TOP ROADS: Rutland

You’d be forgiven for not giving Rutland much of a look in when you’re contemplating where to go riding. But England’s smallest county actually has plenty going for it…

Tucked neatly between Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, the 147 square mile patch of rural England offers a surprisingly saucy selection of top roads to explore which splice through its gently rolling landscape and pass swiftly through a selection of picture-postcard towns and villages. There’s Rutland Water, too, if you fancy swapping the engine for pedal power.

If not, we’d recommend getting stuck into the infamous Rutland TT, a cracking near-100-mile loop which passes through Melton Mowbray, Uppingham, Market Harborough, Corby and more. To help you on your way, we’ve picked out our three favourite stretches of Rutland Tarmac.

B664

This might be the highlight of the whole ride. Running from the top town of Uppingham (where there’s a Harley-Davidson dealer which is worth a nosy), the B664 is a cracking 14-and-a-bit mile run down to Market Harborough through lovely little villages and wide-open farmland with plenty of twists and turns along the way. We’ve used this for photography more than once, which should tell you all you need to know.

B6047

This is slightly less thrilling, but still plenty of fun to ride. Winding its way from Market Harborough to Melton Mowbray, this follows on neatly from the B664 and offers big skies and plenty of chances to press on. There are some cracking big sweepers along this stretch to enjoy.

B1176

Running from Old Somerby near Grantham, this 20-mile run takes you right down to Stamford, where you’ll join the A6121 before carrying on across to Uppingham. The first few miles down to Corby Glen are probably the best, with a few nice twists and turns to keep you entertained – after that it’s mostly big, long straights. 

WHAT’S YOURS?

There’s nothing quite like a bit of local knowledge when it comes to finding the best roads an area has to offer. If you’ve got a top blast on your doorstep (and you don’t mind sharing), we’d love to hear from you.