When you step onto a Blue Flag beach—an accolade held by only 63 sites across England—you can be assured it’s clean, safe, and well managed. The award only recognises the world’s beaches, with Oakham’s Rutland Water Sykes Lane among them, the UK’s only inland bathing water to hold a Blue Flag award.
This reservoir in the East Midlands is only 90 minutes from Birmingham and is blessed with golden shores and azure waters. Located at Rutland Water’s North Shore, the beach boasts 140 metres of sandy coastline and a 2,800 square metres for you to paddle and swim in.
What is a Blue Flag site?
The Blue Flag award, managed by Keep Britain Tidy, is presented to blue spaces that meet the EU’s ‘excellent’ water quality standard, provide safety services like lifeguards, display environmental information about local ecosystems, and are on top of environmental management, including litter and waste.
When does Rutland Water beach open?
Sykes Lane is only open during the summer months, with it reopening to the public just in time for the Spring Bank Holiday weekend (and its expected heatwave) this Saturday, May 23, and will remain open until the end of half term on Sunday, May 31, from 12pm to 5pm.
Rutland Water beach will only open on weekends from June 1 to 28, before opening every day for the summer holidays from June 29 to August 31. It will return to weekend openings only on September 1, before closing completely for the winter months on September 20.
What is there to do at the inland beach?
While it’s not got the sea like, say, Weston-super-Mare, you can still enjoy a plethora of water activities, from swimming and paddleboarding to windsurfing, kayaking, sailing, and even fishing. Rutland Water even has its very own inflatable water park for those wanting to make a big splash.
You can even amble around the 22.1-mile reservoir (which takes around 8 hours of walking, although you can cycle) for a bit of birdwatching—keep an eye out for the modern English Osprey. Rutland Water beach is also free to visit, but activities like the Aqua Park, fishing and watersports will cost you.
How do I get to Rutland Water?
For the Rutland Water beach, use the postcode: LE15 8QL. This will take approximately an hour and a half to drive from Birmingham via the M6. You will have to pay for parking: £2 per hour (up to 6 hours), £16 for over 6 hours, or £80 for an annual car parking permit. Alternatively, take a train from New Street to Oakham, where there’s a short bus (185) to Rutland Water Visitor Centre.
To learn more about Rutland Water and all the available activities at this nature reserve, head here.
