Rutland Water has it all when it comes to finding things for everyone to enjoy!

The popular choice is a bike ride, with the obligatory ice-cream stop or cosy pub lunch en-route, but there’s so much more to discover: an Aqua Park, Laser Tag, inland beach, mini golf, watersports, cruise, sailing, fishing, birdwatching… to name a few!

Cycling at Rutland Water

Cycling around Rutland Water is a favourite activity amongst locals and visitors, the mainly off road circular route is 21 miles – or you can miss out the peninsular to make it 15 miles. You can hire a range of bikes and accessories from Whitwell, or bring your own and enjoy one of the best cycle routes in England! There are some excellent pubs en-route, such as The Horse & Jockey at Manton, where you can reward yourself with some refreshment, or the handy cafe’s on the waters edge at Normanton (Waterside Cafe) and Whitwell (Harbour Cafe).

Where to hire bikes in Rutland

Hire bikes from Specialized at Rutland Water: an extensive cycle shop with bike hire options to enjoy the Rutland Water tracks. You’ll enjoy a pleasant day cycling  in a stunning countryside setting with beautiful views across Rutland Water. Rutland Cycling have a variety of Specialized bikes for hire including easy riding cruisers, lightweight hybrids, mountain bikes, children’s cycles, buggies for toddlers and electric bikes.

There are also venues around Rutland who offer ebike hire as part of the Discover Rutland ebike fleet:

 

What cycling routes are there in Rutland:

If you’re planning on cycling between the Rutland Water sites, here are some distances to give you a rough guide;

As well as the Rutland Water track, our collection of 7 Rutland Heritage Trails provide both a walking and cycling route and are available online and at the Rutland Water visitor centre. These are circular routes exploring our beautiful countryside, quaint villages and the occasional pub!

The Discover Rutland Food & Drink Map features two suggested bike routes for road cycling;

  • The Northern Route begins at Rutland Garden Village and covers 24 road miles, with a shorter 14 mile option.
  • The Southern Route begins at Normanton Car Park and covers 23.7 road miles

Getting on the Water

Rutland Watersports Centre is on the north shore of Rutland Water Park at Whitwell and offers sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing or stand up paddle boarding, from beginner to expert we can offer you the perfect activity, course or day out for everyone.

The south of the water is home to Rutland Sailing Club, offering the best inland sailing in the UK with a range of inclusive facilities.

Please note that wild swimming is not permitted at Rutland Water unless at a scheduled event.

High Energy Activities

Slip, slide and splash at the inflatable Aqua Park Rutland.  Located next to Rutland Watersports at Whitwell, perfectly located for a full on day on the water!

Also close by is Rumble Live Action Gaming, an award-winning outdoor laser tag game with state of the art equipment. Taking key features from video games like Call of Duty and Fortnite into the real world, set in a beautiful woodland on the waters edge. It doesn’t matter if you’re eight or eighty; Rumble is a great way of bringing the family together.

Running Events

Running at Rutland Water is increasingly popular, so it’s no wonder there are many sporting events held here, from triathlons to night walks.

There is a weekly parkrun at Rutland Water every Saturday at 9am starting at Normanton Church. Parkrunners can register for free via the parkrun UK website and need to bring a hard copy of their barcode. The parkrun attracts all ages and abilities who walk, jog or run the 3 miles, from babies in buggies to Nordic walkers, there is also provision for all abilities – and everyone is encouraged back to the restaurant for a drink and a chat afterwards. Junior parkrun happens every Sunday, also at Normanton at 9am, but a shorter distance of 2km and lots more cheering! £1 all day parking for park runners on the day.