[2] The Mercury has been published since 1712 but its masthead formerly claimed it was established in 1695 and still has "Britain's Oldest Newspaper".

[6] In 1996, EMAP divested 69 newspapers including the Stamford Mercury to Johnston Press in a deal worth £211 million.

[7] In 2007, the Welland Valley stable transferred to fellow group company, East Midlands Newspapers.

It also holds substantial numbers of annual volumes and individual copies prior to that, dating back to 1714.

The Trust received a grant of £305,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to undertake a five-year conservation programme.