Rutland Water Nature Reserve — Attraction in Hambleton

I went to Rutland Water Nature Reserve for one reason only and that was to see the church. I didn't really know much else about the location until I got there and saw plenty of people out on the water involved in various activities, ie yachting and fishing. There was also a pleasure boat which took you around the reserve as well as small boats available for hire. Obviously, the theme of the reserve is nature so there's lots of interesting things to do for those who like to do a spot of birdwatching - far too much to mention here! However, I was here to see the church which is stunning. It's like something that has been picked up on the Italian riviera and put down in the oddest of places! It just seems so strange that this church is in this location, but WOW what a piece of architecture it is. Sadly, I couldn't gain entrance to the church but it was a beautiful day and all I was interested in was getting as many photos of it from different angles as I could!! All in all, I enjoyed my visit. There were plenty of people out enjoying the sunshine and their picnics, so it is a lovely place to go when the weather is good. There's good parking, cafe, toilets, ice cream and you can take your dog so long as it is kept on a lead, so why not go and discover it...

Armed with my new Nikon camera and its amazing 2000mm lens where better than to try out my new toy. My wife (who has become a brilliant spotter) and myself were made to feel very welcome by the staff in the information centre/gift shop, they had a good knowledge of what species were where and ponted out on the guide map the best places for getting great photo opportunities. The paths to the hides are well maintained as were the hides themselves, some are a good walk away though so be sure you have the right gear on so incase the weather turns. The variety of birds is brilliant, they have obviously become accustomed to the hides and carry on about their daily lives blissfully, a great benefit to all that want to photograph them or merely observe through binoculars. A great place to meet others that share your interests also, nothing like swapping stores. Parking isn't free though so be sure to get a ticket from the info centre to display. One ticket covers multiple carparks however alowing you to travel around the lakes throughout the day. All in all a great day out, highly recommend, just wished we lived closer. Hope the...

We went to do a bit of birdwatching from the many hides around the shore. It was a lovely warm August bank holiday Monday and we were expecting it to be very busy. It was certainly popular but because of the size of the place, never felt over crowded and we regularly had hides to ourselves. The admission ticket ( £11 for two adults) includes car parking and your entry to the hides. The ticket is valid all day and allows you to drive further round the shore and use the other hides and car parks at your leisure. There aren't any cafes at the birdwatching sites though they do sell small snacks and drinks at the visitors centres. So either take a picnic or do as we did and drive into Oakham for lunch and then return to the reserve afterwards. We were at the reserve for about 6 hours and saw lots of different different birds including the Ospreys, but sadly no kingfishers on this occasion. The visitors centres are very informative and the staff knowledgeable and helpful. As far as I know, during the off-season, entry and parking is entirely free but the visitors centres are closed so no...