Historic buildings

Lyddington Bede House is set beside the village church.  Originally, the Bede House was a late medieval wing of a palace belonging to the Bishops of Lincoln.  However from 1600, it was under the ownership of Sir Thomas Cecil, who made the decision to convert the House into an Almshouse for 12 poor bedesmen and 2 women. The House is open to visitors from March to October, who are welcome to view the Bedesmen’s rooms with their fireplaces and tiny windows, and admire the former Bishops’ Great Chamber.

The 17th Century cottage, which used to belong to England’s smallest man, Jeffrey Hudson, can be found on Melton Road in Oakham (not open to the public).  Jeffrey only grew to 39 inches tall and had a fascinating life, being known as “The Queens Dwarf” as he belonged to Queen Henrietta Maria.  When he killed a man in a duel in an apparent attempt to move away from his role as the Queens mascot, he was expelled from her court.  In the following years he was captured by Barbary pirates and, after spending time in Africa as a slave, Jeffrey returned to England and lived the rest of his life as a pauper.

A trip to Oakham Castle will reveal that it contains over 200 horseshoes, which have an interesting story behind them.  This important Norman structure was used as a court for over 800 years and even today court is still held there every few years.  Visitors will also find a gift shop and information point onsite.  The Castle is open from 10am to 5pm on Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 4pm on Saturday.  Please note that the Castle is closed on Mondays and Sundays and also closed Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year and Good Friday)

The Seaton Viaduct, also known as the Harringworth Viaduct, was completed around 1878 and crosses the valley of the River Welland between Harringworth in Northamptonshire and Seaton in Rutland.  It consists of 82 arches along its length of ¾ mile.  The viaduct lies on the Oakham to Kettering line and is a stunning feature of the landscape.

The public schools of Oakham and Uppingham have a historic importance to the county too.  Both were founded in 1584 by the Archdeacon Robert Johnson and have seen their share of successful celebrities come through the doors, including actor and comedian Stephen Fry (Uppingham) and England International Rugby Player Lewis Moody (Oakham).