• The first conservation areas were created in 1967, and there are now some 8000 conservation areas in England

• Conservation areas vary greatly in nature and character. They range from the centres of our historic towns and cities, through fishing and mining villages, 18th- and 19th-century suburbs, model housing estates, and county houses set in their historic parks, to historic transport links and their environs, such as stretches of canal

• The special character of these areas does not come from the quality of their building alone. The historic layout of roads, paths and boundaries; characteristic building and paving materials; a particular mix of building uses; public and private spaces...Conservation areas give broader protection than listing individual buildings: all features, listed or otherwise, within the area, are recognised as part of its character

Find out more about conservation areas from English Heritage

Stamford carries this unique conservation status and has many buildings of special architectural and historic interest. To see some of Stamford's buildings click on the areas below: