Rudyard Lake - Rudyard, Nr Leek, Staffordshire Moorlands
N 53° 07.325 W 002° 04.506
30U E 561894 N 5886251
Rudyard Lake is located close to Rushton Spencer and the A523 that links Leek to Macclesfield.
Waymark Code: WMWQD3
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/02/2017
Views: 4
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. (
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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. (
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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. (
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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. (
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