Old Great North Road
Stilton
Cambridgeshire
PE7 3RA
01733 241066
The Bell is famous for being the birthplace of Stilton Cheese even though it came from Melton Mowbray almost 40 miles away. An eighteenth century landlord promoted it to travellers on the Great North Road and before too long its fame had spread. The writer Daniel Defoe was one of those travellers and a regular visitor at the Bell but he wasn’t a big fan of Stilton Cheese and said so in no uncertain terms.
The inn dates from 1642 when it was built as a coaching inn on the Great North Road with Ketton limestone and Collyweston Stone slates, both produced nearby (photo 1). As well as Stilton Cheese, the inn is also famous for having one of the largest inn signs in the country, needing an impressive and elaborate iron frame to hold it to the wall (photo 2).
The inn is now a comfortable AA 3 star hotel with an attractive and historic courtyard (photo 3).
