Rudyard
Lake
Just over the Staffordshire
border, the River Dane, just off the A523 and closer to Leek than
Macclesfield, Rudyard Lake is now a pleasantly situated leisure
facility, about two miles by a half, that was built 200 years
ago as a compensation reservoir for the growing canal system.
It is a popular belief that
Mr & Mrs John Kipling named their son Rudyard after having
made a visit to the area and if so they pre-dated the Beckhams
by about 150 years!
A misty morning for my May
visit, but every expectation of an early clearance and sunshine
to follow.
The sun was more visible
in the puddles, on the old railway track running along the eastern
bank, than in the misty sky.
Not everything was grey
and gloomily awaiting the sun, clumps of bluebells particularly
cheered the eye.
I had hoped that by choosing
the eastern bank the emerging sun would light up the more interesting
western bank for me. No bright sunshine yet but we can see the
inquisitive heifers apparently checking out the anglers.
The old railway track with
its new(ish) miniature railway that operates weekends and holidays
during the summer months.
Very few people on the track
this morning but steady activity on the water including this late
brood.
On the opposite shore new
and old dwellings. The green painted footbridge connects the Victorian/Edwardian
cottage-cum-boathouse called 'Lady of the Lake' to the shore.
In a little dell that runs
in from the side, bank after bank of bluebells.
Looking back up the lake
there's still no sun and maybe even more mist ...
... neither of which is
likely to deter these young canoeists.
The western bank has seen
intermittent but progressive development since the late nineteenth
century with some very nice properties, hiding behind their Rhododendron
shrubberies ...
... such as 'Lady of the
Lake', seen here again ...
... though not all are so
substantial or so well maintained ...
... and not all on the water's
edge.
No activity at the sailing
club ...
... allowing me to make
unauthorised access to their jetty for a last shot of the island
house.
Under the towering beech
trees, on the old carriage road ...
... leading to this castellated
mansion, here pictured from an earlier visit.
In the misty middle-distance,
cows lying down. Now, isn't that supposed to be a sign of hot
weather to come? or is it for rain? Either way, neither materialised
...
... and for want of landscape
vistas I sought inspiration closer to hand.
Except, on the way home,
I just had to stop and record this field with a yellow antidote
to the Bluebells!
Dandelions!!
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