Apethorpe is a small limestone village wrapped around Apethorpe Palace, a Jacobean house that drew more royal visits than anywhere else in the county — James I and Charles I both stayed repeatedly in the early 1600s. Its state rooms are among the most complete Jacobean interiors left in England. English Heritage rescued the building from near-collapse in the 2000s; it’s now privately owned and opens for guided tours on set dates each year. Stamford station is about 11km north.
