Boston Stump & the Pilgrim Fathers: A 2026 Guide to Historic Boston
As the United States celebrates 250 years of independence, the story of a nation traces back to a Lincolnshire market town — and Boston is restoring the buildings that tell it.
As Pride goes to press, celebrations are under way some 3,230 miles from Lincolnshire. Across the Atlantic, 350 million Americans are marking the semiquincentennial — 250 years since 56 signatures on the Declaration of Independence created a new nation and reshaped the world order.
Where America’s Story Began
In Boston, Lincolnshire, the 4th of July passes more quietly. Our Boston is home to around 50,000 people in the town and roughly 75,000 across the Borough — modest beside its Massachusetts namesake, whose metropolitan area holds more than five million. Yet the town remains rightly proud of its remarkable footnote in world history, and that pride is now visible in bricks and mortar: a series of major restoration projects is bringing Boston’s most historic buildings back to life.
The Pilgrim Fathers and the Guildhall
In 1607, a group of religious Separatists — seeking freedom from the constraints of the Church of England — attempted to leave the country through Boston’s busy port. Their planned voyage to the Netherlands was betrayed, and around 100 men, women and children were arrested and held in Boston Guildhall, then the town’s courthouse. After a short detention they were released, and many reached the Netherlands the following year. Among them were William Bradford and William Brewster, who would later sail aboard the Mayflower and help found the colony that grew into New England.
The Guildhall still stands. Grade I listed and dating to the 1390s, it is open to visitors today, with medieval tracery in the banqueting hall, Georgian-style panelling and an impressive collection of artwork. The group is also commemorated at the Pilgrim Fathers Memorial on Haven Bank, unveiled in 1957, while street names — Brewster Road, Bradford Road, Winslow Road and John Adams Way — thread the story through the modern town.
Climbing the Stump: 365 Steps to the Best View in Lincolnshire
St Botolph’s Church — known to everyone as Boston Stump — remains the town’s defining landmark, drawing around 75,000 visitors a year. Built between 1510 and 1520, its 266ft (81m) tower still dominates the Fenland skyline for miles.
The church has launched new high-level tours taking visitors beyond the viewing gallery to the very top of the lantern, with 360-degree views across town, fen and sea — earned, it must be said, by climbing all 365 steps. By the end of summer, new LED lighting will allow the Stump to be illuminated in different colours, including in memory of loved ones.
Fydell House: A £2.3 Million Rescue
Beside the Guildhall, Grade I-listed Fydell House is undergoing a major £2.3 million restoration led by the Boston Preservation Trust — the organisation that saved the building from demolition in the 1930s. Supported by a £1.6 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the ten-month project will repair longstanding structural, weather and wartime damage, upgrade heating and electrical systems, and improve accessibility to both house and gardens, with new visitor facilities and space for community use. Built in 1702, the Queen Anne townhouse is expected to reopen soon after one of the most significant heritage investments Boston has seen in many years.
A Town Reinvesting in Itself
The restoration story extends well beyond individual buildings. Rosegarth Square sits at the heart of a £14.8 million regeneration programme transforming the area between West Street, St Botolph’s and the Witham into a new public space, with landscaped greenery, pedestrian routes, public art and the redevelopment of the former Crown House site. Meanwhile Boston United’s Jakemans Community Stadium moves closer to completion, with a £4 million, Government-supported South Stand and community sports hub under way.
And the American thread doesn’t end with the Pilgrims. More than 150 years after their arrest, Thomas Paine lived and worked in Grantham as an excise officer before emigrating; his 1776 pamphlet Common Sense became one of the most influential arguments for American independence. Lincolnshire, it turns out, is stitched into the republic’s story at both ends.
Visiting Historic Boston
Start at the Stump and, if your legs allow, book the tower tour. The Guildhall is a short walk away, with Fydell House beside it. Allow a morning for the three, then follow the Haven to the Pilgrim Fathers Memorial. Boston rewards the curious — and in its 25th year, Pride will be following every step of the town’s restoration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many steps are there up Boston Stump?: 365 steps lead to the top of the lantern, with new high-level tours offering 360-degree views.
Can you visit Boston Guildhall?: Yes. The Grade I listed Guildhall, dating to the 1390s, is open to visitors and includes the cells associated with the Pilgrim Fathers’ detention in 1607.
What is Boston Lincolnshire famous for?: Its links to the Pilgrim Fathers who later sailed on the Mayflower, and St Botolph’s Church — ‘the Stump’ — one of England’s great parish churches.
Is Fydell House open?: Fydell House is completing a £2.3 million restoration and is expected to reopen soon; check locally before visiting.
