Bull & Swan Inn, Stamford

A very respectable Inn with some enchanting history, quite pricy compared to other pubs in the centre of town. Four handpumps with three on, serving Nene Valley Blonde Session Ale, Grainstore Ten Fifty and Rutland Panther. My Ten Fifty was in excellent condition, you would expect it to be for £5.50 a pint

GBG listed and with a nice enough multi room interior with exposed stone, dark beams and portraits of four members of a 17th century gentlemen’s drinking club believed to have met here, six more portraits hang at Burghley House. Founded in 1684 by the 5th Earl of Exeter of nearby Burghley House, it was known as the Order of Little Bedlam or just the Bedlam Club. No sign of raucous drinking in that style here on my visit but the four pulls offering three Nene Valley and one Grainstore beer combined with a comfortable feel made up for the lack of excitement.

Blackthorn's review below gives much accurate detail. The building itself is on the main road from the south into Stamford and dates back to the late 1500's originally although there have clearly been many later additions. It really is a pub cum restaurant cum hotel and the area to the left of the drive is the designated restaurant area. To the right is the bar and although not an out and out boozer this is certainly a comfortable place to enjoy a pint or two. The menu is comprehensive but not cheap with mains around the £15 mark. I ate breakfast here, which was very good, but can't comment on lunchtime or evening meals. The staff are young, helpful, friendly and knowledgable on beer which makes this a welcoming place. Beers on were: Grainstore GB Best and Cooking, Nene Valley BSA (Blonde Session Ale) and Star Brewing's Meteor. These breweries are all local based in Oakham, Oundle and Market Deeping respectively and the BSA was in good nick and whistled down on a hot day. Worth nipping into if you're in Stamford and fancy a locally brewed ale in a nicely done historic building.