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Oakham Castle, Oakham

Companionship careRutland

Days out in Rutland for an older parent

Six places in Rutland that make a good day out for an older parent, from Oakham Castle to Normanton Church. For each one: what its own access information confirms, what it costs, how long to allow, and the carers nearby who drive and could take them.

Researched by PrimeCarers from each place’s own website and access information  ·  Updated September 2026

Oakham Castle. Photo: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0

Six days out across five towns

The best places to take an older parent in Rutland

Five of them are free to visit or to walk around. The access information for two describes a step-free route, so check the others before you go. Where a place does not publish its access, we say so.

Oakham Castle, Oakham

Photo: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Castle · Oakham

Oakham Castle

Oakham Castle is the great hall of a 12th century castle in the centre of Oakham, famous for the hundreds of giant horseshoes hung on its walls by visiting royalty and peers. The grounds are kept as a free public park.

The Great Hall and grounds are free, there is a café, and a pass from reception gives two hours of free parking, so it is an easy short visit in the town centre.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free, with two hours free parking

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Oakham

Rutland County Museum, Oakham

Photo: Bob Harvey, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Oakham

Rutland County Museum

Rutland County Museum is in an 18th century riding school in Oakham and covers the history of England's smallest county, from archaeology and farming to trades and local life. Entry is free.

The main entrance has level access with a ramp, and the museum is on the edge of the town centre close to Oakham Castle.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Oakham

Rutland Water Park, Sykes Lane, Empingham

Photo: Jean-Louis Vandevivère from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Empingham

Rutland Water Park, Sykes Lane

Rutland Water is one of the largest man-made lakes in England, run by Anglian Water, with a visitor centre at Sykes Lane near Empingham, lakeside paths and views across the water. The visitor centre has maps, a shop and information on the reservoir's history.

The Sykes Lane visitor centre is next to the car park and the lakeside, so a carer can plan a short walk by the water and a stop at the centre.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free, parking charged

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Empingham

Barnsdale Gardens, Exton

Photo: Paul Harrop, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Garden · Exton

Barnsdale Gardens

Barnsdale Gardens near Exton were created by the television gardener Geoff Hamilton and are made up of dozens of individual gardens, from cottage gardens to vegetable plots. There is a nursery and tea rooms.

Parking is free with disabled spaces that can be booked in advance, and most of the gardens are on the flat, so they are easy to get round in a wheelchair.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry, free parking

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Blue Badge parking
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Exton

Uppingham, Uppingham

Photo: Jonathan Thacker, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Market town · Uppingham

Uppingham

Uppingham is a small stone-built market town in the south of Rutland, known for its public school, its Friday market and its independent shops, galleries and antique dealers. The Market Place and High Street have cafés and old coaching inns.

The town centre is small, so a carer can plan a short browse around the Market Place and High Street with a stop for tea.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Uppingham

Normanton Church, Edith Weston

Photo: Alan Murray-Rust, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Day out · Edith Weston

Normanton Church

Normanton Church is a former parish church that was saved when Rutland Water was flooded, and now stands on a stone platform at the water's edge, half surrounded by the reservoir. It is one of the best known sights of Rutland.

The church can be seen from the lakeside path near the car park, so a parent can enjoy the view with only a short walk.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free outside, paid inside

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Edith Weston

Regular groups and events in Rutland

Something to go back to every week or every year, from our research into what older people enjoy doing in Rutland.

  • Music · OakhamRutland SinfoniaAn amateur orchestra founded in 1976 that gives seasonal concerts in towns and villages in and around Rutland, including Oakham School Chapel. A carer can book seats near an aisle, handle the driving and parking, and keep the evening short by choosing a single half if needed.Details
  • Music · OakhamRutland Choral SocietyA long-standing local choral society that rehearses and performs choral works in the county. A carer can provide transport to rehearsals for someone who still wants to sing, or simply accompany them to a concert as an audience member.Details
  • Dancing · OakhamRutland MorrisA morris side founded in the 1970s that practises in village halls and dances out around the county, including an all-female side. A carer can take someone to a practice night to watch or join in gently, or find out where the side is dancing next.Details
  • Dancing · OakhamMay Fayre Dance in Oakham Market PlaceAn annual spring dance event in Oakham's market place with morris dancing, seasonal flowers and onlookers. A carer can arrange a mid-morning visit, take a folding chair and stay only as long as the crowds are comfortable.Details
  • Photography · Great CastertonStamford and Rutland Photographic SocietyA long-established camera club meeting monthly at Great Casterton Church Hall, with talks, competitions and social evenings. A carer can provide the evening lift and help load images onto a laptop or memory stick beforehand.Details
  • Painting · UppinghamNorthants and Rutland Open StudiosA September festival when artists across Rutland and Northamptonshire open their studios and show work in local galleries. A carer can pick two or three Rutland venues from the brochure and build one easy afternoon around them.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Rutland

At a glance

The six places side by side

What each place’s own access information confirms. “Ask” means it does not say, not that it is missing.

PlaceTimeCostStep-freeToiletCafé
Oakham CastleOakhaman hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Rutland County MuseumOakhaman hour or twoFreeYesAskAsk
Rutland Water Park, Sykes LaneEmpinghamhalf a dayFreeAskAskAsk
Barnsdale GardensExtonhalf a dayPaid entryYesAskYes
UppinghamUppinghamhalf a dayFreeAskAskAsk
Normanton ChurchEdith Westonan hour or twoFree outside, paid insideAskAskAsk

Where the places are in Rutland

The county’s boundary, numbered as on this page, with the main towns for reference.

123456
  1. 1Oakham Castle, Oakham
  2. 2Rutland County Museum, Oakham
  3. 3Rutland Water Park, Sykes Lane, Empingham
  4. 4Barnsdale Gardens, Exton
  5. 5Uppingham, Uppingham
  6. 6Normanton Church, Edith Weston

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Rutland

Carers in Rutland charge £19 to £22 an hour through PrimeCarers, typically £20, with our fee included. A four-hour outing is about £80 for the carer’s time. Entry, food and parking are extra, and travel costs are only payable if you agree them with the carer in advance, in writing. The cost of home care in Rutland has the full figures.

Photographs on this page are from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each one.

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Rutland

Oakham Castle in Oakham, Rutland County Museum in Oakham, Rutland Water Park, Sykes Lane in Empingham, Barnsdale Gardens in Exton, Uppingham in Uppingham and Normanton Church in Edith Weston. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

The access information for Rutland County Museum and Barnsdale Gardens describes a step-free route. Access changes, so ring ahead about anything your parent depends on.

Oakham Castle, Rutland County Museum, Rutland Water Park, Sykes Lane, Uppingham and Normanton Church (outside free, inside paid). Parking is often charged even where entry is free.

Yes. A companion carer can drive your parent there, walk at their pace, help with the toilet and meals, and bring them home. 42 of the carers with a rate near Rutland drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £20 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Rutland shows who is available.

Often. Many attractions let a carer or companion in free, or at a reduced price, with a disabled visitor, and some ask for proof such as a letter or a benefit award. It varies, so check each place’s access or prices page before you go.

Where the nearest carers live

From the profiles of the carers based within about 45 minutes of Rutland

Where the nearest carers live. A carer close to home can manage a longer day out.

Companionship care in the counties around Rutland

Days out in the areas around Rutland

Companionship care by town in Rutland

Each town page shows the carers who list it as home, with their rates and reviews.

Find a carer who could take them out in Rutland

See carers near Rutland who drive, with their photos, interests, rates and reviews. Talking to them is free and nothing is booked until you say so.

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