Grafham Water

A happy festive season to you

We would love to see lots of little cooks decorating their own cakes next week so remember to book a place on our cake decorating page . Chocolate, icing, sprinkles and lots of festive toppers little ones will love it .

We have a few remaining places for the Children's Christmas Craft Workshop tomorrow please email or message here if you would like to come along!

Treat yourself to a beautiful nails just in time for Christmas!

At Grafham Water we celebrated #NationalTreeWeek by planting another five fruit trees in the community orchard, with our volunteers. Cherry, Peach and Nectarine were all planted alongside the more established Apple and Pear trees. Hope to plant more in the new year, some plum trees next maybe.

Does your child enjoy helping to decorate cakes? Join us this Christmas for our Festive Cake Decorating event!

Festive Cake Decorating for the children.

Book your place now on our Christmas Crafts Workshop at Grafham Water Visitor Centre this December!

Today looks like a good day for an autumnal walk around the water. But please stick to the paths and grassland areas as there is a lot of mud around the waters edge which is quite sticky in places! Enjoy your Sunday 😀

Don’t forget the clocks go back 1 hour tonight. Here’s a helpful guide Rutland Police have given.

8 days to our popular boat tours of Grafham Water, book now to avoid disappointment

Are your kids interested in fishing? Come along to our open weekend at Rutland Water this weekend!

Christmas Crafts Workshop Make your own Christmas Tree Decorations, Christmas Cards and Calendars Visitor Centre Grafham Water 8th December at 12noon – 3pm £5 per child/adult... All materials included. Booking essential please email … info_grafham@anglianwater.co.uk
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Family Wildlife Tours Grafham Water Fishing Lodge (Mander Car Park) 30th October at 11am – 3pm Join us on board our boat, looking for wildlife & migratory Birds on the water and shorelines of the reservoir. ... Suitable for 5 years and above. £5 per person. The tour lasts for approximately 50 minutes. All lifejackets will be provided. Booking essential, please email… info_grafham@anglianwater.co.uk
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Choose and Carve your own Pumpkin, From our Pumpkin Patch at Grafham Water Visitor Centre, All equipment provided, Prizes Given for Scariest Costume £6 per Pumpkin. ... Booking essential, please email… info_grafham@anglianwater.co.uk
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Wonderful walk all the way around. Great snack lunch at the café - good quality and well priced. Parking is a bit steep at £3.50 for the day. Will be back and hope for another gloriously, windy, sunny day.

We visited you for the first time today to attend your Bird Walk and Nest Box Workshop. The event was absolutely brilliant and my friend's son had a wonderful time looking for birds and building and painting his own nest box. The Rangers who ran the workshop were friendly and informative and great with the kids, everyone there seemed to be having a lovely time. We will definitely be attending and look forward to future events such as this!

After the workshop we had lunch and then a walk. Everywhere was very clean and well maintained, we were really impressed, thank you for a lovely day out �

Very great experience in Grafham water center and very impressive activities and intensive routines.

Took my daughter's here for the first time yesterday. They enjoyed our little walk by the lake, meeting the geese and having an ice cream. It's s beautiful place with many spots to sit and watch the world go by. Can imagine is doing a picnic better in warn weather.

Miss the busy times and it’s still a great place to go, enjoy the views, go for a walk//cycle/run and then a drink and/of food in the restaurants at both sites 👍

Love grafham been going on and off for years bought my first Diamondback mountain bike from the shop about 12 years ago still love the fresh air cycling round and a sausage and egg sandwich after 😜

I went with my wife and 2 grandsons of 9 and 5 and we cycled around in a clockwise direction starting at Markow park. We halted at Plummers park for a picnic then on to Mandley park in Perry village where the boys enjoyed the swings etc. We had an ice cream in the cafe there before heading on through Littleess wood and on to Grafham village. A really pleasant day, only slightly spoiled by millions of insects like midges in our faces between Savages Spinney and Hill Farm but that's natural at this time of year I guess!

We're planning to return soon with our other 3 grandchildren so they can experience this too.

Lovely place, more geared up for the cyclists, which is one of the reasons we like it. Easy to follow route, lots of signs and mostly all dogs were on leads and no dog mess around either. (unlike places such as Ferry Meadows where dogs run a mock and are never on leads!) We cycled all the way round and had a lovely coffee afterwards, would highly recommend as a cycling day out 👍😁

Love the place for a picnic or a cycle ride round the lake great place to relax

A lovely place to visit. Shame about the weather. But could at least get a nice warm coffee ☕️

Went to the North car park but realised the car parking machine only took cash so went to the Perry visitor centre instead so we could get ha hot drink and change. It’s a nice area but from Perry the walking is limited. So a little disappointed. But would go again to a different part with change for parking and a picnic.

Walked the cycle track all the way round as we could not find the walking route. The scenery not that great to be honest, was at a lake near Sheffield a while back and there was much more of everything. I did find the route free from litter but was not that impressed that I would go back in a hurry, would rather drive another 1 and a half hours to Sheffield.

Thought a nice walk around the water would be healthy and beneficial. And we would be able to see some water life and wildlife. However signage is very poor and the maps showing footway and cycle route have clearly not been updated. Had no option but to follow cycle route and therefore spent a great deal of time with 1 if not 2 fields between water and us. And and apparantly on edges of fields of crops. Even back out on road as water centre we were told was a no go area 'due to child protection issues'although security non existent.!!!!! To prevent straying onto this area



Lack of signage and bins (lots of litter just thrown to ground) spoilt an otherwise very long walk. Also only 2 placs for refreshment/drinks Will not return for walking although nice areas for picnics and family time.

Not exactly walker friendly. Signage is rubbish, no directions around the lake, easy to get lost in surounding villages. Nowhere to get a drink for 6 miles, so go prepared. Appears better adapted for cyclists. On the plus side, paths are good, scenery great and the staff in Mander park cafe were friendly and informative.

Nice place for a walk, shame about the dog owners that think rules don’t apply to them. Dogs off leads and dog shit everywhere.

It is undoubtedly a beautiful place but it’s not very dog friendly. I guess, if you’re a local, you might know where you can let them off for a run and a swim, but I didn’t and it’s not clearly marked. No surprise I suppose. We live in a nanny state where even taking your dog for a walk is classified as unsavoury.

Great for dog walking & that’s it really.

Found the Cafe staff a bit off, regarding the minimal menu. Sandwiches & baguettes were listed but I had to ask what fillings were available & the woman who answered my question was a bit “matter of fact” so hasten to say we left & went elsewhere with better customer service.

We walked there from a campsite, it took us across the dam to the ‘Visitor Centre’ not very impressed with that compared to Rutland Water. We had heard and read bad reviews of the Harbour Cafe so we were looking forward to the cafe but to be honest it did not look very inviting and other people outside were eating their own sandwiches.

There were children using the play park and we walked around the water’s edge. A few memorial benches but no information boards pointing places of interest on the other side.

Dog mess in bags just left beside the path and on the dam footpath, there should be more bins or ban dogs.

Car park £3.50 no matter how long you stay? No wonder it was empty.

Sorry but as a walking visitor we were no impressed.

I found it Disgusting at the shear amount of dog pooh that hadn't been cleared up by fellow dog owners , I have a dog and felt that everyone following us would think that I'd left it from my dogs, my children were ahead of me calling out mind the dog pooh, it was like a mine field, the walk it self was beautiful on a beautiful day went into the toilets and very disappointed with those as well, smelt awful and not very clean, considering it at the back of the coffee shop I was very surprised, 🙈

Wonderful walk all the way around. Great snack lunch at the café - good quality and well priced. Parking is a bit steep at £3.50 for the day. Will be back and hope for another gloriously, windy, sunny day.

We visited you for the first time today to attend your Bird Walk and Nest Box Workshop. The event was absolutely brilliant and my friend's son had a wonderful time looking for birds and building and painting his own nest box. The Rangers who ran the workshop were friendly and informative and great with the kids, everyone there seemed to be having a lovely time. We will definitely be attending and look forward to future events such as this!

After the workshop we had lunch and then a walk. Everywhere was very clean and well maintained, we were really impressed, thank you for a lovely day out �

Very great experience in Grafham water center and very impressive activities and intensive routines.

Took my daughter's here for the first time yesterday. They enjoyed our little walk by the lake, meeting the geese and having an ice cream. It's s beautiful place with many spots to sit and watch the world go by. Can imagine is doing a picnic better in warn weather.

Miss the busy times and it’s still a great place to go, enjoy the views, go for a walk//cycle/run and then a drink and/of food in the restaurants at both sites 👍

Love grafham been going on and off for years bought my first Diamondback mountain bike from the shop about 12 years ago still love the fresh air cycling round and a sausage and egg sandwich after 😜

I went with my wife and 2 grandsons of 9 and 5 and we cycled around in a clockwise direction starting at Markow park. We halted at Plummers park for a picnic then on to Mandley park in Perry village where the boys enjoyed the swings etc. We had an ice cream in the cafe there before heading on through Littleess wood and on to Grafham village. A really pleasant day, only slightly spoiled by millions of insects like midges in our faces between Savages Spinney and Hill Farm but that's natural at this time of year I guess!

We're planning to return soon with our other 3 grandchildren so they can experience this too.

Lovely place, more geared up for the cyclists, which is one of the reasons we like it. Easy to follow route, lots of signs and mostly all dogs were on leads and no dog mess around either. (unlike places such as Ferry Meadows where dogs run a mock and are never on leads!) We cycled all the way round and had a lovely coffee afterwards, would highly recommend as a cycling day out 👍😁

Love the place for a picnic or a cycle ride round the lake great place to relax

A lovely place to visit. Shame about the weather. But could at least get a nice warm coffee ☕️

Went to the North car park but realised the car parking machine only took cash so went to the Perry visitor centre instead so we could get ha hot drink and change. It’s a nice area but from Perry the walking is limited. So a little disappointed. But would go again to a different part with change for parking and a picnic.

Walked the cycle track all the way round as we could not find the walking route. The scenery not that great to be honest, was at a lake near Sheffield a while back and there was much more of everything. I did find the route free from litter but was not that impressed that I would go back in a hurry, would rather drive another 1 and a half hours to Sheffield.

Thought a nice walk around the water would be healthy and beneficial. And we would be able to see some water life and wildlife. However signage is very poor and the maps showing footway and cycle route have clearly not been updated. Had no option but to follow cycle route and therefore spent a great deal of time with 1 if not 2 fields between water and us. And and apparantly on edges of fields of crops. Even back out on road as water centre we were told was a no go area 'due to child protection issues'although security non existent.!!!!! To prevent straying onto this area



Lack of signage and bins (lots of litter just thrown to ground) spoilt an otherwise very long walk. Also only 2 placs for refreshment/drinks Will not return for walking although nice areas for picnics and family time.

Not exactly walker friendly. Signage is rubbish, no directions around the lake, easy to get lost in surounding villages. Nowhere to get a drink for 6 miles, so go prepared. Appears better adapted for cyclists. On the plus side, paths are good, scenery great and the staff in Mander park cafe were friendly and informative.

Nice place for a walk, shame about the dog owners that think rules don’t apply to them. Dogs off leads and dog shit everywhere.

It is undoubtedly a beautiful place but it’s not very dog friendly. I guess, if you’re a local, you might know where you can let them off for a run and a swim, but I didn’t and it’s not clearly marked. No surprise I suppose. We live in a nanny state where even taking your dog for a walk is classified as unsavoury.

Great for dog walking & that’s it really.

Found the Cafe staff a bit off, regarding the minimal menu. Sandwiches & baguettes were listed but I had to ask what fillings were available & the woman who answered my question was a bit “matter of fact” so hasten to say we left & went elsewhere with better customer service.

We walked there from a campsite, it took us across the dam to the ‘Visitor Centre’ not very impressed with that compared to Rutland Water. We had heard and read bad reviews of the Harbour Cafe so we were looking forward to the cafe but to be honest it did not look very inviting and other people outside were eating their own sandwiches.

There were children using the play park and we walked around the water’s edge. A few memorial benches but no information boards pointing places of interest on the other side.

Dog mess in bags just left beside the path and on the dam footpath, there should be more bins or ban dogs.

Car park £3.50 no matter how long you stay? No wonder it was empty.

Sorry but as a walking visitor we were no impressed.

I found it Disgusting at the shear amount of dog pooh that hadn't been cleared up by fellow dog owners , I have a dog and felt that everyone following us would think that I'd left it from my dogs, my children were ahead of me calling out mind the dog pooh, it was like a mine field, the walk it self was beautiful on a beautiful day went into the toilets and very disappointed with those as well, smelt awful and not very clean, considering it at the back of the coffee shop I was very surprised, 🙈

Wonderful walk all the way around. Great snack lunch at the café - good quality and well priced. Parking is a bit steep at £3.50 for the day. Will be back and hope for another gloriously, windy, sunny day.

We visited you for the first time today to attend your Bird Walk and Nest Box Workshop. The event was absolutely brilliant and my friend's son had a wonderful time looking for birds and building and painting his own nest box. The Rangers who ran the workshop were friendly and informative and great with the kids, everyone there seemed to be having a lovely time. We will definitely be attending and look forward to future events such as this!

After the workshop we had lunch and then a walk. Everywhere was very clean and well maintained, we were really impressed, thank you for a lovely day out �

Very great experience in Grafham water center and very impressive activities and intensive routines.

Took my daughter's here for the first time yesterday. They enjoyed our little walk by the lake, meeting the geese and having an ice cream. It's s beautiful place with many spots to sit and watch the world go by. Can imagine is doing a picnic better in warn weather.

Miss the busy times and it’s still a great place to go, enjoy the views, go for a walk//cycle/run and then a drink and/of food in the restaurants at both sites 👍

Love grafham been going on and off for years bought my first Diamondback mountain bike from the shop about 12 years ago still love the fresh air cycling round and a sausage and egg sandwich after 😜

I went with my wife and 2 grandsons of 9 and 5 and we cycled around in a clockwise direction starting at Markow park. We halted at Plummers park for a picnic then on to Mandley park in Perry village where the boys enjoyed the swings etc. We had an ice cream in the cafe there before heading on through Littleess wood and on to Grafham village. A really pleasant day, only slightly spoiled by millions of insects like midges in our faces between Savages Spinney and Hill Farm but that's natural at this time of year I guess!

We're planning to return soon with our other 3 grandchildren so they can experience this too.

Lovely place, more geared up for the cyclists, which is one of the reasons we like it. Easy to follow route, lots of signs and mostly all dogs were on leads and no dog mess around either. (unlike places such as Ferry Meadows where dogs run a mock and are never on leads!) We cycled all the way round and had a lovely coffee afterwards, would highly recommend as a cycling day out 👍😁

Love the place for a picnic or a cycle ride round the lake great place to relax

A lovely place to visit. Shame about the weather. But could at least get a nice warm coffee ☕️

Went to the North car park but realised the car parking machine only took cash so went to the Perry visitor centre instead so we could get ha hot drink and change. It’s a nice area but from Perry the walking is limited. So a little disappointed. But would go again to a different part with change for parking and a picnic.

Walked the cycle track all the way round as we could not find the walking route. The scenery not that great to be honest, was at a lake near Sheffield a while back and there was much more of everything. I did find the route free from litter but was not that impressed that I would go back in a hurry, would rather drive another 1 and a half hours to Sheffield.

Thought a nice walk around the water would be healthy and beneficial. And we would be able to see some water life and wildlife. However signage is very poor and the maps showing footway and cycle route have clearly not been updated. Had no option but to follow cycle route and therefore spent a great deal of time with 1 if not 2 fields between water and us. And and apparantly on edges of fields of crops. Even back out on road as water centre we were told was a no go area 'due to child protection issues'although security non existent.!!!!! To prevent straying onto this area



Lack of signage and bins (lots of litter just thrown to ground) spoilt an otherwise very long walk. Also only 2 placs for refreshment/drinks Will not return for walking although nice areas for picnics and family time.

Not exactly walker friendly. Signage is rubbish, no directions around the lake, easy to get lost in surounding villages. Nowhere to get a drink for 6 miles, so go prepared. Appears better adapted for cyclists. On the plus side, paths are good, scenery great and the staff in Mander park cafe were friendly and informative.

Nice place for a walk, shame about the dog owners that think rules don’t apply to them. Dogs off leads and dog shit everywhere.

It is undoubtedly a beautiful place but it’s not very dog friendly. I guess, if you’re a local, you might know where you can let them off for a run and a swim, but I didn’t and it’s not clearly marked. No surprise I suppose. We live in a nanny state where even taking your dog for a walk is classified as unsavoury.

Great for dog walking & that’s it really.

Found the Cafe staff a bit off, regarding the minimal menu. Sandwiches & baguettes were listed but I had to ask what fillings were available & the woman who answered my question was a bit “matter of fact” so hasten to say we left & went elsewhere with better customer service.

We walked there from a campsite, it took us across the dam to the ‘Visitor Centre’ not very impressed with that compared to Rutland Water. We had heard and read bad reviews of the Harbour Cafe so we were looking forward to the cafe but to be honest it did not look very inviting and other people outside were eating their own sandwiches.

There were children using the play park and we walked around the water’s edge. A few memorial benches but no information boards pointing places of interest on the other side.

Dog mess in bags just left beside the path and on the dam footpath, there should be more bins or ban dogs.

Car park £3.50 no matter how long you stay? No wonder it was empty.

Sorry but as a walking visitor we were no impressed.

I found it Disgusting at the shear amount of dog pooh that hadn't been cleared up by fellow dog owners , I have a dog and felt that everyone following us would think that I'd left it from my dogs, my children were ahead of me calling out mind the dog pooh, it was like a mine field, the walk it self was beautiful on a beautiful day went into the toilets and very disappointed with those as well, smelt awful and not very clean, considering it at the back of the coffee shop I was very surprised, 🙈

Wonderful walk all the way around. Great snack lunch at the café - good quality and well priced. Parking is a bit steep at £3.50 for the day. Will be back and hope for another gloriously, windy, sunny day.

We visited you for the first time today to attend your Bird Walk and Nest Box Workshop. The event was absolutely brilliant and my friend's son had a wonderful time looking for birds and building and painting his own nest box. The Rangers who ran the workshop were friendly and informative and great with the kids, everyone there seemed to be having a lovely time. We will definitely be attending and look forward to future events such as this!

After the workshop we had lunch and then a walk. Everywhere was very clean and well maintained, we were really impressed, thank you for a lovely day out �

Very great experience in Grafham water center and very impressive activities and intensive routines.

Took my daughter's here for the first time yesterday. They enjoyed our little walk by the lake, meeting the geese and having an ice cream. It's s beautiful place with many spots to sit and watch the world go by. Can imagine is doing a picnic better in warn weather.

Miss the busy times and it’s still a great place to go, enjoy the views, go for a walk//cycle/run and then a drink and/of food in the restaurants at both sites 👍

Love grafham been going on and off for years bought my first Diamondback mountain bike from the shop about 12 years ago still love the fresh air cycling round and a sausage and egg sandwich after 😜

I went with my wife and 2 grandsons of 9 and 5 and we cycled around in a clockwise direction starting at Markow park. We halted at Plummers park for a picnic then on to Mandley park in Perry village where the boys enjoyed the swings etc. We had an ice cream in the cafe there before heading on through Littleess wood and on to Grafham village. A really pleasant day, only slightly spoiled by millions of insects like midges in our faces between Savages Spinney and Hill Farm but that's natural at this time of year I guess!

We're planning to return soon with our other 3 grandchildren so they can experience this too.

Lovely place, more geared up for the cyclists, which is one of the reasons we like it. Easy to follow route, lots of signs and mostly all dogs were on leads and no dog mess around either. (unlike places such as Ferry Meadows where dogs run a mock and are never on leads!) We cycled all the way round and had a lovely coffee afterwards, would highly recommend as a cycling day out 👍😁

Love the place for a picnic or a cycle ride round the lake great place to relax

A lovely place to visit. Shame about the weather. But could at least get a nice warm coffee ☕️

Went to the North car park but realised the car parking machine only took cash so went to the Perry visitor centre instead so we could get ha hot drink and change. It’s a nice area but from Perry the walking is limited. So a little disappointed. But would go again to a different part with change for parking and a picnic.

Walked the cycle track all the way round as we could not find the walking route. The scenery not that great to be honest, was at a lake near Sheffield a while back and there was much more of everything. I did find the route free from litter but was not that impressed that I would go back in a hurry, would rather drive another 1 and a half hours to Sheffield.

Thought a nice walk around the water would be healthy and beneficial. And we would be able to see some water life and wildlife. However signage is very poor and the maps showing footway and cycle route have clearly not been updated. Had no option but to follow cycle route and therefore spent a great deal of time with 1 if not 2 fields between water and us. And and apparantly on edges of fields of crops. Even back out on road as water centre we were told was a no go area 'due to child protection issues'although security non existent.!!!!! To prevent straying onto this area



Lack of signage and bins (lots of litter just thrown to ground) spoilt an otherwise very long walk. Also only 2 placs for refreshment/drinks Will not return for walking although nice areas for picnics and family time.

Not exactly walker friendly. Signage is rubbish, no directions around the lake, easy to get lost in surounding villages. Nowhere to get a drink for 6 miles, so go prepared. Appears better adapted for cyclists. On the plus side, paths are good, scenery great and the staff in Mander park cafe were friendly and informative.

Nice place for a walk, shame about the dog owners that think rules don’t apply to them. Dogs off leads and dog shit everywhere.

It is undoubtedly a beautiful place but it’s not very dog friendly. I guess, if you’re a local, you might know where you can let them off for a run and a swim, but I didn’t and it’s not clearly marked. No surprise I suppose. We live in a nanny state where even taking your dog for a walk is classified as unsavoury.

Great for dog walking & that’s it really.

Found the Cafe staff a bit off, regarding the minimal menu. Sandwiches & baguettes were listed but I had to ask what fillings were available & the woman who answered my question was a bit “matter of fact” so hasten to say we left & went elsewhere with better customer service.

We walked there from a campsite, it took us across the dam to the ‘Visitor Centre’ not very impressed with that compared to Rutland Water. We had heard and read bad reviews of the Harbour Cafe so we were looking forward to the cafe but to be honest it did not look very inviting and other people outside were eating their own sandwiches.

There were children using the play park and we walked around the water’s edge. A few memorial benches but no information boards pointing places of interest on the other side.

Dog mess in bags just left beside the path and on the dam footpath, there should be more bins or ban dogs.

Car park £3.50 no matter how long you stay? No wonder it was empty.

Sorry but as a walking visitor we were no impressed.

I found it Disgusting at the shear amount of dog pooh that hadn't been cleared up by fellow dog owners , I have a dog and felt that everyone following us would think that I'd left it from my dogs, my children were ahead of me calling out mind the dog pooh, it was like a mine field, the walk it self was beautiful on a beautiful day went into the toilets and very disappointed with those as well, smelt awful and not very clean, considering it at the back of the coffee shop I was very surprised, 🙈