DANA HUNTLEY
What’s so cool about Stamford?
Stamford is a market town of 20,000 people in southern Lincolnshire. From the early Middle Ages, Stamford profited from its location on the Great North Road that led between London, York and Edinburgh. The gentle countryside of the River Welland valley made the town prosperous enough in the medieval wool trade to support the building of 14 churches. Five remain. Then, local grandee William Cecil became right-hand man to Elizabeth I, and built Burghley House on the edge of town. By the 18th century, more than 40 stagecoaches a day plied the Great North Road, and Stamford became an overnight stop—halfway between London and York. It became a town full of coaching inns. The whole quaint town became designated a conservation area in 1967—the first such town to be so protected.
www.southwestlincs.com
How to get to Stamford?
Head north from London on the Great North Road. Stamford lies on the A1 at the southern tip of Lincolnshire. There is plenty to see along the way, but allow several hours at least. Stamford is also on the rail line. From London you’d travel from King’s Cross and change trains at Peterborough, or from St. Pancras and change at Leicester.
Where to stay in Stamford?
Those old coaching inns are a great part of the Stamford experience. The Bull&Swan describes itself at “Quirky Luxury” and the description fits. Each of its sumptuous bedrooms is named for a member of the Order of Little Bedlam—a 17th-century drinking club sponsored by the 5th Earl of Exeter just up the road at Burghley House. Young executive chef, Phil, is talented and enthusiastic. The dining is terrific. www.thebullandswan.co.uk
Just down the street, The George has been one of England’s most famous coaching inns for decades. It deserves its reputation. The lounge bar is now in the waiting room for stagecoach passengers to York. On a warm afternoon, take tea in the cobbled courtyard.
www.georgehotelofstamford.com
The Crown Hotel on All Saints Place has perhaps the best location in the town center, and features beautifully appointed rooms and a locally sourced, traditional English menu.
www.thecrownhotelstamford.co.uk
Where to start …
You can’t go wrong beginning any market town visit with a stop at the Tourist Information Centre. Stamford’s is in the Stamford Arts Centre on St. Mary’s Street. It’s centrally located, but there’s no convenient parking close by. Pick up a street map and visitor’s guide—and check out what’s going on, from farmers markets to music performances. There is a popular and easily followed Town Trail that leads through passageways and market squares.
DANA HUNTLEY
DANA HUNTLEY
What’s the highlight?
The highlight of any visit to Stamford is Burghley House. The extraordinary Elizabethan mansion is regarded as perhaps the finest in the country. Though it has gone through modifications over the centuries, the integrity of its 16th-century architecture has remained intact. Generations of Cecil nobility added to its collections of art and furnishings. In addition to visiting the state rooms and estate complex at Burghley, there are also the Gardens of Surprise and a renowned garden of contemporary sculpture. In the 1,300 acres of surrounding parkland, the huge herd of fallow deer has been grazing since 1585.www.burghley.co.uk
Take lunch
By the time you’ve explored Burghley House and gardens, you may be ready to take lunch at the lovely café there in the Or-angerie. If you decide to head back into town, there is no shortage of delightful options along High Street, around Red Lion Square and down by the river. On Fridays, Broad Street and its environs host one of the finest markets in East Midlands—with unlimited picnic options. For coffees and cakes, the recommendation is Truffles on St. Mary’s Hill.
In the afternoon
Stamford is a great place for just looking around. Sir Walter Scott called Stamford “the finest stone town in England,” and it still may be. After all, the old town center has more than 600 listed buildings built of locally quarried light gray limestone. Those five medieval churches are generally open to visit. Do climb the steps to Browne’s Hospital on Broad Street. The 1474 almhouses contain original furniture and stained glass. Though you’ll get inside only on weekends (11-4), the old cloister and terraces are awash with flowers. The Burghley Almshouses are worth a look, too, down by the river. On the edge of town are the 12th-century ruins of St. Leonard’s Priory. Stamford is also a far better than average shopping town, with a gaggle of interesting antique emporiums, booksellers and specialty shops.
DANA HUNTLEY
Dinner in town?
This is one time when you may not have to go far. The dining rooms of both the George and the Bull & Swan offer perhaps the town’s finest dinner options. The Toby Norris Inn on St. Paul’s St., which was built in 1695 and looks it, serves great food, from top-drawer pizzas to a diverse grill menu at moderate prices. Very cool place. Again, abundant options are readily at hand in the town center—fast food, good ethnic choices and pub grub.
DANA HUNTLEY
For the evening
The Arts Centre is one of the oldest provincial theaters in England, built in 1768. Throughout the year it hosts an active calendar of productions and performances. www.stamfordartscentre.com
The Corn Exchange Theatre on Broad Street also boasts a full program of arts events and drama productions by local amateur and professional companies. www.stamford-corn-exchange.co.uk
In the summer, the Stamford Shakespeare Company performs at nearby Tolethorpe Hall, regarded as one of the finest open air theaters in Europe. www.stamfordshakespeare.com
Neat to know
If you’d really like to hear the story of Stamford, take a walking tour with Blue Badge guide and local historian Jill Collinge. Ask at the TIC in the Arts Centre, or ring her directly at 01780 410780.
You might visit the unusual grave of Daniel Lambert in St.Mary’s Cemetery. Lambert was a man of great renown and great size, weighing 739 pounds and measuring more than nine feet around when he dies at age 39 in 1809. The gravestone tells his story.
Early every September, Stamford becomes an equestrian magnet, inundated for the world-famous Burghley Horse Trials.
www.burghley-horse.co.uk