16 Facts about Rutland

There are so many things to love about Rutland and I'm constantly proud of our county as a whole.

I  previously wrote a piece for Metro on 'Things you'll only know if you grew up in Rutland' which locals seemed to love. So I thought I'd share some unusual facts about Rutland here on the blog that might surprise some of you, or give you some interesting facts and figures about Rutland's history you may not already know.

Interesting facts and figures about Rutland.

The Population of Rutland is approx 38,000.

In 2006 Rutland had the highest fertility rate of any English county with the average women having 2.81 children.

Whitwell in Rutland is twinned with Paris, France after the village wrote to the Mayor of Paris asking for a twin agreement and if it had not heard back before a certain date would take the answer as a 'yes' - which they did.

Average house prices in Rutland are over £304,000 compared to the national average of £217,502.

Rutland has a latin motto meaning 'Much in little'.

"Multum in Parvo'.

Rutland gained independence and a county in 1997 after being part of Leicestershire since 1974. This year marks 20 years of Rutland's independance which was celebrated on 1st April 2017.

The first Uppingham fatstock show was recorded in 1889.

Rutland Water is the largest man-made lake in UK and one of the largest artificial in Europe.

Rutland is 348th our of 354 on the Indices of Deprivation for English, showing it to be one of the least economically deprives areas in the country.

Rutland is the only county in the UK not to have a Mcdonalds, Burger King or KFC.

Belvoir Castle is the residence of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland; The Manners family.

Oakham's rail crossing has a humorous nickname of 'The Bastard Crossing' which is a popular topic among its residents.

The reason Rutland horseshoes are hung upside down (usually seen as bad luck) is so that the devil cannot make a nest in the bottom of the horseshoes and the luck falls from them onto those that walk beneath it.

Rutland Water was known as Empingham Reservoir during construction before it officially opened in 1976.

Rutland has many traditions such as 'Letting of the Banks' in Whissendine and 'Rush Bearing & Rush Strewing' in Barrowden.

Rutland residents are known as 'Raddlemen'.