Heart of the County

Digging up the past…

Rutland enjoyed 15 minutes of fame recently as news of an internationally-significant archaeological find hit the headlines. This month we speak with the expert responsible for carefully digging up the ichthyosaur which has been sleeping beneath Rutland Water for 180,000,000 years… Rutland’s ichthyosaur Make no bones about it, the discovery of a sleeping 180,000,000 year old ichthyosaur fossil in the county was quite a big deal. Over 2.5m people tuned into the BBC series Digging for Britain which covered the story, which has actually been one hundred and 80 million and one years in the making… as the dinosaur was actually discovered back in the winter of 2020. The ichthyosaur was discovered by expert Joe Davis, Conservation Team Leader at...

Heart of the County

The Prodigy House

So-called prodigy houses were built by courtiers, and those who enjoyed new-found status as nobility. Burghley House is one of...

Heart of the County

Build Your Own Motor Car

Probably the most thoughtful gift I could give the present Mrs Davis this festive season is 400 hours away from...

Heart of the County

Art in Stamford & Rutland

This month we’re proud to celebrate local artists and curators as we present a guide to the area’s best galleries...

Heart of the County

Deerly beloved

Majestic and graceful, but more than a little skittish when startled. This month as rutting season is underway we ask...

Heart of the County

Bienvenue en Angleterre Versailles!

Inspired by the Royal Palaces of Louis XIV, Ralph – latterly 1st Duke – Montagu returned to England, minded to...

Heart of the County

Carving out a niche

Two Rutland farmers have been – quite literally – carving out a niche for themselves since May 2020 by planting...

Heart of the County

Getting Back to Nature

Just before Covid hit, the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust welcomed its new CEO Tim Graham to his new role....

Heart of the County

20 Years of Hard Work

Few pursuits over the past 20 years have been as noble as Ursula Cholmeley and her team’s cause to restore...

Heart of the County

Pick of the bunch

This month we’re remembering the time that Stamford played a part in Great Britain’s motoring heritage as we remember Pick’s...

Heart of the County

Going Wild in Rutland

There’s a whole world out there, with many once-in-a-lifetime moments waiting to be captured on camera and frozen in time...

Heart of the County

Uppingham Fatstock – Through the Decades

Alas, Covid has claimed another scalp as this year’s Uppingham Christmas Fatstock Show, due to be held on 25th November...

Heart of the County

Stamford in Six Buildings…

In a town with 600 listed buildings, how do you pick the most interesting…? Author Chris Davies’s book might help....

Heart of the County

In The Garden: Castor House

Claire & Ian Winfrey of Castor House gardens host one of the area’s most successful events in the area for...

Heart of the County

Lyddington’s Bede House

English Heritage-owned, Grade I listed and a scheduled monument of archaeological significance. Lyddington Bede House reopens in April and has...

Heart of the County

Burghley Horse Trials 2020: The Face of Burghley

Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials crowned its Face of Burghley winners for 2019 recently at a judging event at The...

Heart of the County

Gardening: A Poet’s Muse

The two profound pleasures of poetry and gardening combine just seven miles from Stamford at Helpston’s John Clare Cottage. The...

Heart of the County

Create your own Kitchen Garden with Adam Frost

A Spring Project: Create your own Kitchen Garden, With Adam Frost of BBC TV’s Gardeners’ World Have you ever stopped...

Heart of the County

Against Owl Odds

Owls are symbolic for wisdom. But what gives them this omniscient reputation? To find out, we visited Chris Lawton at...

Heart of the County

Saving Clipsham’s Yew Trees

Clipsham’s once remarkable Yew Tree Avenue has seen better days. But thankfully, 2019 will be the year that the 200-year...

Heart of the County

Motors: BMW’s 8-Series

Have you ever wondered what would happen if BMW made a 21st century rival to Porsche’s 911 Carrera? The answer...

Heart of the County

Stamford’s Secret Allotments

Where there aren’t houses in Stamford, there are rows upon rows of allotments being taken care of by some of...