As Rutland celebrates 25 years of independence this week, we look back on the history of one of our most popular tourist attractions: Rutland Water.

Rutland Water has a short but incredibly rich history for the residents of the county.

Construction of the reservoir began in 1971, when Nether Hambleton and most of Middle Hambleton were demolished and the wells were plugged. Upper Hambleton remained and is now knows as Hambleton Peninsula.

One of the final construction stages was damming the Gwash valley near Empingham.

The Gwash is a tributary of the River Welland, which is where most of Rutland Water's stored water comes from.

The reservoir was flooded in 1979, creating the landmark that we know and love today, Rutland Water.

At the time though, the venture was not accepted by all the residents of Rutland, with some residents supporting and promoting the slogan "Don't drown our County!"

Today though, Rutland Water is the biggest reservoir in England by surface area, and has a whopping 23 mile perimeter, as well as many attractions that bring tourists flocking to the smallest county in England.

There is an iconic walk around the water, for example, which is long but relatively flat and makes an enjoyable day out for walkers, runners, cyclists and our furry four-legged friends too.

If this is a bit far for you though, you can always miss out the peninsula, which crops the walk down to 17 miles.

There are plenty of pubs for stops around the water, from The Horse and Jockey in Manton to the Wheatsheaf in Edith Weston, so you can rest your weary legs and enjoy a tipple or tea stop.

One Oakham local, Mike, remembers visiting Rutland Water in its early years: "Hambleton peninsula was nowhere near as posh as it is now in the 80's. We used to go down to the pub after a day of sailing for a cheap pint. It's lovely now – although the beer certainly isn't 75p anymore!"

If even the pub stops can't convince you to tackle the circuit walk however, you can take in the water from one of the many car parks, enjoying the shoreline and turning back when ready.

For those less mobile, the Rutland Belle water cruiser leaves from the North Shore at Whitwell and visitors can disembark at the other side to enjoy the scenery from a slight different angle.

The Rutland Belle team can be contacted on 01572787630 for any enquiries.

Since its creation, Rutland Water has hosted thousands of sailors and water sports enthusiasts, has welcomed the Anglian Water aqua park, and saw the discovery of Rutland's very own ichthyosaur in 2021, the Rutland 'Sea Dragon'.

Click here to find out more about the Sea Dragon.

Alternatively, read more about the 25 years of independence here.