Historic gem with widescreen appeal

Known for its eye-catching architecture, specialist shops and leisure offering, Stamford is also a magnet for film and TV crews wishing to capture its unique charm.

With its unique mix of history and stunning Georgian architecture, together with riverside walks and picturesque shopping streets, it’s no surprise that visitors continue to flock to Stamford and its scenic surroundings.

Sir Walter Scott declared it to be “the finest stone town in England” and features more than 600 listed buildings of striking limestone, including five spectacular medieval churches.

With such rich heritage on its doorstep, it’s easy to understand why this historic town, which became the first designated conservation area in England and Wales in 1967, has often been voted among the best places to live in England.

Whether you’re visiting for a day, weekend or even longer, there’s always plenty to see and do. Narrow lanes and hidden courtyards invite a slow stroll while exploring its many independent shops and eateries. The town centre and area around St Martins offer a wealth of independent boutiques with leading brands including Fairfax & Favor, Sophie Allport, The White Company, White Ginger, M&S Simply Food, Adnams, and Anand Shoes among some of its favourites.

If you’re looking for a variety of shops all under one roof, take a trip to the Corn Exchange Café & Shops, which is home to 29 individual, independent retailers, including Uptown Vinyl Records (music memorabilia, plus collections of vinyl, CDs and music videos), Stamford Sewing Shop (large range of haberdashery, knitting supplies) Ali’s Allsorts (gifts, tea towels, bags, mugs, postcards and other memorabilia), and the Fork Emporium (antique and vintage cutlery crafted into handmade cutlery jewellery).

ANTIQUE SHOPPING
Antiques and ephemera specialist shops feature in abundance around the town too, with a number of friendly and welcoming independent retailers offering a variety of collectables, traditional furniture and keepsakes.

Hoptroff & Lee, Antiques in the Alley, which featured on BBC TV’s Antiques Road Trip, is an Aladdin’s cave with a wide range of quirky and retro treasures with an ever-changing stock of antiques, vintage home collectables, toys, breweriana, and curios.

For more information visit www.hoptroffandlee.co.uk

Another popular independent is Claire Langley at Hallidays Yard, who has more than 30 years’ experience in restoring, buying and selling antiques.  

Claire’s career started in 1985, training as a restorer in Brighton and London, and subsequently having her own restoration business in Cambridge, before opening her first shop in Stamford in 1994.

The shop offers hand-picked antiques, bespoke furniture, lighting and decorative items, with a special ‘Garden Room’ where urns and planters sit alongside faux and real plants.

Across the yard from the shop is a large 3,500 sq ft warehouse housing a vast selection of period sofas and chairs, alongside restoration and upholstery workshops, open to both trade and the public. For more information visit www.clairelangley.co.uk

A variety of antique traders can be found housed together at the St Martin’s Antiques Centre, which was founded in 1993 and is now home to more than 70 independent dealers.

Open seven days a week, visitors can enjoy browsing around an eclectic mix of “finds” from fine quality furniture dating back to the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian periods, with strong displays of Arts & Crafts, Art Deco, vintage and country pine. There are also fine porcelain, glass, copper, brass and silver items, plus clocks and watches, jewellery, books, pictures and prints, textiles and old leather goods.

The centre itself trades from a building steeped in industrial heritage, where horse-drawn carriages were manufactured in the late 1800s, and where HJ Pick ran the New Pick Motor Company from 1904.

Today there is a small car park to the rear, or the town car parks are within a 5-10 minute walk. For more information visit www.st-martins-antiques.co.uk

STEP INTO HISTORY
With its many unspoilt streets and buildings, in recent years Stamford has also established itself as a popular place for TV and film production companies to explore in their search for authentic historical locations for period filming.

This has also seen a number of accompanied ‘movie location’ tours being set up, including Stamford Sights & Secrets Tours, which organises guided walks to sites of several award-winning productions including Pride & Prejudice, The Crown and The Da Vinci Code.

Stamford Town Guided Tours also offers a 90-minute walking tour, following in the footsteps of Stamford’s ancestors while discovering how the town has changed over 1,000 years.

These tours are led by ‘The Mayor’s Guides’ who are all trained by and operate under the direction of Jill Collinge, one of the Blue Badge Guides for the region and The Official Town Tour Guide. Jill has more than 35 years’ experience as a guide and lecturer and has also hosted TV, celebrity and royal visits to the town.

For more information visit www.thestamfordtownguidedtours.co.uk

Another must-visit is nearby Burghley House, one of England’s grandest Elizabethan houses, which is set in beautiful parkland designed by ‘Capability’ Brown.

This magnificent 16th-century house, which is also home to the famous annual Defender Burghley Horse Trials in September, is the perfect place to soak up history and nature in one outstanding location.

Burghley Estate’s 2026 season kicks off with the Gardens & Adventure Play reopening on 14th February, followed by Burghley House reopening to visitors on 14th March, with special events such as the Battle Proms (11th July) and Classic Ibiza (25th July) among its outdoor events later in the year. For more information visit www.burghley.co.uk

ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORT
Dating back to the 18th century, Stamford Arts Centre is a family-friendly theatre which also runs workshops and crafts sessions throughout the year.

This thriving multi-arts venue provides the opportunity to experience and participate in a wide selection of art forms from theatre, cinema, music and poetry to sculpture, dance, painting and drawing. Throughout the year professional touring theatre companies visit the 166-seat theatre, which also doubles up as a cinema screening a variety of films including Hollywood blockbusters, arthouse and world cinema releases.

The beautiful ballroom regularly hosts a range of concerts, including its classical music season that runs from October through to May every year, as well as dances and workshops.

For fitness enthusiasts, the popular annual road race, Stamford Striders St Valentine’s 30K, takes place on 15th February. The course is a pleasant, scenic, rural route that starts on the road immediately outside Stamford Welland Academy. This event is run each year on the Sunday closest to St Valentine’s Day and is recognised nationally as a tough event, providing a good training race for those planning a spring marathon.

For those looking for a slightly less strenuous challenge, the Burghley 7 Road Race is a seven-mile closed-road race through the historic streets of Stamford and the private grounds of the Burghley Estate on Sunday 1st March, with the finish line in front of the magnificent Burghley House.

QUALITY LEARNING AT STAMFORD WELLAND ACADEMY
Stamford Welland Academy continues to build a strong reputation as a nurturing and community-minded school, committed to supporting the whole child through both academic and personal development.

Under the leadership of Principal Victoria Lloyd, the academy emphasises a holistic approach, ensuring students feel known, valued and supported throughout their school journey.

Wellbeing sits at the heart of this ethos. The school has developed a robust mental health and wellbeing programme, recognised nationally, which has been receiving accolades such as The Carnegie Mental Health Award and The Safeguarding Initiative.

Initiatives such as the introduction of Buddy, the school’s therapy dog, demonstrate a creative and compassionate approach – providing emotional support, reducing anxiety and helping students build confidence in a calm, nurturing environment.

With its focus on safety, belonging and emotional resilience, Stamford Welland Academy is more than a place of learning – it is a community where young people grow, thrive and feel supported every step of the way.

Please contact the reception to book a tour on 01780 761000 or visit www.stamfordwellandacademy.org

EXPERIENCE MINI TANK DRIVING IN STAMFORD
Kids of all ages will enjoy taking the controls of one of four mini tanks in a woodland setting at Tanktopia. Whether you are 8 or 80-plus, drive as a fully-fledged Tank Commander at Forest Facility Adventure Centre, near Stamford.

The woodland track offers a range of tank based experiences to be enjoyed as part of your day at Forest Facility Adventure Centre, or add tanks to your Laser Tag session for an added challenge.

Your comfort and safety is paramount from the moment you arrive. Height restrictions may apply but for smaller children booster seats are available. Ear defenders are provided for all Tank Commanders and depending on the weather, there are rain macs, sun hats and sunglasses available.

Prices start from £22, depending on your chosen experience. You can book your birthday party, stag or hen do, a team building event, or Tanktopia can bring two tanks to you, simply get in touch to discuss your event.

Find out more at www.tanktopia.co.uk

SPARKLING SELECTION AT LANES FINE JEWELLERY
Situated in Stamford’s Red Lion Square, Lanes Fine Jewellery offers an exquisite range of fine diamond jewellery.

As diamond specialists creating their own jewellery from only the best individually selected diamonds, the skilled team pride themselves on offering quality and value with friendly and relaxed customer service.

Owned and run by husband and wife team Ercan and Carli Onguc, this highly respected jeweller specialises in diamonds and precious stones, with a wide range of wedding and engagement rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

GIA and IGI certificated diamond engagement rings are in stock, along with natural coloured diamonds, diamond tennis bracelets and line necklaces, as well as diamond studs and pendants.

It also offers bespoke engagement rings and staff can help to design something exclusive to the customer.

“With a background in Bond Street and Hatton Garden we have connections to sources of the world’s rarest and most precious diamonds, with each and every diamond being hand-picked for beauty and sparkle by our discerning diamond buyer.

“We offer classic diamond jewellery including diamond engagement rings, line necklaces and tennis bracelets, but can create anything a client desires as our jewellery is all bespoke and made by us!

“Among the fine designs we specialise in are line necklaces, classic tennis bracelets, and stunning natural-coloured diamonds such as natural yellow and pink diamond jewellery. We can also supply solitaire diamond engagement rings as well as three-stone diamond rings and precious gemstones such as ruby and sapphire.

Our oval shaped three-stone diamond ring with pear-shaped diamond shoulders is a stunning and popular choice.”

Five-star service
An individual consultation service is all part of Lanes’ unrivalled customer experience.

“When you come to visit us, there is no rush. Our client consultations are informal, and no appointment is necessary. We spend time getting to know the client and making suggestions.

“It’s a collaborative process without any pressure so that the customer feels confident and happy in their choice.

“All of our wedding rings are made for the client in question, we offer a selection of styles to try on in-store which we then make to the exact specifications.

“The precious metal chosen has an impact on the budget and we will guide the client to the most appropriate choice depending on any existing jewellery, along with what works for their budget.

“We have a huge range of finishes that can be added to the wedding band, traditional and contemporary, and we can add stones such as diamonds too.”

Lanes Fine Jewellery offers additional services such as repairs, valuations, remodelling, part-exchange and valuations for insurance and probate.

“We also offer a selection of pre-owned jewellery, some antique, which can be fantastic value for money as there is no VAT on these items and all our pre-owned jewellery is fully refurbished.

For more information visit www.lanesjewellers.com

CLIFFSIDE WINDOWS LEADS THE WAY IN HOME UPGRADES
Based in Dunston, Cliffside Windows provides quality, affordable double glazed uPVC products and options for superb, long-lasting conservatories throughout Lincolnshire.

As Lincolnshire’s longest trading manufacturers and installers of double glazed uPVC products and quality conservatories, Cliffside Windows has established its reputation over the past 50 years as a trusted local business.

“Through unique, specialist experience we have identified the products our customers want – high-performance, low maintenance, long-lasting and affordable uPVC windows and doors.

“Whether you’re looking for a new front door, a stunning conservatory or a houseful of replacement windows, we can offer you a comprehensive quote which includes our supply, fit and aftercare service.

“If you’re considering adding a stylish living space, we offer a variety of quality made-to-measure conservatories in a range of styles designed for year-round use.”

Classic styles
Cliffside installs a range of conservatories, offering customers in Lincolnshire the latest styles and designs of high-performance products.

Give your home a new look with a classic conservatory and choose from Victorian or Edwardian styles, or take a look at their range of sun lounge conservatories and orangeries to suit every style.

“From stylish windows and secure doors to stunning conservatories and more, we can help bring your vision to life.

“Our installations come with a FENSA guarantee along with an insurance backed guarantee. We handle the process from day one, designing your conservatory to seeing out the whole project, managing brickwork, installation of the frames and roof, plastering etc.

“We also supply and install for commercial projects, such as fitting new windows in schools and council buildings, in every sort of building across Lincolnshire.

“Our professional fitters work efficiently to install your new uPVC double glazing or roofline products and you can be sure that you’ll only be more impressed with the final result.”

LEKA systems
The industry leader in lightweight, tiled conservatory roof solutions offering a comfortable, year-round living space, Cliffside Windows is the main stockist of the revolutionary LEKA Systems.

LEKA products were originally designed as a replacement conservatory roof system and proved the perfect option for refurbishing inefficient conservatories that are cold in winter and too hot in summer.

Unlike a traditional glass roof, the LEKA System is nearly half the weight and delivers better insulation.

While other lightweight roofs are made from aluminium and timber which makes them heavy, the Lightweight LEKA systems are made from a Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) structural framework.

The JHAI-approved roof systems offer superior energy efficiency, boasting U-values as low as 0.12, making them a market standout.

“Whatever home improvement product you choose to explore, our friendly and helpful on site expert team are always happy to help guide you to make the perfect choice.”

For more information visit www.cliffsidewindows.co.uk

RELAX AND REVIVE AT TALLINGTON LAKES
Tallington Lakes is ideally located close to Peterborough and Stamford, which means that you don’t have to travel far to dicover a slice of heaven by the water.

This fantastic community is set in over 300 acres with the vast majority of our homes enjoying stunning lakeside views. And it’s not just the views that make the park so special, you can also live here 365 days of the year!

Tallington Lakes has become a sought after park for the placement of a wide variety of desirable luxury lodges from a variety of manufacturers, and with prices starting from £140,000 there really is something to suit all budgets.

“All our homes feature an open plan living space providing lakeside views with two bedrooms and bathrooms, although three-bedroom homes are also available.

“Today, Tallington Lakes leisure activities run alongside the Goodlife Lodge Company, which help those looking for a change of life to settle around the lakes.

“Our dedicated advisors are on-hand seven days a week and we believe that you will choose Tallington Lakes because it is right for you.”

If you’re curious about what Tallington Lakes has to offer and what lodge life would be like, why not give the team a call on tel: 0800 5642266 or email info@goodlifelodge.com

For more info visit www.tallington.com or www.goodlifelodge.com

Photographs: Mick Fox

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