The prettiest town in Britain

We are lucky enough to live in a region that has some of the most attractive towns and villages in the UK. At its heart is Stamford, recently described by the Daily Telegraph as the prettiest town in Britain.

Is it any wonder that the town is a popular place to live?

Two recent Allison Homes developments at The Paddocks on Uffington Road and Anvil Mews, close to the town centre, were both snapped up!

So, what is it that makes Stamford so popular? It was recently voted one of the best places to live in the UK by The Sunday Times. It boasts many 17th and 18th century stone buildings, even older timber-framed buildings and five medieval parish churches. The town hosts an annual Georgian festival and international horse trials come to Burghley every September.

The town draws people from a wide area for the pleasure of shopping, often in traffic-free streets and lovely stores in old and quirky buildings. There is a wealth of independent shops, tea rooms and restaurants to enjoy. There is also a market every Friday.

Originally a walled town, Stamford still retains sections of the old wall and many original medieval buildings have been preserved. Its distinctive character was retained when the then Marquess of Exeter, whose family seat is nearby Elizabethan gem Burghley House, successfully opposed the coming of the mainline railway in the mid-19th century.

The rail hub was moved to Peterborough, 20 miles to the east, which grew rapidly, losing its market town identity in the process. Stamford escaped the rampant development of the past 50 years and it was named the UK’s first conservation area while Peterborough became a New Town for London’s urban overspill.

Stamford is a beautiful place to live and visit. Historic buildings abound, with the medieval St Leonard’s Priory and Burghley house just a short walk from the centre of town. A prosperous coaching town in the 18th and 19th centuries mid-way between London and York, Stamford gave rise to some fine hostelries including The George Hotel and the Bull and Swan Inn. It was said that at one time Stamford had more public houses and more churches per head of population than anywhere else in the country.

Both Larkfleet Homes and Allison Homes have developments within easy reach of Stamford, including Buttercross Park in Oakham, Bourne Heights in Bourne and Pinchbeck Fields, near Spalding.