link)

Rudyard Kipling was named after this location. His parents John Lockwood Kipling and Alice Macdonald met there on a trip from Burslem. They liked the place so much they named their son after it. (visit link)

Captain Matthew Webb, who was the first man to swim the English Channel in August 1875, hosted a grand fete at the lake in 1877. He entertained an estimated 25,000 spectators by demonstrating his swimming in the lake.

Carlos Trower (the African Blondin) performed a tightrope walk across the lake. A carved statue as a memorial to him can be seen near to the visitor centre at the dam end of the lake. (visit link)

The lake is owned by The Canal and River Trust (successor to British Waterways) and run by The Rudyard Lake Trust Ltd, who operate a visitor centre and car park at the south end of the lake, where there is also a sailing club.

In 2006 the BBC's motoring show Top Gear held a challenge at the lake to see which presenter had designed the best amphibious car. A video of this can be seen at the following link. (visit link)

'Thanks to The Heritage Lottery Fund, the Visitor Centre, which first opened in 2001, has been completely transformed and now contains the very latest technology enabling visitors to access a wealth of archive material and digital recordings.'
Source: (visit link)
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Estimated size of the public land (in regional measurement standard: hectares, acres, kms, etc.): 168 hectares Is there a trail system?: Yes If there is a trail system, please describe length, terrain, etc.: There is a five-mile walking route around the lake and a number of public footpaths around and through Rudyard connecting with the Staffordshire Way. What points of interest are there?: Views, water features, Miniature Steam Railway, visitor/ information centre, wildlife What activities are available?: Hiking, walking, cycling, sailing, fishing, Hours of accessibility?: Open all the time List of known hazards (cliffs, snakes, poison plants, etc.): Uneven paths, deep water, Miniature Steam Railway trains/ tracks, Dogs Allowed?: Yes Is a permit/fee required?: No Please supply the website of the land if available: [Web Link] If a permit/fee is required please describe in detail how to get one, how much, etc.: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Visitors are encouraged to supply a picture of either themselves or their GPS at the trailhead and/or signage of the public access lands - describe your experience there and what you saw - tell us why other folks should come visit!

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   06/26/2016 Mike_bjm visited it