Ridlington, Rutland

Ridlington, Rutland

The name 'Ridlington' is Danish, deriving from 'Hridlan's town'. The first known reference to Ridlington came in the Domesday Book when it was called Redlinctune.

However, the origins of the settlement go back into the prehistoric period; excavations in the area have found Iron Age tools, a Bronze Age axe, and evidence of Roman ironworks.

Ridlington Park, located south of the village, was a royal deer park for over 400 years, from at least 1255. The park formed part of the large royal hunting forest of Rutland.

There are no through roads, and as a result, the village has an air of peace and quiet, with a maze of winding lanes meandering through pleasant countryside.

The parish church of St Mary Magdalene and St Andrew is a 13th-century building boasting a lovely 16th-century wall memorial to Sir James and Lady Harington. There is also an early Norman tympanum over the vestry door, with a carving showing a lion and gryphon in combat.