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to the lord of the manor. Thus, the collection ranges
from that of King Edward IV in 1470 to the horseshoe
presented by the Duchess of Cornwall in 2014.
Finally, in this very curtailed and very incomplete list of
Rutland’s attractions, is the Yew Tree Avenue in Clipsham.
This is a 1500ft avenue leading up to Clipsham Hall and
is composed of about 150 yew trees in a wide range of
shapes and sizes. Nearby is one of Rutland’s very fine
country pubs, The Olive Branch – one of a small number
of Michelin-starred pubs in the UK, and it’s run by cyclists!
There are many more attractions in this little corner, but
the main thrust of this article is to look at cycling. The
county has about 350 miles of surfaced road and, of
these, only about 50 are busy, main roads. Thus, there is
a huge range of quiet byways on which to cycle in almost
complete safety. In this article, I look at two routes, which
will give a good flavour of what is on offer for the cyclist.
ROUND THE REZZIE
The first of these is a circuit of Rutland Water, not on the
cycle path. This is an excellent route for those who like
to ride off-road, and is very well-known and documented.
This route is just as pleasant for road cyclists who can
enjoy views of equal merit. Having said that, the cycleway
round the reservoir is paved for much of the way and is
negotiable on a road bike with any but the lightest of
racing tyres.