Bull and Swan Inn

The Bull & Swan is a traditional English inn and gastropub located at the top of High Street St Martin's in Stamford, Lincolnshire, in the shadow of Burghley House. It sits on the Burghley Estate and combines the functions of a pub, restaurant and small luxury hotel. Its official site describes it as "everything a traditional English inn should be, plus gastro food, real ales and nine luxury bedrooms on the magnificent Burghley Estate," with a kitchen garden created to supply seasonal produce to the chefs. The building dates back to the late 17th century and is a Grade II* listed inn. It is closely associated with the Honourable Order of Little Bedlam, an eccentric gentlemen's club founded in 1684 by the 5th Earl of Exeter. The club's members — nobles, artists and intellectuals — took animal nicknames such as Lion, Lamb, Badger or Unicorn, and some of their portraits still hang in the pub. The Bull & Swan became a favourite meeting place for the Bedlamites, and the pub presents itself as a living piece of Stamford's history, carrying forward the club's motto, "Let us be merry." Today the Bull & Swan operates as a hospitality venue under the Burghley Estate. It offers dining, a selection of real ales, overnight accommodation in nine bedrooms, and events. Its location at the meeting point of town and country, a short stroll from Burghley House, makes it a destination for visitors to Stamford and the surrounding area. The pub's character is shaped by centuries-old beams and stonework combined with contemporary touches, and by its kitchen garden, which supplies the kitchen with crops of the season.

The Bull & Swan Inn is a Grade II* listed building in Stamford, Lincolnshire, dating back to the late 17th century. It stands at the top of Stamford's High Street St Martin's, near Burghley House, and is part of the Burghley Estate. The inn's history is intertwined with the Honourable Order of Little Bedlam, a gentlemen's club founded in 1684 by the 5th Earl of Exeter. The club was an eccentric drinking society whose members included nobles, artists and intellectuals, admitted for their wit, charm and capacity for revelry. Each member received an animal nickname — such as Lion, Lamb, Badger or Unicorn — and some of their club portraits are still displayed in the pub. The club's motto was "Let us be merry." The Bull & Swan became a favourite haunt of the Bedlamites, who met there to drink, debate and carouse late into the night. The pub's official history describes it as the unofficial headquarters of the club and a place where "the line between mischief and majesty blurred just enough to become history." Over the centuries the building continued to serve as an inn. Its historic fabric, including centuries-old beams and stonework, remains a defining feature. In the modern era the Bull & Swan has been operated as a hospitality venue on the Burghley Estate, offering gastro food, real ales and nine luxury bedrooms. A kitchen garden was created to supply the chefs with seasonal crops. The pub presents itself as a living piece of Stamford's history, carrying forward the spirit of the Bedlam Club in its warmth and merriment.

• 1684

  The Honourable Order of Little Bedlam is founded by the 5th Earl of Exeter; the Bull & Swan becomes a favourite haunt of its members.

• The pub dates back to the late 17th century and is later listed as a Grade II* building.

• The Bull & Swan operates as a gastropub and inn on the Burghley Estate, offering nine luxury bedrooms and a kitchen garden.

A historic Grade II* listed English inn and gastropub on the Burghley Estate, blending 17th-century character with modern dining and luxury accommodation.

• Gastro food

• Real ales

• Nine luxury bedrooms

• Kitchen garden produce

1. 1Bull & Swan | Book a table | Stamford pub | WOODFORDthebullandswan.co.uk
2. 2OUR HISTORY | Bull & Swanthebullandswan.co.uk
3. 3Bull and Swan Inn - Wikidatawikidata.org