Britain’s largest ‘Sea Dragon’ which was discovered here in Rutland, the UK’s smallest county at Rutland Water, is being celebrated in Oakham’s Mill Street by world famous street artist, Julian Beever.
Britain’s largest ‘Sea Dragon’ discovered in UK’s smallest county: The 180-million-year-old ichthyosaur, nicknamed ‘The Rutland Sea Dragon’, discovered at Rutland Water, featured on BBC’s Digging for Britain in January 2022.
We’re always talking about how much there is to discover in Rutland on a break here, but there is clearly as much to be discovered beneath the county, not only has Rutland recently announced the findings of a rare Roman Mosaic, we can now reveal the discovery of the fossilised remains of Britain’s largest ichthyosaur, colloquially known as a ‘Sea Dragon’, at around 10 meters in length.
As we wave goodbye to 2021, many of you will be planning your 2022 New Year’s resolutions… The most popular resolutions for 2021 were exercising more and improving fitness (according to a Discover Happy Habits survey), and 2022 is expected to mirror these. So take a moment to read our top tips for staying ‘fit for life’ during your Winter visit to Rutland.
Rutland is one of the best destinations in Great Britain if you love to walk, run, cycle or sail. Just turn up – there are bikes to hire (including tandems and bikes with buggies that toddlers will love), sailing and watersports courses with wetsuit hire available and miles and miles of stunning scenery to walk, run or amble in.
We’ve been telling people for a long time that Rutland has ‘much in little’ and now there’s more proof, with an internationally significant discovery made here. A rare Roman mosaic – the first of its kind in the UK – has been found in the county. After being studied in secret to keep it safe, the discovery was announced on Thursday 25 November 2021 and designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
As the grass begins turn a beautiful glistening white, the leaves start to crunch under your feet and the robins take centre stage, it’s the ideal time to explore the beauty of Rutland by getting out and about to experience the county in its festive form. Discover Rutland have a dedicated web page to all that’s happening across Rutland this festive season, providing details of events as well as gift inspiration! Below we have compiled a list of some festive favourites taking place this year.
As the days shorten and temperatures drop, let’s raise a toast to those wholesome meals that warm the cockles of our hearts. With great Sunday roasts, real ales and roaring open fires to welcome regulars, visitors and four-legged friends alike – there’s nowhere quite like Rutland to enjoy comfort food in cosy corners.
With the local woodlands displaying an array of reds, oranges, yellows and greens, and crispy brown leaves to crunch underfoot, it’s the ideal time to explore all that our little county has to offer. So, why not book yourself into a cosy B&B, a self-catering cottage or lodge, or treat yourself to a stay in one of our lovely independent hotels? We can promise you a warm welcome and the opportunity to discover a little-known rural county with a huge amount of character.
