Grantham
Grantham is an old market town on the River Witham in Lincolnshire, 21 miles from Stamford. It once belonged to Edith, Edward the Confessor`s Queen, and later developed into a hunting centre and railway centre.
St. Wulfram`s Church dates largely from the 14th century, but there are surviving pillars from the Norman period. It has a splendid spire rising to 282 feet, which can be seen for miles. The church houses a 16th century chained library above the South porch, and there is a 14th century crypt.
The town`s position on the Great North Road led to its becoming an important staging post in stagecoach days.
The Angel and Royal Hotel, formerly known simply as the Angel, was originally built in the 12th century by the Knights Templar. It is a serious claimant for the title of oldest inn in England. King John held court here in 1213, and Richard III signed the death warrant of the Duke of Buckingham at the Angel in 1483. The cellars date back to the 9th century.
The George, praised by Charles Dickens who stayed there, features in his novel "Nicholas Nickleby", and has now been converted into an elegant shopping centre.
The Beehive Inn has a real beehive for a sign, and the Blue Pig is a picturesque timber framed inn.
Grantham House is partly 14th century, and is now owned by the National Trust. It has a walled garden going down to the river. Princess Margaret, the daughter of Henry IV, stayed here on her way to marry James IV of Scotland.
The Kings School, dating from the 15th century, was attended by Isaac Newton, who born nearby at Woolsthorpe Manor, and also by Elizabeth I`s great statesman Lord Burghley.
In the Market Place is an old Market Cross, re-erected in 1910, as well as a stone conduit, built in 1597.
Outside the Guildhall is a statue of Isaac Newton, and there is also a shopping centre named after him. The statue stands on the site of Grantham`s Eleanor Cross, destroyed during the Civil War.
Grantham was the birthplace of Margaret Thatcher, Britain`s first woman Prime Minister, above her father Alf Roberts` grocer`s shop.
The name Graham derives from the mediaeval surname "de Grantham".
Blue Badge Guide Colin Crosby is available to lead Guided Walks around Grantham for groups.