Colin Crosby Heritage Tours

St. Martins Church (Stamford)

St. Martin's is one of the impressive collection of churches in the outstanding medieval Lincolnshire town of Stamford.

The church lies in the part of Stamford across the River Welland from the centre of the town. This area is known as Stamford Baron, and was formerly in Cambridgeshire.

St. Martin's is situated on what was for many years the Great North Road, carrying travellers between London and Scotland, and dates back to the 15th century.

The chief treasures of St. Martin's are its collection of Cecil tombs in the Burghley chapel. In particular, William Cecil, Elizabeth I's adviser for whom Burghley House was created, is buried here.

In the detached graveyard behind the church lies the well tended grave of the celebrated Daniel Lambert of Leicester, who weighed 52 stone when he died across the road from the church at the Waggon and Horses. He had been visiting Stamford for the races.

St. Martin's features in a painting by Turner of a stagecoach arriving at Stamford in a thunderstorm.

Sir Walter Scott said that the view towards the town from by St. Martin's was the finest between London and Edinburgh.