A best kept secret

Oft-forgotten Rutland, England's smallest county, is a 'Notswold' haven deserving of more attention, finds Nicola Venning

- Nicola Venning

Is your idea of rural bliss a Georgian gem in a village of honey-coloured stone surrounded by unspoilt countryside? We're not talking about the Cotswolds, rather the East Midlands secret that is Rutland. This area of gentle rolling hills, where, as Bach may have said, 'sheep may safely graze', is England's smallest county. You could drive past on the A1 and barely know you had done so, which perhaps explains why it is so bafflingly overlooked. Yet it deserves attention.

Rutland (and some of the bordering 'Notswolds' counties of Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire) have the same mellow, creamy limestone as the Cotswolds and boast beguiling market towns and villages that are every bit as attractive, but without the tourists or hefty prices. If you wish to buy a coveted rectory or converted farmhouse, you will be spoilt for choice. 'Rutland has never been very trendy, whereas the Cotswolds has, so the area retains excellent value,' says Tom Wilson, a director at King West (07702 459360). Nick Leeming, chairman of Jackson-Stops, agrees. 'Rutland may be the smallest county in the UK, but it is well located with beautiful countryside, historic market towns, public schools and Rutland Water,' he says. 'With good rail links to London and limestone villages, it has all the ambience of the Cotswolds without the price tag.' The average property price in Rutland is $446,892 (according to Savills, using Experian data). In the Cotswolds, the average is $640,422.