Have you got a favourite place in Leicestershire and Rutland? Well BBC Radio Leicester's Ben Jackson has not one, but five hotspots around the counties. Watch Ben's reports as he takes you on a personal tour of the places he loves in Leicestershire and Rutland. Watch BBC Radio Leicester's Ben Jackson's Pride of Leicestershire and Rutland...So where are Ben's Leicestershire and Rutland loves... The Great Central Railway- Rothley station | | Steam train |
I've been coming down here since I was a child. It's intensely atmospheric. It's like the passengers have only just disappeared for a few minutes, leaving their luggage behind. The truly wonderful thing about this station is the way it recreates the whole Edwardian era. Of course there is one thing that brings this place alive and it's those great fire breathing, steam belching monsters, which still plough up and down the tracks even to this day. And you only have to be here to experience that once, to fall head-over-heels in love. Leicester marketThe market here in the centre of Leicester has over 700 years of continuous history and has been the city's beating heart for all that time. It remains an incredibly exciting and vibrant place to be.  | | A fruit and veg market stall |
On a Friday when I finish presenting the Breakfast Show this is where I come to get the fruit and veg for the weekend. The really remarkable thing about Leicester market is that it really reflects the incredible diversity of Leicester city. There are fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices from literally every single corner of the globe. Bradgate Park- Old JohnThis is one of the most beautiful parts of the whole county if not the whole country, Bradgate Park. Most specifically Old John- the only building in the whole world to be shaped like a beer tankard. Of course everyone has their own reason for loving Bradgate Park. For me it was because I used to come sledging her in the snow when I was a kid. Now, it's because my son learnt to ride his bike here. Old John is one of the highest points in the whole of Leicestershire, from where you can see almost the whole county- all created in remembrance of one mans favourite pastime. Oakham CastleIn the beautiful market town of Oakham in Rutland there's a real gem of the county that's hidden away down some beautiful cobbled streets. It's Oakham castle and I just love this place not only because well, it doesn't even look like a castle but because on a better day than today the stonework just glows. Just one of the many lovely things about this building is that it's covered in strange and ancient carvings but despite the buildings age it still plays an integral part in the life of the county. Until very recently it was the county court house and now you can get married here. Mind you, if you happen to be a peer of the realm it's going to cost you to come and visit the castle because on your first visit to Oakham you have to forfeit a horseshoe. Rutland WaterWell you can't come to Rutland without coming to Rutland Water. It was founded in the 1970's to provide water for over half a million people and it remains one of Europe's largest man-made lakes.  | | Out on the water |
But it's perhaps most well known now for the way people come here to play, whether it be sailing or cycling or even rock climbing. It's special to me for one specific reason. I used to get up before sunrise with my grandfather and we'd drive out here to Rutland Water to go fishing for trout. We'd always make the effort to row the boat across to the half submerged Normanton church just so we could tie up on the rocks here and have our sandwiches. Despite the fact that we never caught much that is the reason why Rutland Water is special to me. Ben's Pride of Leicestershire and Rutland reports were broadcast on BBC East Midlands Today in June 2006. | 
