1. Make your way out of the visitor centre car park heading towards the main road. Just before the main road, take the trail to the left with wooden bollards and a small hedge. Follow this trail around the edge of the car park towards the sailing club. It will bring you out at the dam wall and the main road. Cross the road here and go through the 5 bar gate following the gravel track as it bends right and then back left again. Horses aren’t allowed to ride along the dam wall but Severn Trent have built a diversion for us. Follow the track through another gate and into a small park with quirky benches and statues including an enormous spider sculpture, to keep you on your toes. Pick up the access driveway and follow this back up hill to the main road again.

2. Cross back over the road, back onto the Carsington Water reservoir trail. Continue around the reservoir, keeping the large body of water on your left at all times. The route changes from wooded sections to more open grassy bits and then back again. On reaching a road, turn left heading towards the reservoir and then right at the waters edge to continue along the trail.

3. The trail eventually comes out at the main B road. Turn left and follow the obvious wide track running parallel to the road until it slowly moves away from the road back into a more tranquil environment. Pass through Sheepwash car park, alternative and cheaper parking option but with no guarantees of being able to find a space. Ride straight through the car park and pick up the trail on the other side, following the signs and keeping the reservoir in view. There isn’t many opportunities to stray from this path, making navigation straightforward. Note, the section between Sheepwash and the main visitor centre is the most busiest and you are likely to meet cyclists, dogs, runners, kids and mobility scooters in abundance.

4. Go past the bird observation area on your left but stay right and head back to the main car park.