PHOTO DIARY: AN AFTERNOON IN STAMFORD.

On tuesday my boyfriend and I jumped in the Mini and picked up some friends for an afternoon in Stamford, Lincolnshire. Despite living only 20 minutes down the road and the fact that Stamford was voted the best place to live in Britain by The Sunday Times I have only ever been there on a handful of occasions and thought it was about time that I addressed this issue with an afternoon of coffee, food and antique shopping. 

I could not help but be in awe of all the beautiful Georgian stone architecture that surrounds the centre of Stamford and fell in love with all the winding alleyways and independent cafes and shops dotted along and around the high street. It really comes as no surprise that Stamford is such a beautiful example of Georgian architecture when you find out it was named Britain's first conservation area, of which I am highly thankful for the person that decided to do so! For me the highlight was St Martin's Antiques Centre which may not be as picturesque from the outside but it was full to the brim with an amazing array of vintage and antique items that had both me and my friends in heaven for a good hour before venturing back into the real world for a coffee and a catch up. The weather wasn't bad at all when we went but I imagine that with a little sunshine this quaint stone town will look even more stunning and a definite must visit if you have a few hours to spare and happen to be in the area. If you where travelling from further a field and wanted to make a proper day of it Burghley House, England's greatest Elizabethan house is just around the corner and opens up it's magnificent doors and gardens once again on the 15th March. 

Have you ever been to Stamford before or know of any beautiful small towns near you?