Links & Resources
Orchards and Fruit
British to the Core - BBC 4 documentary about British apples presented by Chris Beardshaw
Family Orchards - article by Dr Rupert Sheldrake - Resurgence & Ecologist Journal Sept/Oct 2013
Golden Oldies: How We Saved Our Heritage Apples - article by Val Bourne about Hill Close Gardens in Warwick - The Telegraph 15 October 2016
People's Trust for Endangered Species - responsible on behalf of Natural England for protecting traditional orchard habitats
Stamford Community Orchard Group (SCOG) - a non-profit making group whose aim is to rediscover and preserve Stamford's lost apples
The Age of Fruit Trees - informative article on the history of old fruit trees by Bernwode Fruit Trees
Warner's King Apple Blossom Unfolding - a beautiful time-lapse YouTube video by Neil Bromhall
Allotment Gardens
Hill Close Gardens: The Unique Hedged Gardens of Warwick - These beautifully-restored gardens share a very similar history to ours in Waterfurlong.
The People's Land: The Rise and Fall of the Guinea Garden - article by the late Professor Chris Upton - originally published in the Birmingham Post
Stamford Gardens and Allotments - article by Jean Orpin and Sue Lee - Stamford Living April 2018
History of Stamford
BRADCROFT
Bradcroft, A Hidden Place In Rutland - article by Professor Alan Rogers - Rutland Local History & Record Society Newsletter Apr 2011
BREWERIES, PUBS AND INNS
From Albion to Woolpack, an historical look at Stamford's Breweries and Watering Holes - article by Al Tutt (the author used to work at Stamford museum)
The History of the George of Stamford
BULL RUNNING
The Stamford Bull Run - article by Customs Demised
Taking The Bull By The Horns - article by Richard Lowe-Lauri - History Today 10 October 2012
BURGHLEY HOUSE
Burghley - book by Lady Victoria Leatham, Jon Culverhouse and Dr Eric Till. Published by Heritage House Group, 2010.
Burghley House - The Curious House Guest, Series 1 Episode 5 - BBC video
Phil Spencer's Stately Homes - Episode 1, Burghley House - Channel 4 video
Note: there is also a 2013 documentary on Burghley in Julian Fellowes's (author of Downton Abbey) 'Great Houses' series, which might be available in your area.
CHURCHES AND CHAPELS
Stamford Barn Hill Wesleyan Methodist Chapel - Lincolnshire archives
The Stained Glass of All Saints Parish Church, Stamford - book by Rachel Arnold - published by The Choir Press, 2016.
ENCLOSURE
The Open Field System of an Urban Community: Stamford in the Nineteenth Century - article by Stuart Elliott
GENERAL
Stamford in 50 Buildings - book by Chris Davies - published by Amberley Publishing - 2017
Stamford Local History Society
Stamford Mercury: Three Centuries of Newspaper Publishing - book by David Newton and Martin Smith - published by Paul Watkins' Publishing, 1999
Stamford Through Time - book by Chris Davies - published by Amberley Publishing, 2010 -features photographs of old Stamford with modern counterparts
The Book of Stamford - book by Alan Rogers - published by Barracuda Books - 1983
The Story of Stamford - book by Martin Smith - printed in 1994 by unknown publisher - usually available from Amazon.
INDUSTRY
John Marriott Blashfield and The Stamford Terracotta Company - article by Lincs to the Past
MEDIEVAL STAMFORD
Medieval-recipes.com - not specific to Stamford (or the UK), but a fascinating website and accompanying blog about every aspect of medieval food and cooking.
Noble Merchant: William Browne (c1410 - 1489) - book by Alan Rogers - published by Abramis Academic Publishing, 2012. You can also watch a lecture on William Browne by Professor Rogers on YouTube.
People and Property in Medieval Stamford - book by Alan Rogers - published by Abramis Academic Publishing, 2012.
Stamford and Magna Carta - transcript of a lecture given to Stamford Local History Society by Dr Henry Summerson in 2015. Dr Summerson also has a book, Stamford and Magna Carta - the Start of the Road to Runnymede, Abramis Academic Publishing, 2015.
Stamford in Domesday Book - transcript of a lecture given to Stamford Local History Society by Dr David Roffe in 2018. Dr Roffe has written a number of books, pamphlets and articles about Domesday.
The Brazenose Site in Stamford - article by Nicholas J Sheehan - Stamford Local History Society 2013
The Other Orders: The Carmelite, Augustinian, Sack and Pied Friars in the Middle Ages - book by Frances Andrews - published by Boydell Press - not specific to Stamford but relevant to the town's history
MILLS AND BAKERIES
A Cake For Every Day: The Story of Asker's Bakery
The Cecils' Monopoly of Milling in Stamford 1561 - 1640 - article by Dr D L Thomas - Stamford Local History Society
River Welland - book by Dorothea Price - published by Amberley Publishing - about the river, including its water mills
PEOPLE
The Seceders: The story of J.C.Philpot and William Tiptaft - book by Joseph Henry Philpot - published by Banner of Truth Trust - 1961. J C Philpot was a renowned Victorian Baptist preacher, who lived in Rutland Terrace.
Nelson Dawson: Arts & Crafts Designer, Enameller and Metal Worker - article by Lincs to the Past
Website dedicated to the boys of Stamford born between 1895 and 1900, many of whom fought in the First World War. Includes biographical information and many photographs.
Stamford Voices - book by Judith Spelman - published by Tempus Publishing Limited - local people's memories of old Stamford
Tunes of Glory: the Life of Malcolm Sargent - book by Richard Aldous - published by Hutchinson - 2001 (also available on Kindle).
ROMAN STAMFORD
Ermine Street: A Journey Through Roman Britain - article on H2G2
VICTORIAN STAMFORD
Stamford in 1850 - A Nineteenth Century Portrait of an Ancient Town by E Hodgkinson and L Tebbutt - book published by Dolby Brothers in 1954 (hard to buy but Stamford library holds a copy)
Nature and Conservation
BEES
Blooms For Bees - Bumblebees in gardens and allotments
Stamford & Bourne Beekeepers' Association
BUTTERFLIES
East Midlands Butterfly Conservation - our local branch of the charity Butterfly Conservation
REPTILES
Froglife - a Peterborough-based, national wildlife charity committed to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles
Other Local Connections
10 Rutland Terrace Bed & Breakfast
Run by Lucy Roe and featured on TV, former owners Henry and Sophia Johnson were two of our Victorian gardening predecessors.
Friends of Barnack Hills and Holes
The Hills and Holes has half the surviving limestone grassland in Cambridgeshire and is rich in rare wild flowers, such as pasque flowers and orchids. It is also an excellent place to spot glow-worms.
Suppliers
Bernwode Fruit Trees: stocks an enormous variety of container-grown, heritage fruit trees. Nursery in Ludgershall, Buckinghamshire. Online ordering not available. Their knowledge is probably unparalleled and their site contains a wealth of valuable information.
Groves Dorset Violets: specialists in sweet violets and Parma violets. Groves holds the national collection of sweet violets.
Habitat Aid: supply native British trees, plants and seeds, sourced from small, British nurseries, growers and harvesters. Half their profits from online sales go to small UK conservation charities.
Keepers' Nursery: a specialist fruit tree nursery stocking over 600 varieties. Plants supplied bare-rooted in late autumn and winter. Online ordering. Useful pollination
partner facility on their website.
R V Roger Ltd: a long-established traditional family nursery in Yorkshire. Excellent range of fruit trees including the rare Stamford apple Brown's Seedling.
Walcot Organic Nursery: a fully organic nursery in the Vale of Evesham specialising in plums, gages and damsons and also supplying apples, pears, cherries, quinces and soft fruit. Bare-rooted trees available to order online.