aboutrutland

The smallest county in England has much to offer. In the heart of the East Midlands, Rutland is never far away. 1 hour from London 40 minutes from Birmingham you can be in a county that is real England. BY road, the easiest way is to take the A1 to Stamford and follow the A606 to the Lodge, Barnsdale North Shore Rutland Water.

Mainline station at Oakham. Trains from Kings Cross to Peterborough every 20 minutes, connect to Oakham.

Rutland

Tiny Rutland, just 20 miles across, may be the smallest county in England but it's packed with a host of things for you to do during your stay. With its two bustling market towns, Oakham and Uppingham, and more than forty picturesque villages of thatched, stone-built cottages, there's so much to see in Rutland it's hard to know where to start.

Rutland's county town of Oakham, mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, lays claim to England's smallest man, Jeffrey Hudson. Its castle, a fortified Norman manor house, with a collection of horse shoes gathered from visiting nobility including members of the Royal family, makes an ideal starting point for your visit. Clustered around it are the Market Place, Butter Cross and Stocks and numerous small shops selling a wide range of high class goods. Uppingham has many antique and antiquarian bookshops and art galleries.

You'll find plenty of opportunities to enjoy an active break in Rutland. Watersports enthusiasts should head for Rutland Water where you can hire a canoe or rowing boat to paddle around the sheltered creek and harbour at Whitwell. If you're feeling a little more energetic, you could even launch a sailboard or boat and strike out further across the reservoir. Cycle hire is also available and for the really energetic there is a 26 mile cycling and walking circuit around the water. For the keen angler Rutland Water is a must, stocked with around 130,000 trout each year. With the record fish weighing in at 14lb 12oz, some of the best trout fishing in Europe is available here. Learn to fish with the experts www.rutlandwaterflyfishing.co.uk
Throughout Rutland you'll find a host of villages to explore, each with its own unique character and local charm. Like Exton with its thatched cottages or Clipsham, with its topiary walk featuring dozens of trees shaped to commemorate local, national and international events and Tickenote whose church has an elaborate carved Norman arch.

Whatever you choose to do, you'll find that Rutland is England's best kept secret, set amidst part of the English countryside that's largely undiscovered and still unspoilt.