Get away for... THE WEEKEND!

We’d had Rutland in our sights for a while, following a day visit to one of the Birdfairs at Rutland Water Nature Reserve. We’d vowed to go back, spend time with binoculars and birds, and have a look at England’s smallest county.

The day was sunny, bright and wintry-clear as we drove across no less than five counties to our destination, the rolling countryside taking us through what felt like the very heart of rural England. Stopping in Melton Mowbray for a leg stretch, we parked by St Mary’s parish church. Bosworth, our Norfolk terrier, was eager for a quick run in the adjacent park and we made the most of the setting sun to take pictures of this grand Grade I listed building dating back to the thirteenth century.

St Mary’s was in competition with Leicester to become the county’s cathedral, but Leicester won. The church has undergone extensive refurbishment and we would liked to have visited, but it