Places to Visit in Peterborough, UK by Paul Rance

Places to Visit in Peterborough, UK
By Paul Rance

5 Historical Places to Visit in Cambridgeshire

Peterborough is a cathedral city situated in the geographical county of Cambridgeshire in the East of England on the River Nene. Peterborough has a cosmopolitan population of just over 200,000 people, and since the 1960s the city's new town status produced a rapid growth in its population. The city of Peterborough has been built on earlier settlements that date back to the Bronze Age period.

Peterborough Cathedral
Officially known as the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew, Peterborough's cathedral is one of the most beautiful in England, and it has a history dating back to the Dark Ages and the middle of the 7th century. Badly damaged during attacks by the Vikings in 970, and by English rebel Hereward the Wake in 1069, the cathedral had to be rebuilt after a major fire. The new cathedral took over 100 years to erect, before finally being finished in 1238. The tomb of Mary Queen of Scots was once situated in the Cathedral, and Catherine of Aragon, a wife of Henry VIII, is buried here.

Peterborough City Museum
A museum that has an impressive collection of Roman and prehistoric artifacts, Peterborough Museum came out of the local organization the Peterborough Natural History Society and Field Club, which was founded in 1871. The museum itself was opened in 1931, and then an art gallery was built in 1939. There are regular exhibitions held in the museum, including art exhibitions featuring the work of local artists.

Flag Fen
Flag Fen Archaeology Park contains a wooden causeway that is over 3,000 years old. One of the most important Bronze Age historical sites in the UK, Flag Fen Archaeology Park contains swords and personal effects of the period. The site also has a collection of tens of thousands of both planks and timbers, as well as the oldest preserved wheel in England. There are walks and tours available for visitors, and even a ghost tour.

Nene Valley Railway
The Nene Valley Railway is seven-and-a-half miles long, and the NVR provides special events, educational visits, and experience courses. The most popular engine in the NVR collection is Thomas, and he was officially named in 1971 by the Reverend W. Awdry, author of the famous children's character 'Thomas the Tank Engine'.

The stunning Peterborough Cathedral. Photographed by Paul Rance.

Peterborough Cathedral Square; Guildhall and St John the Baptist Church

Cathedral Square, Peterborough. Guildhall (left); St John the Baptist Church (right). Photographed by Paul Rance.