Stamford

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Stamford is an Absolutely Must See

Whenever we have visitors from out of town, Stamford is a place we have to show them. The entire town is built of Cotswold stone. It is one of the few remaining stone-built towns in England.

At one time it was a walled town but little of that wall remains. Stamford is so picturesque that it has been the site for filming the movies Pride and Prejudice, and The Da Vinci Code. It has also been used as the setting for the BBC production of Middlemarch.

Stamford

Don't forget your camera and be sure you have room for lots of pictures because you will need it!

From the 15th century onward the town was dominated by rich merchants such as the Browne family and also by the Cecil family. William Cecil was the secretary of state to Queen Elizabeth I. What resulted was very close to a feudal relationship between the merchants, the Cecil family, and the residents of the town. Most of the town was owned by these people and if you wanted to live there you had to rent from them. At this time elections were not secret ballot and there was always a Cecil running for office. The Cecil's actually evicted people from their homes when the head of the family voted for someone other than a Cecil.

The town did benefit from the rich merchants and the Cecils because these were the people who built the churches and other fine buildings in Stamford. By the 17th century the town began to prosper again when improvements were made to the North Road and the River Welland was made navigable again by the addition of a canal. The increased travel encouraged the building of hotels and other accommodations and new merchants began arriving in Stamford.

Pride and Prejudice Stamford Lincolnshire

It is probable that the town owes its preservation to the fact that the coming of the railways to England in the 1830's dampened the coach trade that Stamford had enjoyed for some time. Industrialization occurred elsewhere where there was railway access. Another factor in its preservation is the fact that it was relatively untouched by the Civil War.

Stamford is a town of churches. There are fourteen churches standing at the present time. All Saints' Church, built in the 13th century, is located on Red Lion Square, the central market place. The architecture is Gothic and the stained glass windows are beautiful. Other churches you will want to visit are St. John's and St. Martin's both built in the 15th century.

Burghley House

South of town stands Burghley House, the grand Elizabethan home of the Cecil family built in the 1500's. This is well worth a visit for both the house and the grounds. If you saw the movie, The Da Vinci Code, you have seen this house.

Stamford Museum on Broad Street has historical and archeological displays as well as archives for researchers.

It is time to purchase your tickets for the Stamford Shakespeare Festival 2007

This year the plays presented are:

The Importance of Being Earnest
The Taming of the Shrew
Antony and Cleopatra

The open air theatre is at Tolethorpe Hall and it has covered seating. There is a large picnic area close by where you can eat before the play. You can either take your own food or order a picnic in advance. If you would rather eat indoors, there is a pre-performance restaurant. There is also a theatre bar.

To get there go to Little Casterton two miles from Stamford.

You can order tickets on line here . Seat prices are £9-£16.

The George Hotel on High Street is a popular place to stay and eat and while you are there you can take a look at this grand old building. Parts of the cellar possibly date from the 10th century but the hotel you see now was built in the 16th century by Lord Burghley, Willam Cecil.

For a list of hotels in Stamford click here. Even if you didn't visit any of the above attractions, you would have a fun time wandering around the narrow streets and alleyways.

Here are a few places to eat.

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