The pretty UK county with only one train station in it

The stop provides infrequent services to London (Image: Rich007)

The UK's patchwork of different counties has been assembled and changed over the years according to each region's history, and one stands out as the smallest. Rutland in the beautiful East Midlands countryside has fiercely maintained its independence from neighbouring Leicestershire for centuries. Lincolnshire is to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-west. The region only has one railway station, which is located in its largest town, Oakham.

Between April 2023 and March 2024, Office for Rail and Road (ORR) stats suggested Rutland was the local authority where the fewest journeys were recorded. Its annual report read: "There are 10 local authorities in the East Midlands. Of these, Nottingham had the largest number of journeys with 7.2million across two stations, followed by Derbyshire (5.8million across 35 stations) and Leicester (5.3million to or from one station). The local authority with the fewest journeys was Rutland (206,000 journeys at one station, Oakham)."

Stats suggest that the station is relied upon by many residents, and is estimated to have been the 1,309 busiest between the same dates.

Oakham station first opened in 1847, and is located on the Syston and Peterborough Railway, which is also known as the Birmingham to Peterborough Line.

The main building is red bricked and has Italianate style features. Buff brick dressings, a Welsh slate roof and brick ridge and end stacks can be spotted.

The stop is served by CrossCountry trains between Birmingham New Street and Stansted Airport or Cambridge, and infrequent East Midlands Railway services to London St. Pancras.

Rutland is situated in the picturesque East Midlands countryside (Image: Getty)

Operator Crosscountrysays the Grade II listed building "gives the station a distinctively historic atmosphere".

Refurbishment work began in October 2020 to update the station, which involved the footbridge being refurbished and repainted.

The upgraded bridge then opened to the public in April 2021.

Like the station building, Oakham's signal box, footbridge and level crossing are listed buildings.

Crosscountry adds: "The signal box is such an iconic example of a British railway signal box that it was used as the inspiration for the Airfix kit of a signal box."