About Rutland

Rutland is Peppered with Picturesque Villages

These days, retreating to a quintessentially English village for a relaxing weekend away can be a welcome diversion from the stress of everyday life. 

So if an authentic countryside experience, complete with picturesque cottages, country pub and village green is what’s required, Rutland cannot fail to impress. There are over 50 pretty villages to explore in Rutland, all of which are well kept, charming and unspoilt. 

Enjoy a leisurely walk, taking in the scenery, before stopping off at the local inn for some home cooked food and real ales.  Meet the friendly, welcoming locals and discover a relaxed pace of life. You can download a leaflet for village walks starting from Exton and Braunston here.

Village History
Rutland has a wealth of villages with an interesting history, here are just a few examples;

Stoke Dry
A small village of around 14 houses nestled in the hillside over looking the Eyebrook Reservoir, however it is said to be the village where the Gunpowder Plot conspirators met in the small room above the porch of the church. The church itself dates from the late tenth century, but has been enlarged and modified since!

Ashwell
This village is thought, by some, to have taken its name from the Ash lined stream near the village. It is situated just 2 miles from Oakham and it boasts one of the few remaining 'Request Railway Crossings', where travellers have to manually press a button to request the opening of the crossing gates to walk over the railway.

Bisbrooke
A small village straddling an ironstone ridge between two brooks and it is from one of these streams that Bisbrooke takes its name. One explanation is that an early settler named Bitel lived next to the brook but it is also possible that the village's name is attributed to the fact that the stream was infested with water beetles, as betel is an old English word for beetle.

Gunthorpe
William the Conqueror made reference to Gunthorpe in the Doomsday book. The population grew to several hundred before being devastated by the plague in the 14th Century. Today Gunthorpe remains as one of Rutland's tiniest inhabited Hamlets and it's oldest surviving building was built circa 1840.

Hambleton
Meaning 'the settlement' (tun) 'on the crooked hill' (Hamble). The village is situated on the Hambleton Peninsula with Rutland Water surrounding it on three sides.

Market Overton
The settlement at Market Overton probable dates back to Roman times as many Roman artefacts have been found in the village and the earthworks to the north and east of the church are thought to be Roman in origin.
The Village was important in Saon times too; an early pagan cemetery to the south-east produced many fine grave goods, and the church tower dates to the 10th century.
There are references to a market here from early 12th century - hence the name - and the village green probably marks the location of the medieval market place. Today it is home to the village stocks and whipping post.

Normanton
All that remains of Normanton, after the creation of Rutland Water, are a few farms, a hotel and cottages. The remains of the church can be seen at the edge of Rutland Water. Dramatic changes have occured in this small area of Rutland - imagine a landscape without water; let your eyes follow the shallow valley below the church, where a small stream, the Gwash, once followed an insignificant course on its way to join the Welland at Stamford.

Whitwell
Named after the spring which flows from beneath the church, which is called 'the white spring', or 'the white well'.
Whitwell claimes to be twinned with Paris, France. In the 1970's, regulars from the local pub wrote to the Mayor of Paris proposing this twinning with a tight deadline for a response. As no answer arrived from the Mayor's office by this set date, the village unilaterary declared itself to be twinned and erected roadsigns to that effect.