Stamford
Stamford is built almost entirely from local limestone, with five medieval church spires and streets of largely unaltered Georgian townhouses that have made it one of the best-preserved stone towns in England — it was designated the country's first conservation area back in 1967 specifically to protect that character.
That unspoiled Georgian streetscape has made Stamford a regular choice as a filming location for period drama, standing in for other towns and eras on screen precisely because so little of the modern high street has intruded on it. On the edge of town, Burghley House — a vast Elizabethan house built for William Cecil, Lord Burghley, and still the seat of the Cecil family — sits in parkland landscaped by Capability Brown and hosts the Burghley Horse Trials each autumn.
The town itself is a comfortable size for walking, with independent shops, pubs and restaurants concentrated around St Mary's Street and Red Lion Square, and Stamford's own art deco cinema still in operation on the high street.
Where to Stay in Stamford
- The George of Stamford — a historic coaching inn on the old Great North Road, with galleried courtyards dating back centuries.
- The William Cecil — set within Burghley Park itself, named for the house's original builder.
- The Bull and Swan at Burghley — a village inn with rooms just outside town, on the Burghley estate.
Getting there
Stamford has a direct rail line to Peterborough, with connections on to London, and sits just off the A1, making it a straightforward stop for anyone travelling up the east side of the country.