Stamford and its history

14 Stamford and its history

STAMFORD

Stamford is a town and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, on the River Welland, just 92 miles north of London on the A1. The town has an array of 17th and 18th-century stone buildings, older timber-framed buildings and medieval parish churches.

Rated ‘the best place to live’ in a survey by The Sunday Times in 2013, the area is packed with history and

culture, with the town centre being home to many independents and drawing people from a wide area for the pleasure of shopping, often in traffic-free streets.

There is so much to see and do in the town and its surrounding areas, so as well as visiting the 3 KNEAD venues located here, use our out and about guide on page 34 to explore what’s on offer.

Stamford first came to prominence in the 9th and 10th centuries as one of the 5 controlling boroughs of Danelaw. It was one of the first towns to produce glazed wheel-thrown pottery after the departure of the Romans.

Stamford prospered under the Normans with an economy based mainly on wool; it was particularly famous for its woven cloth called haberget. The town’s excellent communication routes via the Great North Road and the River Welland to the North Sea ensured the success of its trade.

By the 13th century, Stamford was one of the 10 largest towns in England. It had a castle, 14 churches, 2 monastic institutions, and 4 friaries. Many buildings survive from this period. The removal of the main wool trade to East Anglia in the 15th century forced the town into decline, and the trade that remained was concentrated in the hands of rich merchants like the Browne family. These merchants helped rebuild many of the churches in the mid-late 15th century. William Browne also founded an almshouse which remains one of the best surviving medieval almshouses in England, complete with exemplary stained glass. Stamford and its history 15

While the overall decline continued into the 16th century, Stamford was linked to national affairs by local man William Cecil, who became secretary of state to Queen Elizabeth I. Burghley House, the palatial mansion he built for his mother, survives as one of the crowning glories of the Tudor age.

After the Restoration of 1660, the town recovered as improvements to the Great North Road encouraged road trade and the river was made navigable again by a canal. However, the arrival of the railway in the 1830s signalled a death blow to the coaching trade and so to Stamford’s fortunes.

The main line to the north bypassed the town and stunted industrial development. The lack of industrialisation together with the traditional, almost feudal relationship between town and house (the Cecil’s of Burghley were Stamford’s landlords) preserved and pickled the town so that today the historic urban fabric survives almost unscathed.

Stamford is a unique treasure trove of English architecture built in the finest stone that this country has to offer.

Adapted from Martin Smith’s History of Stamford – stamford.co.uk/tourism/history.shtml