Welcome to The Arts Society Oakham
Oakham is the county town of Rutland.
The name is Saxon and the mediaeval
history of this market town is recalled by
its street names, Buttercross and the
banqueting hall of the 12th century
Norman castle. The hall contains a
collection of decorative horseshoes given
to successive lords of the manor by
monarchs and peers on their first visit.
The Arts Society (formerly the National
Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS)) is an arts-
based charity founded in 1968 by Patricia Fay. NADFAS became The Arts
Society in May 2017.
The Arts Society Oakham is one of
hundreds of local societies, and is well
placed to support the aims of the Arts
Society. Historic architecture, art
galleries, schools, and museums in the
town and surrounding area provide both
stimulus and opportunity for further study.
We hope that members past, present
and future will find interest and
information in these pages, and contact members of the committee for
further details if required.
“Oh! Catmus thou fair vale, come on in grass and
corn! That Beaver ne’er be said thy sisterhood to
scorn, And let thy Ockham boast to have no little
grace, That her the blessed Fates did in thy bosom
place!” Michael Drayton (1563 – 1631): Polyolbion
Oakham was already old when Drayton wrote these
words but his “grass and corn” still predominate in the
surrounding countryside, and are reflected in the
green and gold of the coats of arms of Rutland and
this, its county town.
Web site designed, created and maintained by Janet Groome,
Handshake Computer Training.