Serviced Apartments in Oakham

Discover the best activities and attractions Oakham has to offer, and find out what makes this city a vibrant and exciting place to live or visit.

Oakham Castle
Oakham Castle is famed for its 12th-century Norman great hall and the unique tradition of hanging ceremonial horseshoes above the entrance — gifts from visiting peers that have become a symbol of the town. As a well-preserved medieval site and regular venue for guided tours, exhibitions and private events (weddings, civic ceremonies), the castle is a major draw for heritage tourism. Its presence boosts local hospitality businesses, supports school history programmes and reinforces Oakham’s identity as a place with deep, visible history.

Rutland County Museum
The Rutland County Museum (and its associated local-history displays) tells the story of Rutland and Oakham, from archaeology through agricultural and social history. It provides educational programmes, rotating exhibits and outreach that engage residents and visitors with the county’s past. The museum helps sustain cultural employment, stimulates repeat visits to the town centre, and provides a community hub for learning that benefits schools, historians and local volunteers.

Oakham Market & High Street Independents
Oakham’s Market Place and High Street are home to a long-established market tradition and a strong cluster of independent shops, boutiques, cafes and artisan stalls. Regular markets and pop-up events keep the town centre lively, supporting small business owners and creating a shopping destination for local and regional visitors. This retail activity circulates money locally, preserves traditional market culture and fosters entrepreneurship in the community.

Oakham Ales and Local Pubs & Restaurants
Oakham is known regionally for Oakham Ales (a local brewery) alongside a lively assortment of pubs, gastro-pubs and independent restaurants clustered around the town. The brewery’s presence, together with popular hospitality venues, draws beer lovers, food tourists and locals to tasting events, food nights and weekend trade. This hospitality scene contributes significantly to local employment, boosts evening and weekend footfall, and helps Oakham punch above its weight as a culinary stop in the region.

Rutland County Show & Local Cultural Events
Oakham and its surrounding showgrounds host headline annual events such as the Rutland County Show and numerous seasonal fairs, farmers’ markets and music or arts gatherings. These events showcase local agriculture, crafts and food producers, attract regional audiences and create important short-term economic spikes for hotels, eateries and retailers. Culturally, they strengthen community ties, promote local producers and raise Oakham’s profile across the East Midlands.

Explore the diverse transport options available in Oakham, from efficient public transportation systems to convenient road networks. Whether you're commuting to work or exploring the city, this section will give you an overall look at the available transportation systems.

Public Transit System
- Oakham railway station - Regional rail station on the line linking the East Midlands and East of England; provides regular regional services to nearby cities and towns (for example Leicester and Peterborough) and connections onward to the national rail network; services are operated by the regional train franchise and provide a practical rail link for commuting and longer-distance travel.
- Local bus services - Scheduled bus routes connect Oakham with surrounding Rutland villages and nearby centres such as Uppingham, Stamford, Melton Mowbray and Leicester; services are provided by local and regional operators and cover both commuter and rural needs (frequency varies by route and weekday/weekend).
- Demand-responsive / community transport - Community transport, volunteer car schemes and dial-a-ride style services support people with limited mobility and those in rural areas; these schemes fill gaps left by regular buses, particularly for medical appointments and shopping trips.
- Taxis and private-hire - Local taxi firms and private-hire vehicles serve Oakham for on-demand travel; smartphone app coverage may be more limited than in larger cities so local operators and pre-booking are commonly used.
- Coach and long-distance connections - Direct long-distance coach services are limited in Oakham itself; major coach hubs and more frequent express services are available from nearby larger towns (for example Leicester, Peterborough or Stamford), accessible by rail or bus.

Major Highways
- A606 - Primary A-road link between Oakham, Melton Mowbray and Leicester; important for regional commuting and freight.
- A6003 - Connects Oakham with Uppingham and on towards Kettering/Corby, providing useful north–south regional access.
- A47 - Major east–west trunk route in the region that gives access toward Peterborough and links into the wider trunk road network.
- A1 / A1(M) - Major north–south motorway corridor reachable within a short drive via local A-roads (useful for journeys to the north of England and to London by connecting routes).
- M1 - Principal motorway for north–south travel in the Midlands, accessible by driving to junctions on the regional network; commonly used for longer-distance journeys to London, the East Midlands and the North.

Cycling Infrastructure
- On- and off-road cycling provision - Oakham has limited marked on-carriageway cycle lanes in the town centre but stronger recreational and commuting provision via traffic-calmed streets, shared-use paths and off-road routes (notably around Rutland Water and green corridors) that link into local cycle routes and parts of the National Cycle Network; provision for everyday utility cycling is improving but remains mixed in continuity and segregation from traffic.

Recent and Upcoming Improvements
- Rail station and service enhancements - Recent franchise-level timetable and rolling-stock changes have improved regional connectivity and passenger experience; local station accessibility and car-park improvements have also been implemented or planned to support growing commuter demand (projects vary by operator and funding).
- Road safety and junction upgrades - Targeted safety schemes and minor junction improvements on approaches to Oakham (on routes such as the A606/A6003) have been delivered or are in planning to reduce collision risk and ease traffic flow.
- Bus network reviews and greener fleets - Local authorities and bus operators have undertaken service reviews to better align rural and commuter routes with demand; some operators are upgrading to cleaner/hybrid or low-emission buses on key routes as funding and fleet replacement allow.
- Active travel and town-centre works - Rutland County Council has progressed public-realm, walking and cycling improvements in and around Oakham (including better pedestrian crossing points, traffic-calming and enhanced links to parks/Rutland Water), with further small-scale schemes planned subject to funding.
- Community transport and demand-responsive pilots - Expanded community transport initiatives and trials of more flexible, demand-responsive bus services aim to improve rural accessibility and first/last‑mile links to rail and coach hubs.

Note: service patterns, frequencies and specific projects change over time; for the latest timetables, roadworks and planned schemes consult operators, National Rail Enquiries and Rutland County Council.