All Photos - Frances Rivetti
One of my favorite places in the Lincolnshire/Cambridgeshire border lands where I was born and raised is the historic Georgian market town of Stamford. And within the town itself, The George ranks as a jewel in the crown of quintessential and enduring English style, design, history, heritage, warmth and hospitality.
It was an absolute treat to stay a few nights on my trip to England this July. My niece's classic country wedding was nearby so there was no excuse not to make a reservation to soak up all that I love best about being home in a part of the country that is not over run by tourists.
Pandemic restrictions may have kept overseas visitors at bay this summer of 2021, though the staycation revival for quality travel and tourism with careful protocol in place was clearly at full throttle in the Stamford area and throughout the country's most scenic locales.
So where is Stamford, you may ask if you've not yet had the time to look beyond London and the Cotswolds for English escapes?
It's located along The Great North Road, one of the most famous highways in the world. Phoenician traders, Ancient Britons and the legions of Rome traversed its storied route. Later, marauding bands of Saxons and Danes and Norman armies followed suit.
For over a thousand years an historic inn has stood by the Welland River crossing in Stamford, Lincolnshire at the roughly 100 mile point north of London and 100 miles south of York, providing food and shelter to the hungry and weary traveler at the half-way mark between these two fabled cities.
This route served as the main highway between England and Scotland from medieval times until the 20th century. In its heyday it was a coaching route for mail coaches and horses between London, York and Edinburgh.
Highwayman Dick Turpin's rapid flight from London to York on his mare Black Bess is one of the most infamous legends of the Great North Road. Several inns claim Turpin took refreshment or stopped for respite for his horse along the route. Though The George of Stamford stakes no claim, The Winchelsea Arms, an inn now known as The Ram Jam Inn, nearby at Stretton, Rutland, is reputed to be one of his haunts.
Today, the A1 more-or-less parallels the original route of the Great North Road. Coaching inns such as The George of Stamford provided staging posts for accommodation, stabling of horses and replacement mounts. In order to make a stop at any one of these gracious old inns that have survived the test of time, motorists must turn off the modern highway and make a detour into town.
The exact age of The George is unknown, but early historians referred to it as: "A very ancient hostelry, once belonging to the Abbots of Croyland". This is of particular interest to me as the ancient town of Croyland, now known as Crowland, located about 18 miles from Stamford, is where I grew up and my folks still live. I bused in and attended Stamford College from age 16 to 19 while studying for my A Levels at the end of my high school years.
It is believed that The George may have been standing in 947 A.D., and was included with much of Stamford Baron in a gift made by Turkotul, chancellor King Edred, to the Abbey of Croyland.
Shortly after the Norman Conquest the lands and buildings that Croyland Abbey held south of the Welland passed into the possession of the Abbey of Peterborough (now cathedral).
The George of early days would have been much smaller in size, for the present inn incorporates the bulk of two former religious houses which bounded the old inn on each side. On the south stood the house of the Holy Sepulchre, a hospital of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, sometimes referred to as Knights Hospitallers.
It was here that the pilgrims and knights of the Holy Sepulchre were hosted and entertained as they traveled from the north on their journey to Jerusalem to visit the Sepulchre of Christ, the knights accompanying the pilgrims for protection.
According to the inn's history page: "We know that in the 15th century, The George was a place of considerable importance, for a proprietor, John Dickens, was three times Alderman or Chief Magistrate of Stamford, in the years 1478, 1483 and 1493. His daughter and heir, Alice, was married to David Cissell or Sicilit, a gentleman of Stamford, who became one of King Henry VIII's Sergeant at Arms. David Cissell had a son, Richard, who in 1539 obtained the grant of the site of the recently dissolved priory of St. Michael as well as the church and 299 acres of land lying in the parish of St. Martins. Richard Cissell was father to William Cecil, the first Lord Burghley, the great Elizabethan statesman, whose descendants, the Marquises of Exeter are still seated at Stamford at Burghley House.
When Lord Burghley founded his bedehouse on the Welland bank where the hospital of St. John and St. Thomas once stood, he gave the landlord of The George in perpetuity the right of nominating one inmate, and this right has never lapsed. The main block of The George inn was rebuilt by Lord Burghley in 1597, and to this day his coat of arms is to be seen over the front entrance proclaiming the aristocratic antecedents of this noble hostelry. The Elizabethan stone mullioned lattice windows in the upper story on the north side of the main block date from this time."
Visitors to the hotel see on their left as they enter a door marked "London" and on their right a doorway marked "York". These two old paneled rooms were the original waiting rooms for passengers gathering for their coaches which changed horses in the hotel yard.
In the west wing of the hotel there was a stately ballroom. Guests in the rooms in this part of the inn may be intrigued to learn that above the ceilings of their rooms, the original lofty ceiling and minstrels gallery still remain as they were over two hundred years ago.
In recent decades the hotel has been modernized for comfort, though considerable care has been taken not to destroy its historical features. Much of the most recent updates and decor has been focused on restoration.
Luxurious accommodation, a cuisine to satisfy the most discerning tastes and excellent service make The George a favorite for return visitors. Its wine cellars are a source of great pride, where fine wine is stored under ideal conditions in vaults which date back to the earliest days of the inn's foundation.
The night before my niece's wedding (rehearsal dinners are not a thing in the UK), my brother, father of the bride, joined my husband Timo and me for supper in The Oak Room restaurant at The George, renowned for its fine dining - with wines to match - in an incredibly beautiful, oak-paneled setting.
We were compelled to opt for succulent and traditional Roast Beef, carved at our table from the silver domed trolley, accompanied by Yorkshire pudding, hot horseradish, mustards, gravy and roast, boiled and mashed potatoes - and a selection of vegetables — the dining room's signature dish.
After supper highlight was the cheese trolley with traditional British cheeses and a Brandy, Armagnac and Whiskey trolley assortment.
During the summer months, and between seasons, the à la Carte Restaurant has tables outside under the heated canopy. We were fortunate to have gorgeous sunshine throughout our stay at The George and reveled in morning breakfast outdoors under sun umbrellas in cobblestone, courtyard seating.
English decor is never complete without a folly or two. The ladies' bathrooms are the perfect example!
After dashing around visiting our two families, a little quiet time over tea was a tonic to process all that we'd undertaken to travel safely from the States to the UK during the pandemic.
The day after the wedding we had a few hours to ourselves for a wander along the River Welland and into and around the grounds of Burghley House. Burghley is one of the largest and grandest surviving houses of the sixteenth century and a magnificent example of the great Elizabethan ‘prodigy’ houses.
Conceived by William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I, between 1555 and 1587, Burghley is a testament to the ambition and vision of the most powerful courtier of the first Elizabethan age.
Green tranquil walks, modern sculpture abound. The gardens and parkland that we experience today at Burghley were largely designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in the 18th century.
There are sweeping vistas leading down to the spires of Stamford in the parkland and an oasis of flowing water to be viewed in the Garden of Surprises. We enjoyed a tranquil walk next to the lake after passing by the Sunday picnics with envy. British picnics, complete with wicker hampers, bubbly, cucumber sandwiches, scones and tartan rugs are certainly back in vogue.
William Cecil, the first Lord Burghley, had a strong sense of family. Burghley House, the Cecil family’s home for over sixteen generations, continues to be the centerpiece for this sense of shared legacy.
Burghley Estate was endowed to the Burghley House Preservation Trust by the 6th Marquess of Exeter in 1987. Made up of Burghley House, farmland, woodland, and a significant property portfolio, the Estate covers an array of residential, agricultural and commercial properties including hotels, pubs and offices with additional quarries, gardens and allotments as well as the rights to sporting activities. Horse trials were taking place the day we visited.
I've visited Burghley House and its superb Sculpture Garden many times in the past, so we didn't make an indoor tour this time, but I'll be back! The collection of Fine Art held within Burghley House is extensive and varied and includes many highly important objects. The collection of Italian Old Master paintings is one of the finest in private hands. The collections of both Oriental and European ceramics are world famous and of great interest to scholars. Fine English and Continental furniture, 17th century Objects of Vertu, English portrait miniatures and European Works of Art all feature strongly, whilst the collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles is thought to be one of the finest in the Western world.
I was relieved to find most of the shops in Stamford's bustling center have made it through the country's extended stay-home orders as well as the Saturday street market. It's such a pleasurable town to potter around for a few hours of window shopping and boutique browsing.
In the words of Stamford's visitor's program: "A joyous coincidence of geography and geology has allowed Stamford to remain the "finest stone town in England", its prosperity drawn from the wool trade and its historical position as a mail coach inter-change on the Great North Road almost halfway between London and York.
Stamford was the first town in the country to create a conservation area in 1967 and it has this to thank for the fact that over the subsequent half century much of its historical architectural heritage has remained intact. See Martin Smith's History of Stamford
Stamford is idyllic enough to have formed the backdrop for television costume dramas such as Middlemarch and the 2005 film Pride & Prejudice. It is regularly a finalist in The Sunday Times the best place to live in Britain survey."
If You Go
Getting There
Stamford is easily accessible by train from London's King's Cross to Peterborough and a short change of train directly into the heart of Stamford. It's quite feasible to make this a long weekend or two or three day get-away without a car if you are mobile enough on foot. Plan a half-day either end of your stay if traveling in and out of London.
To drive, connect motorways out of London to take the A1 North for approx 100 miles.
The town boasts 11 churches, 30 pubs, 20 restaurants and over 10 quality hotels and guest houses. Most of the pubs serve Real Ale and are easy walking distance of the town centre, railway and bus stations. Shopping is a pleasure in a pedestrianized main street with a wide choice of boutique-style independently owned clothing, home and curiosity shops and small, upscale chain stores. It's a foodie's haven with its range of butchers, bakers and fishmongers.
Click here for the website for The George.
I highly recommend you figure out the eight hour time difference if calling from California and booking directly. The staff are super responsive and helpful and will advise you of best rates. In these times of rapidly changing travel directives, its better to be safe than sorry with regards to cancellation fees etc. If you book a meal in the inn, you'll receive a discount on one of your room nights.
Burghley House is open every Wednesday to Sunday and the Gardens are open daily. Pre-booking your time slot is essential prior to your arrival.
Admission to the House & Gardens is valid with House & Gardens or Gardens Only ticket. Your ticket is valid for 365 days, allowing you to return as many times as you like from the date of purchase. All visitors and staff are required to continue to wear face masks, coverings or visors inside the House at all times.
