Rocks by Rail
Rocks by Rail is one of Rutland’s most distinctive heritage attractions, combining an open‑air ironstone quarry with a working railway museum. It tells the story of the region’s ironstone industry, which once supplied steelworks across the Midlands. One of its most interesting facts is that the site preserves a full industrial landscape—locomotives, wagons, diggers, and quarry buildings—allowing visitors to see exactly how ironstone was extracted and transported during the 20th century. Inside the museum building, displays explain the geology of ironstone, the tough working conditions faced by quarrymen, and the evolution of the narrow‑gauge and standard‑gauge railways that served the pits. Original tools, safety gear, and photographs bring these stories to life. The archive also includes maps and engineering drawings showing how quarries expanded and changed over time. Outdoors, visitors can explore restored locomotives and wagons, many of which operated in local quarries. On running days, trains travel along the demonstration line, recreating the movement of ore from quarry face to processing plant. The Ironstone Quarry area features excavators and loading equipment, offering a rare close‑up look at heavy machinery that once dominated Rutland’s landscape.
Cottesmore United Kingdom
Rocks by Rail, also known as The Living Ironstone Museum, is situated just outside the village of Cottesmore in northern Rutland. You can find this fascinating industrial heritage attraction at Cottesmore Iron Ore Mines Sidings, Ashwell Road, Cottesmore, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 7FF. Spread across an old quarry site, the open-air museum preserves the region's rich industrial past with vintage steam locomotives, diesel engines, and historic quarrying machinery set along restored railway lines. The surrounding countryside offers plenty of wonderful historical and cultural sights to explore. Just a short drive south lies the market town of Oakham, where you can visit the historic Oakham Castle to see its famous Norman Great Hall adorned with hundreds of decorative horseshoes. While in Oakham, you can also pop into the Rutland County Museum, housed in a former military riding school, to explore exhibits on regional archaeology and local rural life. Heading slightly east brings you to the expansive shores of Rutland Water, home to the iconic semi-submerged Normanton Church. For visitors interested in grand stately homes, nearby destinations include the grand Elizabethan estate of Burghley House near Stamford, as well as the historic hilltop fortress of Rockingham Castle. Further north, you can also explore the magnificent Belvoir Castle with its impressive state rooms and formal gardens.