Walking

Rudyard lies in the beautiful Staffordshire Moorlands and provides walkers with many opportunities, from a brief stroll along the shore to a walk all the way around the lake.

Convenient car parking is provided, much of it free.  The walk around the lake is about five miles long and divides into two parts.

The East side of the lake follows the line of the railway track so it is flat and straight with relatively easy walking and just a few puddles in wet weather.

The path to the West of the lake ascends a gentle hill to Cliffe Park Hall through a field (formerly a golf course) after which it descends through a field again and then along a rutted path through Reacliffe wood.

At the Sailing Club this path changes to a metalled road that continues past chalets on the lake shore before it turns away from the lake just after which the walk turns left onto another path above the lake.

Turning left where possible to keep close to the lake, the path comes out at the Activity Centre at the head of the lake.

The walk along the West shore of the lake forms part of the Staffordshire Way, a long distance footpath which runs for 95 miles from Mow Cop in Cheshire to Kingsford Country Park in Worcestershire.

There are a number of public footpaths around and through Rudyard connecting with the Staffordshire Way – these are shown on the Ordnance Survey maps of the area.