Rutland Water Nature Reserve
ENTRY
from £7.50
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Oakham
What it’s like
A lakeside reserve of hides and trails where you scan the water for ospreys and winter wildfowl.
The main event here is the hides. You walk the trails between them, glasses up, hoping for a fishing osprey in summer or a wader passage in autumn. Winter brings big flocks of wildfowl to the water, and spring's the time for rare migrants passing through, so what you actually see depends entirely on when you turn up.
It's not a short stroll to the far hides, about 15 to 20 minutes each way, so budget more time than you think if you're doing the full loop with a pushchair in tow. The upper path is pushchair-friendly, which helps, and there's a café and picnic area for when the kids have had enough of standing still and whispering.
Admission works as a day permit, £8.50 for an adult or £20 for a family, and that same permit gets you into both the Lyndon Visitor Centre and the Anglian Water Birdwatching Centre on the same day. Lyndon shuts over winter, though the car park and gates stay open for permit holders, so it's worth knowing which centre you're actually heading for depending on the season. Parking's free and folded into the admission price, which is a small mercy.
Dogs are welcome on a lead, and if anyone in your group needs a mobility scooter they're £10 to hire with a refundable deposit, but you do need to call or email ahead to book one.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- Free on site. Included in admission fee
- How long to allow
- The furthest two hides are about 15-20 minutes' walk
- Pushchairs
- Upper path is pushchair-friendly
- Wheelchairs
- Mobility scooters available for hire at £10 (£20 refundable deposit)
- Dogs
- On a lead
- Worth knowing
- Wildlife Trust members receive 10% discount on daily permits
- Your day permit covers both visitor centres on the same day
- Mobility scooters need booking in advance by phone or email, £10 hire plus a £20 deposit
- Lyndon Visitor Centre closes for winter, but the reserve stays open to permit holders
- Wildlife Trust members save 10% on daily permits
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£8.50 for an adult, £7.50 concession, or £20 for a family. Wildlife Trust members get 10% off.
Do we need to book?
There's no booking link for general entry, you just buy your day permit on arrival. A mobility scooter is the one thing you do need to arrange ahead by phone or email.
Is there parking?
Free parking on site, included in your admission.
How long does a visit take?
The furthest hides are about 15 to 20 minutes' walk each way, so allow a couple of hours if you want to see the far side.
Can we bring a pushchair?
The upper path is pushchair-friendly.
What will we actually see?
Ospreys fishing in summer, wader passage in autumn, winter wildfowl flocks, and rare migrants in spring.
Is Lyndon Visitor Centre open all year?
It closes over winter, though the car park and gates stay open through the day for permit holders.
Can we get food there?
There's a café on site, plus a picnic area if you'd rather bring your own.
Are dogs allowed?
On a lead, yes.
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