Oakham
The county town of Rutland, Oakham has all the ingredients of a busy working hub: a bustling weekly market, a dash of local history with its museum and prestigious school, and oodles of scenic country charm.
Visitors to Oakham get the best of both worlds: a busy town full of history, plus miles of rolling countryside to explore. There is plenty here to attract historians, or anyone stopping off after cavorting in the rural surrounds. Rutland County Museum has key archaeology and fine fossils. Every lucky schoolchild from well-known Oakham School will have popped in for a visit, as well as to the 12th century Norman great hall.
Oakham is a stone's throw from sparkly Rutland Water, Europe's largest man-made lake, a major Site of Special Scientific Interest. There are many hides and trails here for visiting bird-watchers who are keen to spot endangered species such as osprey and other native wildfowl. Take a wildlife walk, book onto a badger watch, learn about bird ringing, or just enjoy the scenery as it rolls by from your seat on an osprey or gin cruise – something for all tastes.
