The Victoria Hall, known originally as The Agricultural Hall was built in 1858 as a meeting place for farmers and a library. In 1899 the name changed to The Victoria Hall and it was established as a charity.
TV presenter Julia Bradbury, known for her work on BBC’s Countryfile and who has travelled across the UK and many parts of the world, is a big fan of the county and believes that we offer something for everyone here.
If you enjoy the great outdoors, then you’ll find lots of thing to enjoy in this rural retreat. Outdoor sports are extremely well catered for with plenty of walking and cycling routes available, plus fishing, golfing and the huge choice of watersports that take place on Rutland Water.
Rutland is a great place to pursue an interest in your surroundings, whether you have a passion for wildlife and nature, an enthusiasm for gardening or a keen interest in photography and landscape painting. There are two nature reserves around Rutland water, with many hides providing a great opportunity to spot a rare bird to two – or you can visit one of the many stunning gardens open to the public. Treat yourself to a trip to the beautiful Barnsdale Gardens – explore the gardens, take a gardening course and buy stunning plants to take home with you for a lovely reminder of happy memories in Rutland.
If you prefer to stay indoors there are plenty of places for you to explore too: theatres, art galleries and shopping in our two Market Towns that offer a huge variety of boutiques, farm shops and family run stores .
Rutland is very proud to offer visitors and locals an abundance of locally produced food and drink. There are numerous award winning pubs, restaurants and hotels in the county, with each able to inform you of the provenance of their menus.
Rutland is also a great base for you if you’re keen to explore the East Midlands. Many of the finest English stately homes are easy to reach from Rutland; museums, concerts, outdoor cinemas, sports facilities, family friendly attractions and things to do make our county a superb choice for you and your family.
Featured Listings
13/09/2025
Ride & Stride Rutland has 64 churches, much loved by the many thousands of people who worship in them, celebrate major life events or just gaze at them in admiration as they pass by.
It’s the perfect time to discover Rutland – let the clean air fill your lungs and focus on relaxing with those you love, you can ease into a slower pace and really savour every experience with mouth-watering meals and Rutland’s unbeatable hospitality.
24/04/2025
Funhouse Comedy Club brings another great line-up of comedians to the Grainstore Brewery, Oakham on Thursday April 24th.
If you find yourself staying in Oakham and looking for a reasonably flat walk to see the picturesque Rutland Water, then this is for you. It stays on pavements and hard footpaths so should never get muddy.
Inspired by the Rutland county motto Multum-in-Parvo or Much-in-Little, we designed a range of Gins to capture the essence of this wonderful area. Using ingredients that have been sourced locally, we’ve come up with some beautiful and unique gin flavours that we hope you enjoy as much as we do.
One of the best ways to experience Rutland Water is to enjoy a cruise on the only the Rutland Belle. With space for up to 110 passengers, 60 of those places in the under-cover saloon and the remaining on the open top deck.
High-Quality Upholstery Services and restored furniture sales near Uppingham.
Don’t replace your old furniture – give it a new life!
A family business, we have been selling art worldwide for over 40 years. We stock thousands of prints, paintings, drawings, ceramics and sculptures across a very wide range of top British, American and European artists.
Welcome to the Rutland Church Trail: A guide to 15 churches in the County of Rutland
Start Date: 04/01/2010
Set beside the church of the picturesque ironstone village of Lyddington, Lyddington Bede House originated as the medieval wing of a palace belonging to the Bishops of Lincoln.
If you’ve been inspired by our ‘Perfect Rural Escape’ tourism film, then here is a handy itinerary which includes all of the places featured.
The magic of Tolethorpe is something special which we highly recommend you experience for yourselves. Enjoy a picnic in the beautiful grounds in front of Tolethorpe Hall, then take your seat in the covered auditorium, and see an open-air stage like no other, with amateur productions from the extremely talented Stamford Shakespeare Company.
Two circular walking routes taking in the countryside around Empingham and Rutland Water, starting at The White Horse.
Start Date: 01/01/2016
Tucked away just off the main road of the South Shore of Rutland Water is a real find. This extremely well stocked family owed shop has been serving the pretty village of Edith Weston for the last 3 years, and saves the drive into Uppingham or Oakham. All the essentials are good quality, at affordable prices, and most importantly, the staff are friendly and helpful.
Hambleton Bakery on Cottesmore Road, Exton sprung into life in 2008, since then the little shop at one end of the Bakery has surpassed all of our expectations. Traditional bread, made slowly with top quality English or French stone ground flour, makes up a significant part of our output.
Where to Meet Lambs in and Around Rutland thi
