St Martin's Church, Stamford

St Martin’s Church stands beside the River Welland in Stamford, Lincolnshire. The town once stretched across two counties until 1889, when the southern bank became part of Lincolnshire while still keeping its old Northamptonshire name of Stamford Baron. The first church was built between 1133 and 1147 by Martin de Vecti, Abbot of Peterborough, who named it after his patron saint. During the Wars of the Roses in 1461 the building suffered damage from Lancastrian forces. By 1473 it lay in ruins and rebuilding began in 1482, completed three years later in the Perpendicular style. The church holds notable monuments and memorials from several centuries. The Cecil Chapel, extended in 1865, contains tombs of the Cecil family including William Cecil, first Lord Burghley, and John Cecil, fifth Earl of Exeter. Dutch painter William Wissing and the famous Georgian giant Daniel Lambert are buried in the churchyard. Among later memorials are those to Benjamin Disraeli and several Marquesses of Exeter. The tower contains six bells cast in 1850, the heaviest weighing 683 kilograms. Inside, the nave roof dates from the 19th century and the organ was rebuilt in 1890 by Bevington. The church has fine choir stalls and an altar added in 1894 through parish subscription. Carvings on the pulpit and screen were created in the 1920s and 1930s by Mahomet Thomas Phillips. The organ has been played by a succession of musicians including Haydn Keeton and Graham Johnson. Visitors find a quiet space filled with centuries of history and craftsmanship.