The George of Stamford, Lincolnshire
A Brief Introduction to The George
Image: Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The George is located in Stamford, Lincolnshire, just off The Great North Road – a major north-south route connecting London and Edinburgh. The Great North Road has a long history dating back to Roman times. Throughout the medieval period, the road facilitated trade and travel between the northern and southern parts of England and served as a crucial route for merchants, travellers and armies.
As the route passed through several significant towns and cities, including Stamford, Newark, Doncaster, York, Durham and Newcastle, coaching inns were ubiquitous. While the road network has evolved, many of the original historic inns on this iconic route remain, including The George in Stamford.
Believed to have received some royal visitors, it is possible, but speculative, that the likes of Henry VII and Henry VIII stayed at The George while passing through the town on their way north to York. Certainly, we know that subsequent monarchs rested at The George, including the doomed King, Charles I, on the night of March 15, 1641. He was en route to Grantham. He stayed there again four years later on Sunday, August 23, 1645, when travelling from Newark to Huntingdon.
The following excerpt is adapted from georgehotelofstamford.com, which details some of the building’s Tudor history:
‘The exact age of The George is unknown, but historians have called it “A very ancient hostelry, once belonging to the Abbots of Croyland”. Consequently, it is possible that it was standing in 947 A.D. and was included with much of Stamford Baron in a gift made by Turkotul, Chancellor King Edred, to the Abbey of Croyland. Shortly after the Norman Conquest, the lands and buildings that Croyland Abbey held south of the Welland passed into the possession of the Abbey of Peterborough. Therefore, The George, having been owned by the Abbots of Croyland, must be nearly 900 years old at least, and one thousand years seems its probable age.
In the fifteenth century, The George was a place of considerable importance, for a proprietor, John Dickens, was three times Alderman or Chief Magistrate of Stamford in the years 1478, 1483 and 1493. His daughter and heir, Alice, was married to David Cissell or Sicilit, a gentleman of Stamford, who became one of King Henry VIII’s Sergeant at Arms.
David Cissell had a son, Richard, who, in 1539, obtained the grant of the site of the recently dissolved priory of St. Michael as well as the church and 299 acres of land lying in the parish of St. Martins. Richard Cissell was father to William Cecil, the first Lord Burghley, the great Elizabethan statesman, whose descendants, the Marquises of Exeter, are still seated at Stamford at Burghley House.
When Lord Burghley founded his bedehouse on the Welland bank where the hospital of St. John and St. Thomas once stood, he gave the landlord of The George the right to nominate one inmate, in perpetuity. This has never lapsed. The main block of The George Inn was rebuilt by Lord Burghley in 1597, and to this day, his coat of arms is to be seen over the front entrance proclaiming the aristocratic antecedents of this noble hostelry. The Elizabethan stone mullioned lattice windows in the upper storey on the north side of the main block date from this time.’
Stay at The George of Stamford
The George of Stamford is a privately owned hotel. Its restaurants include various dining options, from casual drinks and cream tea to bar snacks and more formal meals. Each room is unique in location, size and layout, ranging from four-poster and superior to single rooms. All stays include morning coffee or tea delivered to your bedroom, morning newspaper, full English breakfast, free Wi-Fi and CCTV car parking. Dogs are welcome, but please let the hotel know when you book.
The hotel offers a warm and comfortable experience in a beautiful historic building, believed to incorporate parts of the original building from nearly nine hundred years ago.
We received a very warm and hospitable welcome when we dropped by on a cold November morning, having visited the nearby tomb of William Cecil, Lord Burghley (his tomb can be found in St Martin’s Church on the opposite side of the road and a little uphill from the George). We were invited to sit by the open fire and enjoy coffee, tea and brunch, even though we were not staying at the hotel. The service, staffing and care are cheerfully but discreetly offered, and I can highly recommend stopping by, even if you choose not to stay overnight.
Historic Properties Nearby
Site of Palace of Collyweston (4 miles)
Site of Fotheringhay Castle (11 miles)
Peterborough Cathedral (18 miles)
Tattershall Castle (47 miles)
Visitor Information
For more details on the accommodation, check out The George at Stamford’s website.
Contact Details: email reservations@georgehotelofstamford.com or call +441780 750700.
Address: The George Hotel of Stamford, 71 St. Martin’s High Street, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 2LB.
