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Oakham is the County Town of Rutland , England . It has a population of about 10,000 and lies close to Rutland Water , one of the largest man-made Lake s in Europe . COMMUNICATIONS There are good road links to:
The Birmingham To Peterborough Railway Line runs through the town, providing links to Birmingham , Leicester , Peterborough and Cambridge . The main route for travellers to Leicester by road is first south to Uppingham and then westward along the A47 . HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS Tourist attractions in Oakham include All Saints Church and '''Oakham Castle'''. Another popular and historic feature is the open-air Market held in the town's market square every Wednesday and Saturday (near the ancient octagonal '''Buttercross''' with its pyramidal roof and wooden Stocks ). All Saints Church The spire of Oakham parish church dominates distant views of the town for several miles around. The impressive tower and spire, built during the 14th Century , in the " Decorated Gothic " style, are slightly earlier in date then most of the rest of the exterior of the building, which (apart from some Victorian restoration) is in the " Perpendicular Gothic " style. Oddly, the south doorway and its porch seem to be the oldest parts of the church, the doorway probably dating from the early 13th century, with the porch having been added later that century. In the light, spacious interior there is more evidence of the mature Decorated style of the 14th century. The tall, slender columns of the Nave have intricately carved Capitals showing animals, birds, figures, foliage and scenes from the Bible including Adam And Eve , the Annunciation and the Coronation of the Virgin Mary . There is also a fine Green Man . Oakham Castle Only the great hall of the Norman Castle remains standing, surrounded by grassy earthworks marking the inner and outer bailies. The hall dates from c. 1180 — 90 and according to Nikolaus Pevsner (in his ''"The Buildings of England: Leicestershire and Rutland"'') "It is the earliest hall of any English castle surviving so completely, and it is doubly interesting in that it belonged not to a castle strictly speaking, but rather to a fortified manor house." The building is attractively ornamented with Romanesque architectural details, including six carvings of musicians. The hall was in use as an Assize Court until 1970 and is still occasionally used as a Coroner's Court or Crown Court . It is also licensed for Wedding s. Oakham's horseshoes Traditionally, members of from sitting in the hollow. The upside-down horseshoe motif appears in the county council's arms (see to the right), and on the local Ruddles Beer labels. OAKHAM SCHOOL The town is home to Oakham School , a well-respected and progressive Public School which was founded, together with Uppingham School , in 1584 . The original school building survives, northeast of the church; across its south front is the inscription ''Schola Latina – Graeca – Hebraica A° 1584'' and above its door is a stone with an inscription in Latin , Greek and Hebrew . Oakham School is also the current owner of Oakham's former Workhouse . Built in 1836-7 by Oakham Poor Law Union, it served as a workhouse for 167 inmates, until it became Catmose Vale Hospital . It now accommodates two "day" (non-boarding) School Houses for girls. PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION Oakham, along with Melton Mowbray ( Leicestershire ) and the rest of Rutland , has since 1992 been represented at Westminster by the Conservative Member Of Parliament Alan Duncan . FAMOUS CITIZENS OF OAKHAM EXTERNAL LINKS
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