Legend has it that the village of Rudyard was named after Ralph Rudyard, a local man reputed to have killed Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, although as the place-name, meaning 'a yard or enclosure where rue is grown' in Old English, was first recorded in 1022 and subsequently mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086[1] it is more likely that Ralph, if he ever existed, was named after the village.

[3] The reservoir had been proposed in 1796, and would have been connected to the upper level of the Caldon Canal by a feeder, but in order to win the consent of landowners, the 3.3-mile (5.3 km) section below Leek was made navigable.

It was formed by creating a 63-foot (19 m) earth dam at the southern end of the steep wooded valley, which is faced with stone on the upstream side, to prevent erosion.

A spillway, some 60 feet (18 m) wide, was built at the eastern side of the dam, and feeds the 2.5-mile (4 km) feeder than carries water to the Leek Branch.

The lake has gradually silted up, but there are problems associated with dredging it, due to a lack of access for vehicles, and English Nature's concern over the disturbance of some rare fauna.

However, James May's Triumph Herald, complete with sail and mast, performed well, despite the almost total absence of wind, and he was able to drive it out of the water, thus winning the challenge.