Letter from John Linnell Bond to his friend Eleanor Anne Porden, on buildings in Stamford, including ink sketches of views of town and church architectural features He writes to say that he has been very keen, since returning to Stamford ,to begin a description of the churches there but he has been ‘a great degree deterred’ by the difficulty in rendering an account which conveys a correct image of their architectural forms to Eleanor’s mind. He has been afraid that the subject would be too dry and the subject would afford very little pleasure ‘’to an imagination that has ……..been pampered almost to fastidiousness with the rich fruits of the Attic Chest’’. He goes on to describe how the number of churches in Stamford has been reduced and names the remaining ones. When Eleanor visits in the following summer he will be happy to show her the churhes from the most pleasing points of view. He has made two sketches which he says she must consider ‘’ only as the shadows of a resemblance of the place’’. On the following page he describes the view of the town from the London side and goes on to describe details of the church of St Mary’s. Below this he has made four sketches of various architectural details. He then goes into further descriptions about the church. He then mentions that the town has ‘’exhibited quite a military appearance for a week past’’ with troops passing through for Oakham and Grantham. He writes that he came down in the Lord Nelson with two or three York people from whom he heard stagecoach anecdotes, including about a bridge over the river Ouse in York. 3 May 1812