Cooper Thornhill - The Landlord of the Bell Inn

The landlord of the Bell Inn around this time was one Cooper Thornhill, a colourful figure and famous sportsman of his day. He once made a wager of 500 guineas to ride from Stilton to Shoreditch in London, back to Stilton, then return to Shoreditch all within 15 hours. Cooper won the wager covering the 200 miles in just over 12 hours!

Another riding escapade involved Cooper riding to Kimbolton where he accidentally became involved in a horse race by mistakenly taking his horse on to the track. He proceeded to win the race and received a cup as first prize, and all this after a ride from Stilton!

He was also an entrepreneur and recognised the potential for exporting cheese from Stilton to a wider market via the hundreds of wagons and stagecoaches which passed through Stilton every day travelling north and south along the Great North Road, today known as the A1.

Stilton Origins * Landlord of the Bell Inn
Skilled Cheesemaker * Roman Cheese Dish
Time Team * Cheese Dishes