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The Buttercross and church in Oakham, Rutland

Oakham Oakham is the county town of Rutland. It stands to the west of Rutland Water, one of the largest man-made lakes in the British Isles. It is in the pretty Vale of Catmose, whose verdant fields rise up all around the town. Only the great hall of the Norman castle is still standing, surrounded by steep earthworks marking the inner bailey. The hall is the earliest hall of any British castle surviving so completely. It is still in occasional use as a courthouse. A peculiar custom attaches to the castle: by tradition any peer of the realm entering Oakham must forfeit a horseshoe, and in honour of this custom the castle is hung with a great number of ceremonial horseshoes presented by visiting lords and princes. (Read more)