Oakham

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 every Wednesday and Saturday (near the ancient octagonal Buttercross with its pyramidal roof and wooden stocks, a grade I listed building).^[1]

[edit] All Saints Church

The spire of Oakham parish church dominates distant views of the town for several miles in all directions. The impressive tower and spire, built during the 14th century, in the "Decorated Gothic" style, are slightly earlier in date then most of the rest of the exterior of the building, which (apart from some Victorian restoration) is in the "Perpendicular Gothic" style. Oddly, the south doorway and its porch seem to be the oldest parts of the church, the doorway probably dating from the early 13th century, with the porch having been added later that century.

In the light, spacious interior there is more evidence of the mature Decorated style of the 14th century. The tall, slender columns of the nave have intricately carved capitals showing animals, birds, figures, foliage and scenes from the Bible including Adam and Eve, the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the Annunciation and the Coronation of the Virgin Mary. There is also a fine Green Man.

It is a grade I listed building.^[2]

The great hall of Oakham Castle, with the spire of All Saints church beyond

[edit] Oakham Castle

Only the great hall of the Norman castle is still standing, and is surrounded by grassy earthworks marking the inner and outer bailies. The hall dates from c. 1180—90 and according to Nikolaus Pevsner (in his "The Buildings of England: Leicestershire and Rutland")

"It is the earliest hall of any English castle surviving so completely, and it is doubly interesting in that it belonged not to a castle strictly speaking, but rather to a fortified manor house."

The building is attractively ornamented with Romanesque architectural details, including six carvings of musicians. It is a grade I listed building.^[3]

The hall was in use as an Assize court until 1970 and is still occasionally used as a Coroner's court or Crown Court. It is also licensed for weddings.

[edit] Oakham's horseshoes

Arms of Rutland County Council.

Traditionally, members of royalty and peers of the realm who visited or passed through the town had to pay a forfeit in the form of a horseshoe. This unique custom has been enforced for over 500 years, but nowadays it only happens on special occasions (such as Royal visits), when an outsize ceremonial horseshoe, specially made and decorated, is hung in the great hall of the castle. There are now over 200 of these commemorative shoes on its walls. Not all are dated and some of the earliest (which would doubtless have been ordinary horseshoes given without ceremony by exasperated noblemen!) may not have survived. The earliest datable one is an outsize example commemorating a visit by King Edward IV in about 1470. The horseshoes hang upside-down: while this is generally held to be unlucky, in Rutland this was thought to stop the Devil from sitting in the hollow. The upside-down horseshoe motif appears in the county council's arms (see to the right), and on the local Ruddles beer labels.

[edit] Oakham School

The town is home to Oakham School, a well-respected and progressive public school which was founded, together with Uppingham School, in 1584. The original school building survives, northeast of the church; across its south front is the inscription Schola Latina – Graeca – Hebraica A° 1584 and above its door is a stone with an inscription in Latin, Greek and Hebrew.

Oakham School is also the current owner of Oakham's former workhouse. Built in 1836-7 by Oakham Poor Law Union, it served as a workhouse for 167 inmates, until it became Catmose Vale Hospital. It now accommodates two "day" (non-boarding) School Houses for girls.

[edit] Parliamentary representation

Oakham, along with Melton Mowbray (Leicestershire) and the rest of Rutland, has since 1992 been represented at Westminster by the Conservative Member of Parliament Alan Duncan.

[edit] Famous citizens of Oakham

[edit] Street map

OpenStreetMap of Oakham

[edit] Galleries

[edit] All Saints Church

All Saints Church seen from Northgate	All Saints Church from footpath between Church St and Market Place	Interior of All Saints Church. View from north aisle looking southwest towards font	Early 14th century stonecarving of the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden
Early 14th century capital, showing fox and geese and other creatures	Early 14th century capital, showing the Angel Gabriel (detail of the Annunciation), left, and Adam and Eve between Christ and the Jaws of Hell (right)	Early 14th century capital, showing a Green Man