Rutland: Much in Little

Rutland is the smallest county in England. Stone cottages and gently rolling landscapes are its distinguishing features, along with its two delightful market towns - Oakham and Uppingham - and of course Rutland Water, the largest man-made reservoir in Europe. The county's motto 'multum in parvo', meaning much in little, couldn't be more fitting.



Oakham and Uppingham

Butter Cross, Oakham
© Copyright Richard Croft

Oakham is Rutland's county town and lies near the northern shore of Rutland Water. As you might expect, it's a small town, with everything within easy walking distance. But for all that, there's plenty of shopping to be had there, either from reputable well-established stores (of which there are several) or the many smaller shops selling gifts, arts and crafts, local food, antiques and so on. Wednesdays and Saturdays are market days, with a farmers' market on the third Saturday of the month.

For anyone interested in the town's history, there is a Heritage Trail you can follow. This takes in 14 ancient buildings including the Castle, the Butter Cross, Oakham School, and the 19th century Signal Box. Trail leaflets and other information about places to visit in Rutland can be had from the library or the Rutland County Museum.

Market Square, Uppingham
© Copyright David Gearing

Uppingham (south of Rutland Water) also has a good range of shops, many of which are still family owned and run. Like Oakham, Uppingham is the ideal place for browsing around and discovering hidden gems. In particular it has number of art galleries which attract visitors from far and wide.The town has some lovely old buildings, including Uppingham School (established in 1584). The Church of St Peter and St Paul, which stands in the Market Square, dates from the 14th Century.

Uppingham's weekly market is every Friday and there's a farmers’ market on the second Friday of the month.

Rutland Water 

Fishing on Rutland Water
© Copyright Steve Fareham

Created in the 1970s for the purpose of supplying water to the area, Rutland Water is one of the largest man-made reservoirs in Europe, occupying a similar surface area to Windermere in the Lake District. It is set in 3,100 acres of countryside and provides the opportunity for a variety of sporting and leisure activities including windsurfing, rock-climbing, sailing and canoeing. It is extremely popular in the summer.
As well as dinghies and fishing boats, bikes are also available for hire. A cycle trail runs right round the lake and the full 23-mile circuit is well used by both leisure cyclists and those taking part in sponsored rides.

For the less active, the Rutland Belle provides cruises on the reservoir, with full commentary of the points of interest along the way.

Rutland Water is also a nature reserve. It is one of the most important wildfowl sanctuaries in Great Britain, with in excess of 20,000 water birds using it. It was here that the first osprey chick to fledge in Central England for 150 years was hatched in 2001, as part of the successful Osprey Project. Ospreys are regularly seen fishing over the reservoir from April and September.

Bird hides and nature trails are in plentiful supply at the Egleton and Lyndon visitor centres, with experts on hand to help with identification.

More information about Rutland, its towns and Rutland Water, can be found on the Discover Rutland website.

The photographs in this post are licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence