H & L

Sir Walter Scott called it "The finest stone town in England", and John Betjeman "the most attractive in England". Many would agree! In 2013, The Sunday Times was singing the town's praises by declaring it to be the best place to live, and in 2019 it came into

The Sunday Times' top 10 places to reside.

It is worth noting that Stamford (possibly named after the local "Stone Ford" or river) is one of England's mediaeval walled towns. Although the wall only exists in a few places and the town has expanded greatly beyond its original boundaries, ancient maps show the existence of a walled enclosure with postern and toll gates. The town has many historic and listed buildings, some constructed of warm cream-coloured stone and local slate roofs, others include timber-framed constructions. Situated in the South of Lincolnshire, on the edge of Rutland, Stamford has the River Welland and lush green meadows at its heart. Originally it had its own castle, and no less than 14 churches (possibly 7 was the largest number at any one time), with numerous other religious institutions in addition. Add to this a possible 64 hostelries (all at one time, although the number could be much higher), 

a market and fairs charter, and a once vast wool-growing industry, it has been a thriving community through the ages. 

Stamford became a Conservation Town in 1967, and its main thoroughfare which had once been part of the old Great North Road, was replaced by the A1 bypass, easing the traffic flow through the town. While many of its original inns have now disappeared, and there are now 5 of the original churches, there is still a delightful mix of surviving medieval, Georgian and Victorian buildings, the meadows and river, a history of several famous residents, 

and the legacy of being a film set for popular films and television series.

With all this taken into account, Stamford is certainly a very special town in which to live!