We’re a Ramblers group aimed mainly at people in their 20s, 30s and slightly older, offering led walks and social events across Herts, Beds and south Cambs.
This walk is for up to 30 people, including the leader.
A moderate-grade circular walk around the beautiful lake of Grafham Water, England's third largest reservoir, with excellent views and facilities on route including bird hides where you can spy on a variety of water birds, and a chance of seeing bluebells.
The 9-mile route is relatively flat with a few gentle slopes.
We will start from the Main Visitor Centre and head through Marlow Park before walking through the quaint village of Grafham to the north of the reservoir where we will pass All Saints Church believed to be around 900 years old.
We’ll then proceed towards Farm Hill where you can enjoy some nice views of the lake from above, before heading down to Sanctuary Bay where you can enjoy a gentle stroll along the shores of Grafham Lake with a good view of the Main Tower.
We will then head towards the nature reserve to the west side of the lake, crossing woodlands with hopefully lots of bluebells, before having a quick snack stop. We'll reach several bird hides looking over reedbeds, willow and open water, where occasionally ospreys may be spotted alongside the more familiar resident mallards and greylag geese.
After rambling past Valley Creek, where you can enjoy more stunning views of the lake and surrounding countryside, we will reach our lunch stop outside the Grafham Water Fishing Lodge just south of the lake, where you can enjoy a spectacular view across the reservoir. There are facilities available at the Harbour View Café Bar with a wide selection of hot and cold snacks and a variety of ice cream and lollies available for if it’s a nice warm day.
Afterwards, we will continue past the Grafham Water Sailing Club, a hotspot for trout fishers, opened in 1966 by HRH Prince Philip along with the Water Treatment Works. Then we will reach the village of Perry with a pub stop at The Wheatsheaf where you can enjoy a refreshing drink.
We will continue our last stretch of the walk by strolling through Plummer Park, where we will hope to see more bluebells. Then we’ll get to the walkway along the Reservoir Dam passing the Valve Tower, with a lovely scenic view of the lake in the background, before finally reaching the visitor centre where you are welcome to treat yourself to another hot or cold snack at the café.
Dogs are welcome on a lead (please be mindful that we are likely to encounter a lot of cyclists on the path).
For information about walking with the group, including our dog policy, please visit the Stag Walkers website.
Booking your place: Please book your place using the free Meetup website/app. Join the Stag Walkers Meetup group and click the 'Attend' button on the event page.
Please do not turn up for a walk without booking, as places are limited.
If the walk is fully booked, please click 'join waitlist' then please check back regularly as you will likely get a place. The waitlist gives priority to single bookings so if you wish to bring a guest, we recommend booking separately.
Unless you opt in to further communications, we will only use contact information you provide to get in touch about the walk.
This is a circular walk.
The start time is when we aim to start walking and the finish time is an estimate.
Walks are graded Easy, Leisurely, Moderate or Strenuous in increasing order of difficulty. Please read the walk description to check it is within your abilities and contact the group if you are unsure.
Please:
We are a Ramblers group, non-members are welcome to try us out for three free walks before joining Ramblers as a full member.
As a charity we ask that non-members consider making a voluntary donation to Ramblers until they purchase membership. We suggest £3-4 per walk. You can donate in person or online.
The Ramblers’ Association is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Company registration number: 4458492. Registered Charity in England and Wales number: 1093577. Registered office: First Floor, 10 Queen Street Place, London EC4R 1BE.
Marlow Car Park, Grafham, Huntingdon, Cambs, PE28 0BH There is a parking charge of £2 per hour which is valid for up to 6 hours then it becomes £12 for the whole day which you can pay on your way out. Please offer car sharing where possible to help split costs.
