Discovering Rutland

Rutland is the smallest county in England, just 18 miles from north to south and 17 miles west to east. Its motto 'Multum In Parvo', meaning 'much in little', describes it perfectly.

Buttercross, Oakham
© Copyright Lisa Batty

Oakham and Uppingham

Oakham is the county town and lies near the northern shore of Rutland Water. It's an easy place to find your way around, with plenty of shops, from reputable well-established stores (of which there are several) to the many smaller shops selling gifts, arts and crafts, antiques and so on. Wednesdays and Saturdays are market days, with a farmers' market on the third Saturday of the month.

If the town's history interests you, you can follow the Heritage Trail. This takes in 14 ancient buildings. Trail leaflets and other information about places to visit in Rutland can be had from the library or the Rutland County Museum.

An exciting venture for the town is Live @ The Museum, a 188-seat venue offering live music, theatre, comedy and cinema. It is situated in the Rutland County Museum.

A tour of the Grainstore Brewery is a must if you’re a real ale lover and want to see how a micro brewery operates. You can also enjoy a Ploughman's Lunch or Supper following the tour.

Market Square, Uppingham
© Copyright Colin Smith

Uppingham (south of Rutland Water) also has a good range of shops, many still family owned and run. Like Oakham, it is the ideal place for browsing around and discovering hidden gems.

The town has some lovely old buildings, including Uppingham School. 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 each month.


Fishing on Rutland Water
© Copyright Mat Fascione

Rutland Water

Built for the purpose of supplying water to the area, Rutland Water is one of the largest man-made reservoirs in Europe. It's 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.

As well as dinghies and fishing boats, bikes are also available for hire. A cycle trail runs right round the lake and the 23-mile full 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.

As a nature reserve, Rutland Water 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. The ospreys come back year after year and 2010 was the most successful breeding year ever. The birds have recently returned for the summer and you can view one of the nests on a live webcam. Click here to go to the webcam.

There are lots of bird hides and nature trails at the Egleton and Lyndon visitor centres, with experts on hand to help with identification.


For more information go to the Discover Rutland website


The Rutland Walking Festival starts on 22 May and runs until 5 June; the Festival booklet is now available from the website.