The Rutland Showground
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.
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The Viking Way is a 149 mile long walking route through Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Rutland. Starting on the banks of the Humber, the route passes through rural Lincolnshire, attractive market towns, the city of Lincoln and then on through pretty villages and along an ancient trackway to reach Oakham, with the official end point at Oakham Library.
Rumble Live Action Gaming, the award-winning live action gaming arena offering outdoor laser tag with state of the art equipment in beautiful woodlands, is now available at Rutland Water, in addition to its existing Grafham Water location.
As the nights draw in and thoughts turn to staying indoors and the long, dark winter stretches ahead, we’ve got a real treat in store for you. Pack a weekend bag and head for the medieval charms of Uppingham.
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.
Rutland is a county bursting with flavour! The variety and quality of produce made in this area is astonishing.
Woolroom is the leading provider of natural, healthy sleep in the UK and is based locally in Oakham. Using British wool in all its products it offers all natural and chemical free sleep products including mattresses, duvets, pillows, mattress toppers and protectors for both adults and children alike. Whilst its whole product portfolio can be found on-line it also has a small showroom locally in Oakham which can be booked by appointment for personal consultations.
Enjoy these two rural routes from this lovely Rutland village of Ryhall, both starting at the village hall.
Baines Bakery are a small traditional family run bakers, situated in an early 17th century building in the market town of Uppingham. A true local favourite, the bakery has been passed down five consecutive generations of the Baines family and continues to produce quality bread, cakes, sandwiches and more, all of which are made on the premises.
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.
Stapleford Estate has recently reopened The Haven, our beautiful, tranquil lakeside venue. The Haven is available for hire for corporate or private functions, with options for bare venue hire, as well as full event support including catering.
Canoes, kayaks, SUP’s, katakanus and row boats are all hired on a first come first served basis from our Watersports Centre at Whitwell, we do not take prior bookings. You can also bring your own equipment to use with a launch permit.
A hidden gem in the countryside south of Rutland! Located between Stamford and Corby, Fineshade Wood provides a picturesque setting for your next family adventure.
Our family-run garden nursery, shop and restaurant is situated on the south shore of beautiful Rutland Water.
Walkers is a locally run, family bookshop that was started by my father back in Oakham during 1972. Since then we have been quietly beavering away, serving the communities in Rutland with books, cards, news and more for nearly 50 years.
Whatever your age or ability, we’ve got just the bike for you from hybrid and mountain bikes, to the latest electric bikes, tandems, gel saddle covers, helmets and kids’ bikes, tag-a-longs, child seats and buggies – all current season models from Specialized, replaced every year.
