Repurposed

I was right yesterday; Stamford isn't just historical, it's the distilled essence of history, it's history focussed into a miniature portrait, it's history delivered in such concentration that some of it feels like illegal subliminal advertising. Six hundred listed buildings, five medieval churches, the remains of a universiry that was founded by refugees from Oxfod in the 14th century! 

There are so many ancient buildings that they don't know what to do with them. A beautiful town-centre church (one of the five) that is home to spiders, 15th century carved angels, but no worshippers. Another church, complete with intact tower, that has, along one side of its first floor, the frontages of Nationwide building society, Boots the chemist and an optician. There were once the remains of a Norman castle, but they decided they needed the space for new building! A Norman priory had a narrow escape, spending part of its life as a hay barn and a source of building stone before being rescued

You can look at it as a magnificent example of a beautiful, well-conserved town that has survived the over-development that has disfigured so many. Or you can see it as a preserved relic in which natural development and economic progress has been deliberately stifled. I think both are true. In the early middle-ages, Stamford was one of the 10 largest towns in England. When Midlands towns like Leicester, Nottingham and Peterborough were increasing their populations and prosperity, the expansion of Stamford was constrained by the enormous power of the Cecil family - the top-ranking aristocrats who built nearby Burghley House. The town returned two MPs to parliament who were essentialy sock-puppets for the Cecils; every new house was a potential vote against their men; it wasn't going to happen. Great for us 21st century blow-throughs; not so good if you were trying to feed your family 500 years ago

I have so many pictures of architecture. But here is the moment in the day that made us smile the most. A snap of a live screen in the corner of one of those churches. A peregrine falcon and her brood in the tower (where they have added pea shingle to make it more accommodating) - a worthwile purpose for an ancient building