The compact county of Leicestershire is one of the more anonymous of the English shires, though Leicester itself is saved from mediocrity by its role as a focal point for Britain's Asian community. The county's rolling landscapes are blemished by a series of industrial settlements, though things pick up markedly at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, a pleasing little town graced by the substantial remains of its medieval castle. To the east of Leicestershire lies England's smallest county, Rutland, with two places of note – Oakham, the county town, and Uppingham, both rural centres with some elegant Georgian architecture.