Public Transport
Hooper Bus
The hopper bus provides a regular bus service to the residents of Uppingham between the hours of 10am and 4pm on weekdays
see: Uppingham Hopper
Buses
All local buses stop at the bus interchange in North Street East. Generally, a good interchange service is provided. Bus services operate daily, except on Saturdays.
Route RF1 provides an hourly service between Oakham, Uppingham and Corby, with the first bus in each direction leaving Uppingham at 7:25. The last buses leave for Oakham at 18:25 and Corby at 18:30.
Route 12 provides six buses each way to Stamford at approximately two hourly intervals.
Route 747 provides an hourly service to Leicester, with the first bus leaving at 7:10 and the last bus leaving at 19:22.
Route R47 provides a daily bus to Peterborough at 7:25am, returning from Peterborough at 16:05 (or 16:00 from the Kings School). This bus is primarily used by children attending the Kings’ School Peterborough but is accessible for use by the public.
Rail
The nearest railway station is in Oakham, from which trains run to Stansted Airport via Stamford, Peterborough, March, Ely and Cambridge in one direction and to Birmingham via Melton Mowbray, Leicester and Nuneaton in the opposite direction. Many other destinations are available by changing trains at Peterborough, Leicester or Birmingham.
For services to London, your best option is Kettering railway station, 14 miles from Uppingham. A direct service is also now available from Corby Station. Trains to London are also available from Peterborough.
Parking
Uppingham has three pay and display car parks. Long-stay facilities are only available in North Street East, where there are 40 spaces including three for disabled users. Also in North Street East, there is a short-stay car park with 47 spaces including three for disabled users. Short-stay parking charges are 40p for one hour, £1.10 for up to two hours, and £1.50 for up to three hours. Long stay charges are £1.40 for up to three hours and £2.20 for over three hours.
TV and Broadband
The Beeches has recently received an installation of fiber-optic broadband cable, meaning residents can now receive super-high-speed broadband services. These packages are available from the vast majority of broadband retailers, including BT, Sky and TalkTalk. The majority of TV providers will also cover the Beeches, with the notable exception of Virgin Media services which do not cover Uppingham.
Education
In the state sector, there are three schools, two primary and one secondary, all being co-educational. The primary schools cover age groups 4+ to 11 with Leighfield School arranging after-school activities and Uppingham Church of England School providing a Breakfast Club and after-school club. Uppingham Community College covers ages 11 to 16 and has after-school clubs varying according to season and interests. Its sports facilities have some public use and include an all-weather Astroturf pitch. In addition, day and evening adult classes are arranged.
In the private sector, Uppingham School provides co-education for years 13 to 18 with some 750 pupils, almost all boarders, accommodated in 15 boarding houses but with some day pupils. The school operates for 7 days a week for 33 weeks of the year. Outside term time, and principally during the summer months, the facilities are used for residential lettings, courses, and events for both children and adults. Its facilities include a new sports and leisure center, playing fields, tennis courts, and theatre which are open to the general public regularly. Its new sports and leisure center houses a swimming pool, gym, and sports services which are available to the public for a monthly membership fee.
Nursery facilities include Little Angels in Ayston Road; Stepping Stones, attached to Uppingham Church of England Primary School, and Upp-Starts attached to Uppingham Community College.
Health Care
The Uppingham Doctors Surgery (www.uppinghamsurgery.co.uk) has moved from its London Road facility to a brand new, state-of-the-art building based in the Uppingham Gate business park on Ayston Road. It boasts a large clinical team, including nine doctors and a nursing team qualified in general nursing procedures, health screening, blood pressure monitoring, immunisation, and diabetes control.
The practice offers several clinics operated mainly by the nursing staff including:
- Asthma/Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorders
- Diabetic/Initial Patient Diagnostic, Insulin
- Coronary Heart Disease Annual Review, Cholesterol, Diet, Exercise, Weight Control
- Well Woman and Man Screening including NHS health checks
- Family Planning
- Child Immunisations
- Children’s Clinic
- Minor injuries and minor illness
- Travel vaccinations
There is also a phlebotomist available. Some of the doctors have special interests including minor surgery, joint injections, and sporting injuries. The surgery now operates emergency appointments and will see patients on the same day they call if they telephone before 11am. They also operate telephone appointments with medical staff to assess your requirements prior to booking an appointment.
There are various staff attached to the surgery
District Nurses
Health Visitor
Midwife
Practice Therapist for Mental Health problems
Smoking Cessation Counsellor
Community Mental Health Team MacMillan Nurse
Private therapists offering physiotherapy, osteopathy and osteoporosis screening are available at the surgery.
Rutland Memorial Hospital in Oakham provides outpatient services including physiotherapy. Minor injuries and X-ray and inpatient beds for rehabilitation and palliative care.
Out-of-hours medical services are provided by Leicestershire County and Rutland Primary Care Trust.
There is a provision in the town for reflexology, acupuncture, massage and Chinese medicines etc. outside the National Health Service.
There are defibrillators in the Market Square, the Uppingham Surgery, Uppingham Dental Practice on Ayston Road and on The Beeches in Hawthorn Drive. All are available for community use and there are persons trained to use them in emergencies.
There are three dental practices of which one provides NHS facilities and all also provide hygienist services. There is an optometrist providing a full eye-care service and one surgical chiropodist. Finally, there are two pharmacies providing prescription and over-the-counter services and a dispensing facility at the Uppingham Surgery that serves patients living more than a mile away.
To help monitor health care provision in the town, Beeches residents are encouraged to join the local LINk. Tel: 01572 759158 Email: rutlandlink@shaw-trust.org.uk
Religious Organisations
Churches
The Grade II* listed Parish Church of St Peter & St Paul in the Market Place provides a full range of religious activities with daily services. Activities include an active Sun-day School, Youth Group and several adult study groups, Bell Ringers, Choir and a Mothers’ Union that meets monthly.
The Methodist Church in Orange Street also provides a full range of religious activities and has Sunday services and a Sunday School for under 11s. The church also hosts baptisms, funerals, and weddings for the Congregational Church.
The Congregational Church in Adderley Street is an independent church with services held on an informal interactive basis twice a month.
In addition to religious activities, the Parish Church Hall provides facilities for a theatre company, playgroup, W.I. and a weekly Age Concern coffee morning. The Methodist Church has regular bookings for a mother and toddler group meeting on Tues-days in term time, W.E.A., political group, The Choral Society, a youth drama work-shop, a writers’ group, a coffee morning on Fridays, a lunch club and service and an ecumenical men’s breakfast.
Other Services
For a small town, Uppingham has a surprising number of shops. These include a small supermarket, two butchers, a florist, two dispensing chemists, two hardware shops, two newsagents, several clothes shops, an off-license, a baker, a book and sportswear shop, several gift shops, a jeweler, a general store, a shoe repairer, a travel agent, art galleries and several antique and bric-a-brac shops. The well-supported Post Office, which also sells cards and stationery, is in the Market Place. There is also a shop selling newspapers, food and drinks at the service station.
There are five public houses, three hotels (all with restaurants), a bistro-type bar/restaurant, and a Chinese restaurant. The latter also provides a takeaway service. There are two other Chinese takeaway businesses, an Indian takeaway business, a burger/kebab business and several coffee shops.
Sport and Leisure
Facilities and clubs change from time to time but at the time of writing the following are available in and around Uppingham:-
Uppingham Community College
Netball, football, badminton, kickboxing, Tae Kwon Do, tennis, cricket, dance/ballet, drama, music, model flying, fencing, judo, and archery.
Uppingham School and Sports Centre
Fitness Studio, gymnasium and dance studios, squash, badminton, cricket nets and courses, tennis and swimming including lessons. The Theatre provides a full program of shows for all ages and hosts Rutland Musical Theatre and Uppingham Theatre Company shows every year.
Town Hall
Aerobics, yoga, tai chi, Slimming World, Rosemary Conley, bowls, dancing, youth group, Pilates, line dancing, and a folk club.
Uppingham Town Football Club
Plays matches on Tods Piece and supports two teams. It has a clubhouse near the pitch.
Uppingham Town Cricket Club
Plays matches on Uppingham School Middle Field and supports five teams. Is currently constructing its own ground. It also uses both Uppingham School’s and the Community College’s indoor facilities and nets and has an excellent youth policy involving up to 150 young people aged 6 to 14 years.
Uppingham Bowls Club
Has a three-quarter-length indoor rink adjoining Tods Piece.
Rutland Hockey Club
Plays on the Astroturf pitch at the Community College.
Womens Institute
Meets monthly in the Church Hall.
Other Activities
There are also other clubs, societies and organisations meeting in Uppingham including Probus, The Local History Society and a Town Twinning Association.
Outside Town
Outside Uppingham, and within Rutland, there are several golf courses. Water sports, including windsurfing, sailing and canoeing are available at Rutland Water. There is a rugby club including mini-rugby at Oakham. In addition to the Uppingham School Swimming Pool, there is also a pool available to the public at the Vale of Catmose College in Oakham and a leisure pool with a wave machine and slide at Stamford.