Key facts
- Operator
- Rutland County Council
- Condition
- Partial ruin
- Access
- Staffed, ticketed
Pinpoint
Possible Opening hours
Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.
| Monday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Thursday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Friday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Saturday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
The Great Hall is essentially all that survives of the Norman castle, but it's an unusually fine one, and it comes with a genuinely odd tradition attached: peers of the realm visiting Oakham for the first time have long been expected to donate a horseshoe, and the walls are lined with the results, some centuries old and enormous. Entry is free.
Worth the trip
The horseshoe collection lining the hall walls - some given by monarchs and dukes, and unlike anything else on this list.
Before you go
It's a compact site, so even arriving half an hour before closing is enough time to see the hall properly, according to reviewers - don't feel you need to plan a whole afternoon around it.
Reviewers are uniformly positive, consistently highlighting the well-preserved great hall with its distinctive collection of horseshoes, free year-round access, and friendly, knowledgeable staff. No caveats or complaints appear across the reviews.
Norman great hall; horseshoe collection; free
“Lovely afternoon in Oakham, had a coffee first in the cafe then a look round the castle. Made to feel very welcome by the staff can’t wait to visit again”— Zerina, visitor review
