It is Rutland's proud boast to be the smallest county in England, but is it really? Firstly, Rutland is not an administrative county but a unitary authority (Bedfordshire is the smallest county at the moment). Rutland is a ceremonial county (Lord Lieutenants, lots of pomp, men in silly hats etc) but the City of London has the bragging rights there. Even when Rutland was a proper county before 1974, it was debatable that it was smaller than the Isle of Wight, especially when the tide was in! Unless you were born in Rutland, I don't suppose anyone really cares.
The 'smallest' county is home to largest reservoir in England, Rutland Water. Its most famous sight is Normanton Church, flooded when the reservoir was formed, which rises out of the water like the prow of a ship. Oakham, the county town, had some very attractive old buildings and a castle that I failed to find. The other major attraction of Rutland is that it is the only local authority area without a Macdonalds.
This trip was the first part of a double header. We camped over the border in Leicestershire in this lovely field which I had all to myself. The walk to Cold Overton Park (648ft) was very undulating with almost as much descent as ascent. There were a lot of stiles which made me glad that Noddy had stayed in the van. I had enough trouble get my legs over without heaving Noddy across as well. There were surprisingly good views despite the low visiblity.
On the last part of the climb I was accompanied, nay pursued by a flock of sheep. Either they thought I was some kind of liberator come to set them free or more likely, they knew I wasn't a vegetarian. It was a trifle unsettling as the sheep were rather relentless. The trig point marking the actual top was not publicly accessible and I was not inclined to hop over the fence, because as you can see from the picture, it was guarded by a sheep.
Despite the overcast day, it was still possible to see Rutland Water to the east and imagine what a fine view you would get on a clear day. So lowly little Rutland turned out to be a good topping experience despite the sheep.If you don't believe me about the sheep, see for yourself.
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