Cottesmore brings together architecture, landscape and industrial history. Useful landmarks include the Church of St Nicholas, with its long building history, listed buildings, Cottesmore Wood immediately east of the village and the open-air museum Rocks by Rail. These highlights make Cottesmore appealing to travellers looking to combine culture and nature or industrial history in a single destination.
Church and listed buildings
The Church of St Nicholas dates from the 12th to the 15th century; its south doorway was built in 1851. The church’s long building history thus sits alongside a precisely dated architectural feature. In the eastern part of the north aisle is an RAF memorial chapel. Its location identifies the memorial within the church and complements the chronological details with a specific spatial feature. The memorial chapel thus adds a clear internal reference point to the church’s building history.
At Mill Lane stands the Grade II listed “Outbuilding at Site of Cottesmore Hall”. It dates from the late 15th or early 16th century and is thought to have formerly served as a dwelling and stables. The Sun Inn is also a Grade II listed building. It has a thatched roof and dates approximately from the 17th or 18th century. The two buildings allow visitors to compare different periods and features: the outbuilding’s probable former use is relevant to its interpretation, while The Sun Inn stands out for its thatched roof and approximate dating.
Woodland and railway history
Cottesmore Wood shifts the focus from individual buildings to a historic woodland. It covers 43.2 hectares, is mostly planted with conifers and lies immediately east of Cottesmore. A small road runs along its western boundary and can be reached from Exton Road, east of Cottesmore. The woodland’s area, planting and road layout provide different geographical points of reference.
Rocks by Rail is located at the Cottesmore Iron Ore Mines Sidings on Ashwell Road in Cottesmore. The open-air museum occupies a 19-acre site with a restored quarry and railway tracks. The site thus brings together the quarry landscape and the tracks. On advertised operating days, visitors can ride along part of the former mineral railway, which once served the local quarry tracks.
Highlights for planning your trip
The themes differ not only in subject but also in how they affect your plans: architecture and woodland offer different points of interest, while rides at Rocks by Rail are limited to advertised operating days. If you are prioritising a ride, check the current events calendar before travelling. This will help you coordinate the railway activity with your choice between architectural history, landscape and industrial history.
Discover more destinations: Seaton, Greetham, Oakham, Empingham, Ashwell, Langham, Clipsham, North Luffenham.
Return to the main travel overview: Rutland.
