Little Casterton
Encyclopedia
Little Casterton is a small village and civil parish in Rutland
. It is about two miles (3 km) north of Stamford
on a minor road that runs to the south of the River Gwash
between Great Casterton
and Ryhall
.
The village has a church (All Saints).
About half a mile to the north-east is Tolethorpe Hall
, a 17th-century mansion. Since 1977, it has been used as the venue for an open-air Shakespearean
theatre.
The Little Casterton Working Weekend is held in the village each September. Veteran and vintage agricultural machinery is showcased in a working context. Combines, tractors and other equipment demonstrate harvesting, threshing, ploughing and other activities.
oxoniensis was found in the Williamson Cliffe quarry in the parish. It was calculated to be around 170 million years old, from the Aalenian
or Bajocian
part of the Jurassic
period. It is one of the most complete dinosaur skeletons found in the UK, being fifteen metres long. Since 1975 the remains have been in Leicester
's New Walk Museum
.
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
. It is about two miles (3 km) north of Stamford
Stamford, Lincolnshire
Stamford is a town and civil parish within the South Kesteven district of the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is approximately to the north of London, on the east side of the A1 road to York and Edinburgh and on the River Welland...
on a minor road that runs to the south of the River Gwash
River Gwash
The River Gwash, a tributary of the River Welland, flows through the English counties of Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire. It rises just outside the village of Knossington in Leicestershire, near the western edge of Rutland...
between Great Casterton
Great Casterton
Great Casterton is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. It is located at the crossing of the Roman Ermine Street and the River Gwash.-Geography:...
and Ryhall
Ryhall
Ryhall is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. It is located close to the eastern boundary of the county, about 2 miles north of Stamford.-The Village:...
.
The village has a church (All Saints).
About half a mile to the north-east is Tolethorpe Hall
Tolethorpe Hall
Tolethope Hall in the parish of Little Casterton, Rutland, England, PE9 4BH is a country house near Stamford, Lincolnshire at . It is now the location of the Rutland Theatre of the Stamford Shakespeare Company....
, a 17th-century mansion. Since 1977, it has been used as the venue for an open-air Shakespearean
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
theatre.
The Little Casterton Working Weekend is held in the village each September. Veteran and vintage agricultural machinery is showcased in a working context. Combines, tractors and other equipment demonstrate harvesting, threshing, ploughing and other activities.
The Rutland Dinosaur
In June 1968, the Rutland Dinosaur, a specimen of the sauropod dinosaur CetiosaurusCetiosaurus
Cetiosaurus meaning 'whale lizard', from the Greek cetus/κητος meaning 'sea monster' and saurus/σαυρος meaning 'lizard', was a sauropod dinosaur from the Mid to Late Jurassic Period in what are now Europe and Africa. It is estimated to have been about long and to have weighed roughly...
oxoniensis was found in the Williamson Cliffe quarry in the parish. It was calculated to be around 170 million years old, from the Aalenian
Aalenian
The Aalenian is a subdivision of the Middle Jurassic epoch/series of the geologic timescale that extends from about 175.6 Ma to about 171.6 Ma . It was preceded by the Toarcian and succeeded by the Bajocian.-Stratigraphic definitions:...
or Bajocian
Bajocian
In the geologic timescale, the Bajocian is an age or stage in the Middle Jurassic. It lasted from approximately 171.6 Ma to around 167.7 Ma . The Bajocian age succeeds the Aalenian age and precedes the Bathonian age....
part of the Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
period. It is one of the most complete dinosaur skeletons found in the UK, being fifteen metres long. Since 1975 the remains have been in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
's New Walk Museum
New Walk Museum
The New Walk Museum and Art Gallery is a museum on New Walk in Leicester, England, not far from the city centre. Two dinosaur skeletons are permanently installed in the museum — a cetiosaur found in Rutland , and a plesiosaur from Barrow upon Soar.Other permanent exhibits include an Egyptian area,...
.