Rudyard Lake

Legend has it that the village of Rudyard was named after Ralph Rudyard, a local man reputed to have killed Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, although as the place-name, meaning 'a yard or enclosure where rue is grown' in Old English, was first recorded in 1022 and subsequently mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 it is more likely that Ralph, if he ever existed, was named after the village. Rudyard Lake was constructed by the engineer John Rennie, for the Trent and Mersey Canal company in 1797–98 to feed the Caldon Canal. The reservoir had been proposed in 1796, and would have been connected to the upper level of the Caldon Canal by a feeder, but in order to win the consent of…

The lake is home to Rudyard Lake Sailing Club and North Staffordshire Rowing Club. Fishing, walking, canoeing and boat trips are popular attractions. The lake has a visitor centre, toilets and an activity centre which can be hired for functions or conferences. An annual lake festival is held on a Sunday in August and a firework display takes place in November. The Rudyard Lake Steam Railway runs narrow gauge steam trains that operate up the east side of the lake on many days throughout the year. It is possible to walk round the lake or walk part way and start/finish the journey by steam train.