money for the king and to pay for continental wars; by 1130, the geld was being collected annually. Having determined the value of a manor's land and other assets, a tax of so many shillings and pence per pound of value would be levied on the land holder. While this was typically two shillings in the pound the amount did vary; for example, in 1084 it was as high as six shillings (30 per cent) in the pound. For the manors at Stilton the total tax assessed was five geld. In 1086 there was no church at Stilton. Coaching inns The Roman Ermine Street, which later became the Great North Road, was integral to the development of the village. By late medieval times the village was a popular posting station and coaching stop. At one time there were 14 public houses for a population of around 500. The main inns of the period were the Bell Inn and the Angel Inn, both of which are still in existence. The Bell Inn has been recorded since 1515 and was rebuilt in 1642. The Angel Inn, dating from the early 17th century, was rebuilt as an impressive red brick house in the 18th century. It ceased to be an inn and was badly burned in 1923. Fires also damaged the village as a whole in 1729, 1798 and 1895. Modern times Stilton's reliance on its position on the Great North Road has twice led to problems when use of the road was reduced; the arrival of the railway several miles to the east in the 19th century cut goods transportation along the road, and the opening of a 1.25-mile-long A1 bypass on 21 July 1958 by David Renton, Baron Renton reduced passing trade through the village to almost nil. The bypass was the first from London to Newcastle when the A1 was completely improved in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Bell Inn closed and fell into disrepair and the village as a whole lost many businesses. To try to revive interest, on Easter Monday 1962 Tom McDonald of The Talbot and Malcolm Moyer of the Bell Inn organised the first cheese-rolling race along a course near the post office. Held every May Day holiday, it became a popular annual event. In 2018, the race was cancelled due to declining interest and uncontrollable behaviour. This may be linked with photos of