The pretty little market town just like the Cotswolds but without the crowds of tourists

A gorgeous little stone market town with quaint streets and over 600 listed buildings looks just like the Cotswolds but without the hordes of tourists. Those looking for a perfect place for a peaceful staycation but don't fancy rubbing shoulders with tourists at every twist and turn should look no further than Stamford which featured in the popular Netflix series The Crown.

The 5,000 year old town located 90 miles north from London is best known for its bustling town centre and being England's first Conservation Area. With a population of just over 20,000 people, Stamford is punching above its weight with the town boasting about 170 independent thriving businesses. Jam-packed with stunning Georgian properties it is so pretty anyone would think it belongs deep in the Cotswolds, but it is actually a three-hour drive away.

Brimming with local history, the Lincolnshire town once thrived as a trading centre during the Middle Ages, attracting merchants and traders from afar. The Times, which in 2021 rated Stamford as one of the best places to live in the UK, describes the village as "England at its traditional best".

Its picturesque streets and architecture have made it a sought-after setting for films and TV shows, including the 2005 film Pride & Prejudice and 2006's The Da Vinci Code.

Stamford has "long been lauded as a lovely stone town", according to the Visit Lincolnshire website. Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott called the town "the finest sight on the road between Edinburgh and London", while historian WG Hoskins said if there were "a more beautiful town in the whole of England, I have yet to see it".

As a base it is a perfectly located place for a day trip with the grand Burghley House in close proximity.

Filled with spectacular art, treasures, and historic furniture, Burghley is one of the largest and grandest surviving houses of the sixteenth century and a wonderful example of the great Elizabethan 'prodigy' houses.

Also on the doorstep is the UK's historic smallest county, Rutland. Coving just 147.4 sq miles, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Rutland is renowned for its picturesque villages and market towns of Oakham and Uppingham.

Situated in the East Midlands it is surrounded by Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire.