Distance Table of Towns and Principal Villages in the County of RUTLAND

RUTLANDSHIRE. THlS is an inland county, and the smallest ir. England, being only about eighteen miles in length, fit its greatest breadth not more than sixteen, anrl its circumference fifty-eight; comprising 149 square miles, or 95,3fi0 acres, of which about 43,00i1 are undet· tillage. It is bounded on the north-west and south-west by Leicestershire; on the south and south -eal'lt by Northamptonshire, trom which it is separated by the t·ive:r WeJland; and the county of Lincoln is the boundary on ils east and north-eastern sideli.-This districc, at the time of the Roman invasion, formed a part of the territory of the Coritani: under the Romans it was included in the divhion called Flavia CCBsariensis: at Great Casterton was a Roman station, but antiquaries disagree concerning its 11ame. By the Saxons the district was comprised in the kingdom of Mercia. In Domesday• book Rote/and is mt:ntioned as being composed of the t\o\'o wapentakes of Alstoe and Martiosley; and the res~ of the county, at that periml, was included iu Northamplonshit·e. Rutland is first described as a dis tinct county in the fifth year of King John, at thr coronation of whose queen, lsabel, it was, amongst other lands, assigned in parliament for her dower. But few important historical events are connected with this county. In 1470, on the 27th of April, an army uf Lancaste1·ians was defeated by Edward IV, M Horn, witb a loss of thirteen thousand men, wht'n Sir Thomas Wells and Sir Thomas de Launde were taken pl'isoners, and shortly afterwards beheaded : this engagement has been jocularly styled 'the Battle of Lose-coat Field,' from the disper•ed fugitives having ca•t off their coats in order to be le~ encumbered. Rutland confers the titles of duke and earl on the family of Manners. SoiL and CLIMATE, PRooucE, &c.-The sotL of Rutlandshire in general may be considered rich, and it is highly productive in con1 and pasture. ln many parts a sort of ruddle, of a red colour, prevails and from this soil some say the county takes its name; but this is unsupported by the more learned etymologists. Rutland is beautifully "aried iu susfdce with gentle swells and depressions, the rising grounds, running east and \\est. with valleys in terver.ing; amougst these is the luxuriant one of Catmose, lead in~ from the we!!tern side to the centre ot the coun1y, aud eomprehending the eounty town, 0dkham. The south-western part foro1erly was entirely occupied by the forest of Leafield, pa1 t of which still remains in its original state, and affords pasturage to some few deer. The agricultural 11vstem pursued in this county is good, being the same as that practised in Norfolk-the turnip and sheep hushandry general1y forming its basis; its flocks are healthy, and its col'll, some of the finest in the united kingdom, is principally sold for seed. The crops commonly grown are wheat, barley, oats, peas, beans, turnip~, cabbages, tat·es, and lentil~. The artificial grasses are clover, trefoil, ray~ grass, and sainfoin. Much of what is called Stilton cheese is mad~ in the dis trict of Leafield Forest, and the vale of Catmo•e. The woodlands were formt>rly much more extensive than they now are. The forest of Leafield once spread over the greater part of the soke of Oakham; and Beaumont Chase, which formed part of the same f01·esr, extended over many acres of 1\lartinsley hundrt'd; and in the~e districts ar~ still some brautiful scenes of woodland and highly cultivated spots. Some of the finest views may be obtained from 1\lanton (which i& the highest land ill the county); Beaomont Chase, Horghley House (Bnrley· on-1 he-Hill), Hakesborough Hill, Teigh village, the Whis~endine Hills, and Witchley Common. The AIR of this shit·e is rothidered as pure as that of any other in England. Neither in MANUFACTURES, MINES ur l'IHNERAL'I can Rutland lay any great claim to notice; and the only quarries are those ot limestone, at 1'\etton. There are maltings in several of the towns and villages, and fluor mills are scattered throughout the county. RIVER~ and MINERAL SPIUNGS, CANALS and RAILWAYs.-rhe principal RlvtRS which have their source in or pass through this county are, the EvE, the WELLANO, the GuAsa and the CHATER. The Eye rises in Leicestershit e, runs south.east, forming the boundary of the county on this side, and empties into the Wellan<l. The Welland has its origin in Sibbertoft, in Northamptonshire, aud, running north-east, becomes the boundary of Rut land on that border; near Ketton it receives the water of the Chater, and a little north of Stamford those of the Gnash ; continuing nearly the !':ame course, i!. passes the towns of 1\iat·ket Deepiug and Spalding, and ultimately flows into the sea at Fosdike Wash : this river is navigable to Stamford. The Guash and the Chater both rise on the we>teru side of the county, and, runni11g nearly parallel to each other in an easterly ditection, unite with the Wellauc,-the formet· on the nm·th side, and the latter on the south side of Starnford.-CHALYBEATE SPRINGS are numerous iu various parts of the county; the ~trongest, which has long beeu beld in considerable estimation. for its salubrious qualitie!l, and was much rewrted to not many years since, rises between Teigh and Market Overton,-By means of the 0AKHAM CANAL a communication has been opened with the t·iver Trent, which has given rise to an iuland trade of some consequence, particu larly in the neces&ary article of coal.-The RAILWAYs, which pass through Rutlaud, are those which run between Northamptonshire and Leicestrrshlre-commnnicating with the m~tropolis on the one hand, and the midland and uorrhern districts on the other. The Midland Rail\o\'ay, and the Rugby and Stamford, have joint stations at the Yilla~es of South Luffenham, and Thorpe by Water. The Midland Railway has stations also at Oak ham, Ashwdl, Ketton, and l\lanton; and the Leicester, Syston, aud Peterborough line passes through the latter village-whkh is four miles north from Uppingharn. EcCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL DIVISlhNS, aud REPRESENTATION,-Rutlandshire is in the prm·inct> of Can• terbury and dioct'Se of Pt>ttrborough; it is included in the l\lidland Circuit, and is divided iuto the five hundreds of Ab toe, East, 1.\1 artinsley, Uakham Stoke and Wrandike : these collectively contain fifty-two parishes, one county town (Oakham), and two market towns (Oakham and l"ppingham). The shire is represented in parliament by two members, and their return is made from Oakham. Tnf present member!!l are the Honourable Gerard Janu's Noel, Exton Park. near Oakharu; and the Honourabie Gilbert Henry Heathcote, Esquire, Stocken Hall~ Stretton, both in this county. PoPULATION• &c.-By the returns made to Government, at the census of 1851, Rutlllnd,hire contained ll,801 males, and ll,182 females,-total 22,983; exhibiring an incr~ase over the returns of 1841, of 1,681 inhabitant~. The annual value of real property in this county, as assessed to the poor rates in 1850, awouuted to £128,679. ---o--- Distance Table of Towns and Principal Villages in the County of RUTLAND. The name~; of the towns are on the top and side, and the square where both meet gives the distance. Distance from Leicester. Distancefrom London. 26 . • . ....• , , . • . Barro wden...... • . • • . • . • . • . 91 28 •• •• Empingham •• •• 10 Empingham .......................... •••• 94 29 . • . • Ketton.. • • • • • . 5 5 K rtton .•••••. , • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 9D 24 • • • • Langham •• • • .. 12 8 13 Langbam........ .. .. • •• • • • • • • • • • 98 23 • • • • Liddingtou.... •• 9 11 14 11 Liddington..... ... • • • ... •• • • 88 25 • • • • Oak ham........ 10 6 11 2 9 Oakham.......... •• •• • • 96 20 •• •• U~1pingham •• .. 6 8 9 8 2~ 61Uppin~ham •• •••••• 9() 23 •• • • Whissendine.... 15 11 16 2~ 13 4 10 I Whisseudine .... 100 I -I .

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