Oakham

Oakham Castle and church spire

Oakham is a town of 11,000 people (2011) in Rutland. Tourist attractions in Oakham include All Saints' Church and Oakham Castle. Another popular and historic feature is the open-air market held in the town's market square.

Understand

Oakham is the county town of Rutland, England's smallest county.

Get in

From the north traffic usually comes along the A606 via Melton Mowbray. Traffic coming from Leicester in the west is generally directed via the A47 before travelling north on the A6003 with Uppingham to the south. Traffic from Peterborough in the East comes either via the A1 and the A606 through Stamford and along the north bank of Rutland Water.

1 Oakham station is located near the centre, and is served by CrossCountry Rail. Services travelling west call at Melton Mowbray, Leicester, Nuneaton, Coleshill and Birmingham New Street on an hourly basis. Hourly services travelling east call at Stamford, Peterborough, March, Ely, Cambridge, Audley End and Stansted Airport.

Get around

On foot

Being a small market town, Oakham is easily navigable on foot. The Oakham Chopper services the town and is free with a pass for those over 60.

By taxi

Berridges Taxi company are a reputable and local firm who frequently have cars waiting outside of the station and can arrange longer distance journeys and airport transfers.

By bike

Cycling is a popular means of transport around Rutland and Oakham is no exception with the bypass proving to be a popular cycling diversion en route to the Rutland Water circular.

By car

Oakham town centre

On market days (Wednesday and Saturday) the traffic can be particularly heavy around the town and as the market is held in one of the town centre car parks, parking can be tricky. Traffic on the High Street can also jam when the level crossing barriers go down.

See

• 1 Oakham Castle, ☏ +44 1572 757578, castle@rutland.gov.uk. Built between 1180 and 1190. Considered one of the best examples of domestic Norman. Known for its collection of massive horseshoes. (updated Oct 2016)

The Buttercross and the Church

• Buttercross. market cross (updated Oct 2016)
• 2 All Saints' Church. Tower and spire, built during the 14th century in the "Decorated Gothic" style. (updated Oct 2016)
• 3 Rutland County Museum, Catmos Street, LE15 6HW, museum@rutland.gov.uk. A collection of objects relating to local rural and agricultural life, social history and archaeology. (updated Apr 2023)
• 4 Barnsdale Gardens, The Avenue, Exton, LE15 8AH, info@barnsdalegardens.co.uk. (updated Apr 2023)
• 5 Rutland Railway Museum, Cottesmore, LE15 7FF. (updated Apr 2023)

Buy

An open-air market held in the town's market square every Wednesday and Saturday, near the ancient octagonal Buttercross with its pyramidal roof and wooden stocks, a Grade I listed building.

Eat

Although it is only a small town, Oakham is lucky enough to be the home of many excellent and varied restaurants. Whether it is a country pub lunch you are after or a five-star gourmet celebration, Oakham can cater for all tastes.

• Nick's. This restaurant in the Market Square has been awarded accolades for its elegant cuisine. Seasonal ingredients are cooked to the highest standard and a frequently-changing menu never fails to deliver exciting and artistic British classics with a modern twist. 
• The Whipper Inn. Down the street from Nick's, it offers refined pub grub in a pleasant environment. The Sunday menu is excellent. 
• The Golden Dragon. Just one of Oakham's Chinese restaurants but is the only one to offer sit down meals as well as takeaways. 
• Oakham Chinese Takeaway, Mill Street. It offers high quality takeaway food and service with a smile. 
• The Voujon Balti Hut. A local legend that is one of the trendiest places to eat in Oakham. Very high quality sit-down meals or takeaways as well as a relaxing bar area make this a great place for an evening meal. 
• Red India, Melton Road. It offers good value Indian fare. 
• Rutland Balti House, Mill Street. 
• The Dining Room'. A different slant on traditional Indian cuisine with exciting results. 
• The Rutland Cafe. During the day offers classic cafe grub from its popular location in the arcade on the High Street. 
• Odd House Tavern. Just one of the many pubs offering fantastic pub grub. 
• Orbis, 4 Church St. open W-Sa 12:00-23:00, Su 11:00-19:00. Opened in 2021 and specialises in gluten-free food. They're on the main strip and have another branch in Stamford. (updated Sep 2023)

Sleep

• 1 The Old Wisteria Hotel, 4 Catmos St, LE15 6HW, ☏ +44 1572 722844. 
• 2 The Finch's Arms, Oakham Rd, Hambleton, LE15 8TL, ☏ +44 1572 756575. 
• 3 Hambleton Hall, Ketton Road, Hambleton LE15 8TH, ☏ +44 1572 756991. Upscale hotel in 19th-century hunting lodge, outstanding for comfort, service and dining, often does weddings. B&B double £300. (updated Jun 2020)
• 4 Barnsdale Lodge, The Avenue, Barnsdale LE15 8AH, ☏ +44 1572 724678. Pleasant lakeside small hotel refurbished in 2022. B&B double £130. (updated Feb 2023)
• 5 Beech House (Olive Branch), Main Street, Clipsham LE15 7SH (two miles east of A1), ☏ +44 1780 410355. Beech House is a charming little hotel of six rooms in knock-through of farm labourers' cottages. Opposite is Olive Branch restaurant with great dining. B&B double £120. (updated Jun 2020)

Go next

• Melton Mowbray
• Stamford (England)
• Uppingham