In the middle of September, the bloke and I had a weekend away in Rutland. We stayed in Oakham, one of the picturesque villages in the small county in England. In the previous post, I covered the visit to Oakham Castle, a beautiful Great Hall and one of the best examples of Norman architecture in the country. Oakham's market days are Wednesday and Saturday, and the market was closing up when we arrived at about 4:30.
Near the market area were two market crosses dating from the medieval period. The largest and oldest one is located in front of public school Oakham School. It is known as the "butter cross" and is a typical design compared with others that I have seen with a cover and a circular column in the middle. The circular column was where the produce (eggs, milk, produce) would have been laid out for sale.
At the base of the butter cross are stocks with five holes. The sign near the buttercross debated on why there were five holes; no one knows why there are five holes.
We stayed the night at the Whipper-in Hotel in Oakham, which in located at the market street and was an old coaching inn.
The rooms of the hotel were given place names, and our room (Warwickshire) was located in the converted stables. A little knitted bear greeted us on our bed, and we were asked to bring the bear to dinner with us for a free starter. Other guests had other bears with different offers. Dinner and breakfast were both included for us.
To start, the bloke had Thai fish cakes with sweet chilli sauce. I had mushroom soup and bread.
The bloke had steak for his main, and this included onion rings and chips and a bit of salad.
I had the chicken breast wrapped in bacon and creamy leak sauce, and this was served with green beans and mushrooms. I also ordered a side of vegetables.
The bloke had ice cream, and I had the lemon tart with cream for dessert.
All of the food was very delicious, and I could not fault any of it. It was a good base to explore Rutland and Rutland Water, and I will soon be posting my photographs from Rutland Water, so keep checking back.
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