Uppingham

Uppingham is a market town in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England, located off the A47 between Leicester and Peterborough, about 6 miles (10 km) south of the county town, Oakham. It is known for its eponymous public school.

This article is about the town. For the school, see Uppingham School.

Uppingham

The Market Place and church
Uppingham
Location within Rutland
Population4,745 Census 2011[1]
OS grid referenceSP865999
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townOAKHAM
Postcode districtLE15
Dialling code01572
PoliceLeicestershire
FireLeicestershire
AmbulanceEast Midlands
UK Parliament
Parish church of St Peter and St Paul

History

A little over 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north-west at Castle Hill are the earthwork remains of a medieval motte and bailey castle. The Church of St Peter and St Paul, Uppingham is largely 14th century. It is perhaps known particularly for the early ministry of Jeremy Taylor. Uppingham Workhouse was first recorded in 1777 with space for 40 inmates. Until 1834 it was a parish workhouse, but in 1836 the Uppingham Poor Law Union began, and a new Union workhouse was built on Leicester Road to house 158 people to a design by architect William Donthorne. In the World War I, the building was used as an auxiliary hospital staffed by a Voluntary Aid Detachment. The workhouse was closed in 1929, and taken over by Uppingham School which uses the building as a boarding house for 60 girls called Constables.[2]

The Eyebrook Reservoir near Uppingham was used by Avro Lancasters flying from RAF Scampton as the final practice run for Guy Gibson's 617 Squadron Dambusters prior to Operation Chastise, the attack on the Ruhr valley Dams on the night of the 16/17 May 1943.[3]

Market

The weekly market is held on Fridays. The Market Place is transformed once a year in November into the only fatstock show still to be held in temporary penning in a traditional market town. The first recorded show was in 1889. In 2011, 140 sheep, 24 pigs and 20 cattle were entered. The event attracts farmers from all over the area who exhibit their prize livestock and toast their acquaintances afterwards in The Falcon Hotel.

Governance

The main local authority is Rutland County Council which is responsible for most local services. Uppingham ward, which includes the neighbouring parish of Beaumont Chase, has three councillors out of a total of 27 on the county council.

In addition, Uppingham Town Council, based at Uppingham Town Hall, is responsible for some services such as allotments, cemeteries and open spaces. There are 15 councillors including the mayor who is currently Councillor Miranda Jones (2018).[4]

Uppingham Rural District was a local government area from 1894 to 1974.

Education

Schools in Uppingham include Uppingham School, an independent school founded in 1584[5] and a state secondary school, Uppingham Community College and two primary schools: Leighfield and Uppingham Church of England School. A proposal to replace the primaries with a newly built school was rejected in 2007.[6]

Transport

Rail

The nearest railway station at present is Oakham – 6 miles (10 km) north – on the cross-country line between Birmingham, Leicester and Peterborough. Alternatively, Corby station 9 miles (14 km) south on the Oakham branch of the Midland Main Line provides frequent services to London.

Uppingham railway station, at the end of a branch line from Seaton, was opened in 1894 and was located at the end of Queen Street. Passenger services were withdrawn in 1960 and the line closed completely in 1964. The station area has now been redeveloped as an industrial estate. Although the operational railway line runs closest to Uppingham at Manton Junction, it has no station.

Roads

An east-west A47 bypass opened in June 1982, providing a link to Peterborough and Leicester. The A6003 runs through the town and provides connections to Oakham, Corby and Kettering.

Buses

Centrebus operate the majority of bus services with routes to Oakham, Corby, Leicester, Peterborough and Stamford.

Sport

Uppingham plays host to a number of different sports; in particular football, where Uppingham Town F.C play their games at Tod's Piece. Uppingham Town Cricket Club's new ground opened in 2011.[7] Uppingham School's new sports centre was opened by Lord Coe in 2010.[8]

Town Partnership

Uppingham Town Partnership events is a not-for-profit community group with the support of the Town Council and Rutland County Council, dedicated to ensuring the town is a great place to live, work and play. Its volunteers organise annual events including "Uppingham Feast Day" (a live music festival with street entertainment, food and drink) held in June and "Christmas in Uppingham" (a festive celebration with late night shopping in the local shops, visiting market-stalls and yuletide street entertainment). The group of volunteers also supports and raises funds for other events such "Uppingham Films" which screens movies in the Town Hall, and supports "Uppingham in Bloom" which has become a multiple gold-medal winner with Britain in Bloom. It is not to be confused with Uppingham First, which is an unelected business partnership.

References
  1. "Uppingham" (PDF). Rutland County Council. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2016. Population 1991 3143; Population 2001 3947; Population 2011 4745
  2. Higginbotham, Peter. "The Workhouse in Uppingham, Rutland". The Workhouse. Retrieved 8 March 2016. The population falling within the Union at the 1831 census had been 11,027 with parishes ranging in size from Holt (population 42) to Uppingham itself (1,754)
  3. "The Dambusters in Leicestershire: the county's little-known role in the daring wartime raid". Leicester Mercury. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2016. Full dress rehearsal on Uppingham Lake and Colchester Reservoir," Gibson noted in his log book. "Completely successful.
  4. "Your Local Councillors". Uppingham Town Council. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  5. Waites, Bryan (12 July 2015). "The town of Uppingham is a vintage English market town". Rutland Times. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  6. "Adjudicator rejects merger plans". BBC News Online. 24 February 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  7. "Cricket: Uppingham Town plan exciting future at new home". Leicester Mercury. 15 November 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  8. "Olympic champion opens school sports centre". Leicester Mercury. 7 March 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
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