A few images from Paxton Pits. Little Paxton Pits is a 127.4-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Little Paxton in Cambridgeshire. Part of it is also a 60-hectare Local Nature Reserve. These flooded former gravel pits are of national importance for wintering wildfowl, especially gadwalls.
Today, we watched a Great Crested Grebe family and two Humbug chicks, Egrets, Herons, Cormorants and a variety of ducks. Dragonflies and butterflies were enjoying the sun's energy.
The three-day Global Bird Fair was held at Lyndon Top Caravan Park on Lyndon Road, Oakham, Rutland. It also provided the perfect opportunity to stay at The George of Stamford, a luxurious four-star hotel housed in a coaching inn with over 1,000 years of history. Situated on St Martin's in the heart of Stamford, it had long been on my list of places to experience, and it certainly did not disappoint. With the ongoing heatwave pushing temperatures above 30°C, the welcome relief of air conditioning made the stay even more enjoyable.
Given its thousand-year history, it is perhaps inevitable that The George has acquired a reputation for being haunted.
The Grey Lady – said to wander the corridors and staircase, dressed in grey. Guests have occasionally reported seeing a female figure or sensing someone passing by when no one was there.
The Highwayman – a legend tells of an eighteenth-century highwayman who frequented the coaching inn. Some claim to have heard phantom hoofbeats in the old coaching yard or glimpsed a rider disappearing into the night.
A Monk – another story speaks of a monk quietly walking through parts of the medieval building, perhaps reflecting the inn's historic connections with nearby abbeys.
Unexplained occurrences – as with many ancient inns, there are anecdotes of footsteps in empty corridors, doors opening on their own, cold spots, and the feeling of being watched. None of these stories has been verified, but they add to the atmosphere.
Given its thousand-year history, it is perhaps inevitable that the George has acquired a reputation for being haunted. Whether fact or folklore, they simply add another layer of character to one of England's most remarkable historic hotels. I have to confess, however, that my night passed undisturbed—unless you count dreaming of my future travels.
A few images of Stamford on a hot afternoon.
