Ignore the ‘delights’ of Northampton or Leicester or Wellingborough or even Melton Mowbray and head for Market Harborough. Trains from St Pancras.
It’s a walk from the station, but worth it.
The town has some rather fine jewellers and eating places, plus The Old Grammar School.
Getting to Stamford is a pain in the bum. You have to go to Peterborough eg from King’s Cross, then get a little cross country train heading towards Birmingham. But it’s only a short distance along that line.
When you get there, the station is by a housing estate and you think you’ve come to the wrong place – are there really over 600 listed buildings here?
But walk up to the town and you will see it’s a stunning place, and area steeped in history.
If it’s market day there will be lots to enjoy. And do go down and across the river and try The George. Yes, it really is that expensive.
The last time we went to Stroud (from Paddington) it rained, that kind of heavy, drizzly rain that’s not fun.
We managed to find a great place to eat, a small market where we got some nice coffee beans, and the sun came out later.
There are lots of nice places in that general area, including Gloucester and Cheltenham.
