The Bell's main fascination, however, centres on the characters associated with it. Innkeepers, statesmen, outlaws and literary figures have contributed to the Inn's fame. One popular tale, handed down over the centuries, has the highwayman Dick Turpin visiting the hostelry. He is supposed to have hidden there for nine weeks while hunted by the law. Surprised by a raid, he threw open the window and jumped onto Black Bess to gallop off up the Great North Road. There were also rumours of escape tunnels connecting The Bell Inn to The Angel.

Equally fascinating are the tales of more recent guests. In the early days the Great Duke of Marlborough was a notable guest. Earlier still, Cromwell's troops were here. Cromwell himself was based at Huntingdon only 12 miles south of Stilton. In 1725 Lord Harley tasted and disliked the cheese sold at the Bell. On October 3rd 1813 Lord Byron slept there. These figures, however, did not popularise the Bell as much as the 18th Century Innkeeper, Cooper Thornhill.

Thornhill was landlord from 1730 to his death in 1759, aged 54. He is invariably referred to as the man who popularised Stilton Cheese, which was served, mites and all, at the Bell.

There has always been a degree of uncertainty about the evolution of Stilton Cheese. Thanks to extensive research done by a number of people we now have a clearer knowledge of the origins of Stilton Cheese and how the cheese evolved.

19th and 20th century texts had suggested that Stilton cheese was never made in the village and that it simply got its name because it was from there that the cheese was first sold. We are now happy to correct that version of history by stating that the village gave its name to the cheese made there, and to the Stilton Cheese we know today.

There is no doubt that this cheese and similar cheeses were being made and sold in and around the town of Stilton (now in Cambridgeshire but originally in Huntingdonshire) possibly in the late 17th Century and certainly in the early 18th Century and was known as Stilton Cheese. The cheese generally seems to have been matured for a period of time before being sold.

A recipe for Stilton cheese was published in a newsletter by Richard Bradley in 1723, no details were given either on its size or shape or for how long it was matured. We are not sure if it was a blue veined cheese but from the recipe it appears that this would have been a hard cream cheese (it was pressed and boiled in its whey). In 1724 Daniel Defoe commented in his "Tour through the villages of England & Wales" of Stilton being famous for cheese and referred to it as being the "English Parmesan". It is clear that prior to Defoe's visit to Stilton the cheese being produced in the area already had an enviable reputation for quality. A later article by John Lawrence in 1726 suggested that the perfect Stilton should be "about 7 inches in diameter, 8 inches in height and 18 lbs in weight." He also refers to the cheese as the "recently famous Stilton".