Stamford, UK A History of the Town Photos © Stamford Living

Often referred to as the "finest stone town in England", Stamford's recorded history stretches back well over 1,000 years to Roman times. Located on the Great North Road between London and the North, Stamford lies 100 miles north of London bordering an area of renowned natural beauty called the Rutlands, known for its expances of meadows and wetlands. A short trip from historic Peterborough and Cambridge, Stamford developed in the middle ages as a prosperous market town closely associated with pottery making and the wool trade.

The River Welland runs through the center of the town linking London to the North Seas. As the crossroads for trade and commerce, 13th Century Stamford became one of the ten largest towns in England. The town is still framed by an old wall that protected the old town and many of the buildings that still exist from this era, including four grand medieval churches, reflect its status as a cultural center for the region. The weekly market that still takes place dates back to medieval times when Stamford was a center for commerce.

The town escaped the ravages of the Civil War and in the 17th Century became the principal staging post for coaches traveling the length of the country. The commerce that lay at the heart of Stamford's location suffered a blow in the 1830s with the arrival of rail travel. The new rail line bypassed the town. Fortunately, this preserved the town from 19th Century industrialization and now Stamford town center exists as a veritable treasure trove of ancient architecture with buildings from all eras. Its picturesque character has made it popular for filmmakers wanting to recreate the past in historical dramas. The 1993 BBC's production of George Elliots' classic Middlemarch (a Masterpiece Theater Production) used Stamford at the heart of its production declaring it:

"absolutely stunning .... gently rolling countryside just west of the fen edge .... a landscape of woods and agriculture punctuated by delightful stone villages and aristocratic estates"