Editing Huntingdon (section)

===George Hotel===

The George Hotel on the corner of High Street and George Street was once a posting house. It was named after [[Saint George]] of England in 1574 and bought some 25 years later by Henry Cromwell, grandfather of [[Oliver Cromwell]].<ref name="EB1911"/> King [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] made the George his headquarters during the [[English Civil War]] in 1645. Later the highwayman [[Dick Turpin]] is said to have been a customer when it was a coaching inn on the [[Great North Road (Great Britain)|Great North Road]]. A theatre was built to the rear of the George in about 1799. The Lincoln company of actors managed by [[Thomas Shaftoe Robertson]] and later [[Fanny Robertson]] performed here in race weeks.<ref>{{cite book|title=Treading the Boards |last=Wright |first=Neil R |year=2016 |page=141 |publisher=SLHA}}</ref> Two wings of the inn burnt down in the mid-19th century, but two were saved, including one with a balcony overlooking the yard. Since 1959, the courtyard and balcony have been used for [[Shakespeare]] performances by a company run by the Shakespeare at the George Trust. These performances took place until 2024 when the Green King company who run the George Hotel decided it was not in their best interest to continue Shakespeare at the George, ending its 65-year run.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.satg.org.uk |title=Shakespeare at the George |website=satg.org.uk |access-date=19 November 2017}}</ref>

<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=180 heights=180>
File:The George Hotel, Huntingdon courtyard 1574 sides.jpg|The George Hotel's courtyard with balcony later used in Shakespeare play productions
File:The George Hotel, Huntingdon courtyard 1574 sides through arch.jpg|The George Hotel's courtyard, 1574 sides, through carriage arch
File:The George Hotel, Huntingdon 19th century sides from High Street.jpg|The George Hotel's 19th century sides, rebuilt after a fire, from the High Street
</gallery>