Stamford has long been a draw. It was England’s first conservation area and has many trendy shops and pubs – last year also saw the opening of Woolfox, a chic private members’ club centred on wellness, just outside the town.
Woolfox offers classes in yoga, crystal sound journeys and salsa cardio, and has Rutland’s first padel tennis courts. The club has a collection of luxurious second homes, a concept similar to the Lakes by Yoo in the Cotswolds, starting at £1.6m.
The Notswolds even have their equivalents of the ultimate farm shop and lifestyle store signifier, Daylesford Organic. Chichi garden centre Rutland Nursery has a new restaurant overlooking Rutland Water, while the Duchess of Rutland has relaunched her farm shop and shopping courtyard at Belvoir Castle.
For those who love to see how the other half live, there are plenty of opportunities in the Notswolds.
Crispin Holborow, of Savills Private Office, says: “Northamptonshire is the county of country houses with an abundance of amazing historic homes, including Althorp House, Boughton House, Deene Park and Kirkby Hall, many of which are open to visitors.”
Lincolnshire has Burghley House, near Stamford, which hosts the famous horse trials, as well as many other events including the Classic Ibiza house music festival.
Yet, for all the incomers and increased gloss, the Notswolds still retains an authentic feel, according to one newbie resident, who preferred to remain anonymous: “It’s a lot less flash here than the Cotswolds – people don’t have fashionable dogs like whippets and we have real mud, not spray-on-mud.”
Joy Brankin-Frisby, of Fisher German estate agency, agrees: “It still seems to be a fairly well-kept secret, and you truly get an authentic rural environment in the Notswolds – there are certainly no clean wellies.”