Rutland is the smallest county of England. Situated in the East Midlands it is dominated by Rutland Waters, the biggest artificial lake in Europe with its nature reserve area.
The county town is Oakham, known for the 12th century Oakham Castle from which only the Great Hall has survived the centuries.

In my opinion Rutland is the most tidy county in UK, even the grass stems don't dare to grow in the wrong direction. Beside that it has a beautiful nature, wonderful gardens and nice walks to explore. Unfortunately it is not allowed to take a dog through the bird watching centre and - as expected - it costs money to walk the trail around the lake in the reserve area.

to be continued...