Rutland Water is
Anglian WaterAnglian Water is a privatised water company that operates in the East of England. Named for East Anglia, apart from Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire it also covers Lincolnshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, a small part of north Nottinghamshire and Greater London...
's
drinking waterDrinking water or potable water is water of sufficiently high quality that it can be consumed or used without risk of immediate or long term harm...
reservoir in the county of
RutlandRutland is a county of mainland England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire, and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, just east of the county town
Oakham-Oakham's horseshoes:Traditionally, members of royalty and peers of the realm who visited or passed through the town had to pay a forfeit in the form of a horseshoe...
. It was known as
Empingham Reservoir during its construction and until its official opening in 1976. The centre of its dam is at British national
grid referenceGrid references define locations on maps using Cartesian coordinates. Grid lines on maps define the coordinate system, and are numbered to provide a unique reference to features....
. It provides a reserve supply of
waterWater is an ubiquitous chemical substance that is composed of hydrogen and oxygen and is essential for all known forms of life.In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or state, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor or steam. Water covers 71%...
in the driest and most densely populated quarter of the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
and is one of the largest artificial
lakeA lake is a terrain feature , a body of liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the bottom of basin and moves slowly if it moves at all. Another definition is, a body of fresh or salt water of considerable size that is surrounded by land...
s in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
. By surface area it is the largest reservoir in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but by capacity it is exceeded by
Kielder WaterKielder Water is a large man-made reservoir in Northumberland in North East England. It is the largest artificial lake in the United Kingdom by capacity and it is surrounded by Kielder Forest, the largest man-made woodland in Europe. It was planned in the late 1960s to satisfy an expected rise in...
.
Set in of countryside, it has a circular track for walking and visitors may hire a bicycle.. Since the water is drawn upon when needed, the relative areas of land and water vary a little but the flatter parts of the lake margin are enclosed by banks so that the
wetlandA wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with moisture either permanently or seasonally. Such areas may also be covered partially or completely by shallow pools of water. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, and bogs, among others. The water found in wetlands can be saltwater, freshwater,...
nature reserveA nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
is maintained .
Construction
Its construction by
damA dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions...
ming the
Gwash ValleyThe River Gwash rises just outside the village of Knossington in Leicestershire, near the western edge of the county of Rutland, England. It now helps to fill the Rutland Water reservoir from which a controlled flow is released to maintain its flow around Tolethorpe Hall and Stamford and into the...
near
EmpinghamEmpingham is a village in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. It lies close to the dam of Rutland Water and the A606 runs through the village...
was completed in 1975. It flooded six or seven square kilometres of the Gwash valley as well as the side valley at the head of which lies Oakham. Nether Hambleton and most of Middle Hambleton were demolished and their
wellA water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
s were plugged as part of the ground preparation. Their neighbouring village of Upper Hambleton survived, and now sits on a peninsula within the lake known as the
Hambleton PeninsulaThe Hambleton Peninsula lies within the reservoir Rutland Water, in Rutland, England. When the Gwash Valley was dammed in 1975, the area surrounding what was then a ridge were submerged, including a small number of properties in the hamlets of Nether Hambleton and Middle Hambleton...
. The Gwash makes a net input to the lake but its flow downstream is maintained. Most of the stored water is extracted from the
River WellandThe River Welland is a river in the east of England, 56 km long, and it has been a main waterway across the part of The Fens called "South Holland" for thousands of years...
at , between
TinwellTinwell is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England.The village is just west of the A1 and within walking distance of the town of Stamford in Lincolnshire. The village has a small village hall, which was recently refurbished, and a beautiful church...
and
StamfordStamford is an ancient town located approximately 100 miles to the north of London, just off the A1, which was the old Great North Road leading to York and Edinburgh. It is a town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England...
and from the
River NeneThe River Nene is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in the county of Northamptonshire. The tidal river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for about . It is the ninth longest river in England, and the twelfth longest in the United Kingdom. From the source...
upstream from
PeterboroughPeterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of as of June 2006. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. The Town Hall is north of London at Charing Cross...
, a city which is a major user of the water.
Community
Upper Hambleton and the remnant of Middle Hambleton, including the Old Hall, are now known simply as
HambletonHambleton is a village and civil parish in Rutland, England. It is located about two miles east of Oakham. In 2001 it had a population of 140...
and are to be found on a long
peninsulaA peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus. Word origin: Latin paenīnsula : paene, almost + īnsula, island.A peninsula can also be a headland, cape, island promontory, bill, point, or spit....
in the middle of the lake: land which was formerly a ridge between the two valleys in which the lake now lies. The few houses of
NormantonNormanton is a village and civil parish on the eastern shore of Rutland Water in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England.Normanton Park was a seat of the Earls of Ancaster and an important centre of their estates. The stable block of their hall is now Normanton Park hotel...
avoided flooding although its church did not. The lower part of the building was supported against water damage so that its upper part could be used to present the story of the construction of the reservoir to the public. Some
funerary monumentsA monumental inscription is an inscription, typically carved in stone, on a grave marker, cenotaph, memorial plaque, church monument or other memorial....
from it can be seen at
EdenhamEdenham is a village and civil parish in Lincolnshire, England situated about three miles north-west of Bourne on the A151.The name derives from the Anglo Saxon "ham" - meaning "homestead". The rest of the name probably derives from "dene", a vale in woodland and "ea" - river...
church,
LincolnshireLincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Rutland, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, and the East Riding of Yorkshire. It also borders Northamptonshire for just 19 metres, England's shortest county boundary...
.
Recreation
The reservoir is used not just for water storage, but is a popular sports centre - as well as water sports such as
sailing, visitors enjoy
fishingFishing is the activity of catching fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
,
walkingWalking is the main form of animal locomotion on land, distinguished from running and crawling. When carried out in shallow waters, it is usually described as wading and when performed over a steeply rising object or an obstacle it becomes scrambling or climbing...
and
cyclingCycling is an activity most commonly performed on a bicycle - when it is it is also referred to as bicycling or simply biking. It is the use of the bicycle, unicycle , tricycles , quadracycles , and other similar wheeled human-powered vehicles for the purpose of transport, as a form of...
along a 25 mile (40 km) perimeter track. A pleasure cruiser, the
Rutland Belle, carries people around the lake.
BirdwatchingBirdwatching or birding is the observation and study of birds with the naked eye or through a visual enhancement device like binoculars. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are more readily detected and identified by ear than by eye...
brings visitors from far afield. The butterfly centre is now closed
Wildlife
Large areas of wetland (as well as several small woods) at the western end of the lake form a
nature reserveA nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
, managed by
Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife TrustThe Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the counties of Leicestershire and Rutland, England. Founded in 1956, the trust now has 9,000 members helping care for over 30 nature reserves covering more than across the region...
. The area is designated a
Special Protection AreaA Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds. Together with special areas of...
of international importance for its wintering populations of
GadwallThe Gadwall is a common and widespread duck of the family Anatidae. This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 under its current scientific name. Its conservation status is Least Concern....
(some 4% of this species’ European population) and
ShovelerThe Northern Shoveler , sometimes known simply as the Shoveler , is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, and is a rare vagrant to Australia...
. It is home to the
Anglian WaterAnglian Water is a privatised water company that operates in the East of England. Named for East Anglia, apart from Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire it also covers Lincolnshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, a small part of north Nottinghamshire and Greater London...
Bird Watching Centre. Every August, the centre is the venue for the
British Birdwatching FairThe British Birdwatching Fair or Birdfair is an annual event for birdwatchers, held every August at Rutland Water in England. It is described as the birder’s “Glastonbury”....
. Other birds found here include
LapwingThe Northern Lapwing , also known as the Peewit, Green Plover or just Lapwing, is a bird in the plover family. It is common through temperate Eurasia....
,
CootThe Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, also known as Coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. The Australian subspecies is known as the Australian Coot.-Distribution:...
,
GoldeneyeThe Common Goldeneye is a medium sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. Their closest relative is the similar Barrow's goldeneye....
,
Tufted DuckThe Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
, Pochard,
TealThe Common Teal or Eurasian Teal is a common and widespread duck which breeds in temperate Eurasia and migrates south in winter. It is the Old World counterpart of the North American Green-winged Teal , which was formerly considered a subspecies of A. crecca...
, Wigeon,
CormorantThe Great Cormorant , known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the Black Cormorant in Australia and the Black Shag further south in New Zealand, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds...
,
Great Crested GrebeThe Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus is a member of the grebe family of water birds.- Description :The Great Crested Grebe is 46-51 cm long with a 59-73 cm wingspan. It is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater. The adults are unmistakable in summer...
,
Little GrebeThe Little Grebe , also known as Dabchick, is 23 to 29 cm in length. It is the smallest European member of the grebe family of water birds and is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.-Description:...
and, most notably,
OspreyThe Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching 60 centimetres in length with a 1.8 metre wingspan...
.
The lake is a
Site of Special Scientific InterestA Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based...
.
The lake itself is extensively stocked with fish.
External links