20 Facts About Rutland

Rutland is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England.

At the centre of the county is Rutland Water, a large artificial reservoir that is an important nature reserve serving as an overwintering site for wildfowl and a breeding site for ospreys.

The Earl of Rutland was elevated to the status of Duke in 1703 and the titles were merged.

Rutland covered parts of three poor law unions and rural sanitary districts : those of Oakham, Uppingham and Stamford.

The registration county of Rutland contained the entirety of Oakham and Uppingham RSDs, which included several parishes in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire – the eastern part in Stamford RSD was included in the Lincolnshire registration county.

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The part of Oakham and Uppingham RSDs in Rutland formed the Oakham Rural District and Uppingham Rural District, with the two parishes from Oakham RSD in Leicestershire becoming part of the Melton Mowbray Rural District, the nine parishes of Uppingham RSD in Leicestershire becoming the Hallaton Rural District, and the six parishes of Uppingham RSD in Northamptonshire becoming Gretton Rural District.

The final proposals were less radical and instead proposed that Rutland become a single rural district within the administrative county of Leicestershire.

Rutland became a non-metropolitan district of Leicestershire under the Local Government Act 1972, which took effect on 1 April 1974.

The original proposal was for Rutland to be merged with what is the Melton borough, as Rutland did not meet the requirement of having a population of at least 40,000.

Rutland regained a separate lieutenancy and shrievalty, and thus regained status as a ceremonial county.

Rutland was a postal county until the Royal Mail integrated it into the Leicestershire postal county in 1974.

Rutland formed a Parliamentary constituency on its own until 1918, when it became part of the Rutland and Stamford constituency, along with Stamford in Lincolnshire.

In 2006 it was reported that Rutland has the highest fertility rate of any English county – the average woman having 2.

In December 2006, Sport England published a survey which revealed that residents of Rutland were the 6th most active in England in sports and other fitness activities.

At the bottom of the Rutland Formation is a bed of dirty white sandy silt.

Under the Rutland Formation is a formation called the Lincolnshire limestone.

Rutland is dominated by Rutland Water, a large artificial lake formerly known as "Empingham Reservoir", in the middle of the county, which is almost bisected by the Hambleton Peninsula.

Rutland bitter is one of only three UK beers to have achieved Protected Geographical Indication status; this followed an application by Ruddles.

Rutland was the last county in England without a direct rail service to London.

Rutland was the last county in England without a McDonald's restaurant.