The Grassy Shire

There are several delightful and historic market towns to explore round and about, from the mellow-stone charm of Uppingham (15 minutes) and its boutique-lined town square, to the medieval architecture of Oakham (25 minutes). Stamford (half an hour) has plenty of Georgian buildings as well as a busy Friday market and riverside walks. You can also up the cultural ante with opera concerts at Nevill Holt Opera (10 minutes), set to the backdrop of a sprawling Elizabethan mansion. Have a potter around Lyddington Bede House (15 minutes) and its herb garden, tour the elaborate state rooms at Kirby Hall (20 minutes), or learn about WWII history at Armourgeddon Military Museum (half an hour), with its display of military weaponry and tanks. If being out in quiet countryside is rather more your scene, Rutland Water Nature Reserve is a one-stop destination for golfers, anglers and walkers, while you can let the kids burn off some energy on the floating inflatable courses at Aqua Park Rutland or have a scenic chug across the lake from Rutland Water Cruises (all half an hour).