102-458: Flag Fen , east of Peterborough , England, is a Bronze Age site which was constructed about 3500 years ago and consists of more than 60,000 timbers arranged in five very long rows, creating a wooden causeway (around 1 km long) across the wet fenland . Part-way across the structure a small island was formed. Items associated with it have led scholars to conclude that the island was of religious significance. Archaeological work began in 1982 at
204-546: A "major revision" of his 1991 work, for instance rejecting the earlier "lake village" concept. Pryor was awarded an MBE "for services to tourism" in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours . Since his retirement from archaeology, Pryor has devoted his time to sheep farming, being the owner of 40 acres of fenland pasture in Lincolnshire . In an interview with the Financial Times , he asserted that through this vocation, he felt
306-575: A PhD in 1985. He married Sylvia in 1969, and migrated with her to Toronto , Ontario , Canada, on a landed immigrant scheme. There he started working at the Royal Ontario Museum as technician, working for Doug Tushingham who helped fund Pryor's first project in the United Kingdom. This was at North Elmham in Norfolk, and the excavation was directed by Peter Wade-Martins, who exposed Pryor to
408-481: A Prehistoric Landscape , it is what he has described as a "major revision" of his 1991 work, for instance repudiating his earlier "lake village" concept. Around 2 km south of Flag Fen is Must Farm Bronze Age settlement. Log boats recovered there are preserved and displayed at Flag Fen. Flag Fen is also home to an abundance of wildlife owing to the variety of habitats on the site, which includes extensive grassland, traditionally managed hedgerows and woodland and
510-529: A change in the nature of crime in the county, with an increase in drink driving offences, knife crime and an international dimension added to activities such as running cannabis factories and human trafficking . The number of foreign nationals arrested in the north of the county rose from 894 in 2003, to 2,435 in 2006, but the report also said that "inappropriately negative" community perceptions about migrant workers often complicate routine incidents, raising tensions and turning them "critical". It also noted there
612-565: A connection with the people of Bronze Age Britain, who also lived off this form of subsistence, before also expressing his opinion that human overpopulation represented a significant threat to the human species, urging people to have fewer children and eat less meat. One of Pryor's four times great grandfathers is Samuel Hoare , the Quaker and founding member of the Society for Effecting the Abolition of
714-478: A freshwater mere and dyke. On 2 August 2014 a BioBlitz organised by Vivacity found 190 species, including 53 lichens and the endangered European water vole and barn owl . The event also included a talk by the People's Trust for Endangered Species and used a wildlife trail to highlight species that would have been present 3000 years ago, such as the grey wolf , brown bear and Eurasian beaver . In 2014 Buglife
816-454: A half acres. Dendrochronological analysis (dating of the posts by studying tree rings) led to an estimated date for the various stages of construction of between 1365 and 967 BC. Some of the timbers, such as oak, were not native to the local environment. They made a significant effort to transport the timbers to the site from distant sources. Similarly, scholars have traced the bluestone used at Stonehenge , Salisbury, as originating in
918-457: A hamlet in the Middle Ages ), Orton , Paston / Werrington and Castor . The last of these was never built, but a fourth, called Hampton , is now taking shape south of the city. It was decided that the city should have a major indoor shopping centre at its heart. Planning permission was received in late summer 1976 and Queensgate , containing over 90 stores and including parking for 2,300 cars,
1020-611: A much more efficient process. The market dominance during this period of the London Brick Company , founded by the prolific Scottish builder and architect John Cathles Hill , gave rise to some of the country's most well-known landmarks, all built using the ubiquitous Fletton Brick. Perkins Engines was established in Peterborough in 1932 by Frank Perkins , creator of the Perkins diesel engine. Thirty years later it employed more than
1122-704: A museum and exhibitions. In the preservation hall one section of the timbers is preserved in situ and prevented from drying out by misting with water. Also at the site are reconstructions of two Bronze Age roundhouses and one from the Iron Age . A section of the Roman road known as the Fen Causeway has been exposed and crosses the site. In addition there is a reconstruction of a prehistoric droveway used for moving livestock. In 1991 Pryor published his first book about Flag Fen, entitled Flag Fen: Prehistoric Fenland Centre , as one of
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#17328521140681224-495: A natural clay island called Northey. The basin is an embayment of low-lying land on the western margins of the Fens . The level of inundation by 1300 BC led the occupants to construct a timber causeway along the trackway route. The causeway and centre platform were formed by driving 'thousands of posts with long pencil-like tips' through the 'accumulating peaty muds' and into the firmer ground below. The resulting structure covered three and
1326-402: A new university campus for the city. The college and the university completed the legal contracts for the creation of a new joint venture company in 2007, marking the culmination of legal negotiations and securing of funds required in order to build the new higher education centre. University Centre Peterborough opened to the first 850 students in 2009. The former public library on Broadway
1428-452: A number of cross-country routes converge: The River Nene , made navigable from the port at Wisbech to Northampton by 1761, passes through the city centre. The Nene Viaduct carries the railway over the river. It was built in 1847 by Sir William and Joseph Cubitt . William Cubitt was the chief engineer of Crystal Palace erected at Hyde Park in 1851. Apart from some minor repairs in 1910 and 1914 (the steel bands and cross braces around
1530-506: A piece of wood lying in the bottom of a drainage ditch." Excavation commenced in the Summer of 1984 and by 1990 had revealed vertical and horizontal timbers, animal bones, a bronze dagger and other metal items and fragments, flint implements and 400 potsherds. Further finds included items imported from continental Europe and the oldest surviving wooden wheel found in England. In 2012 DigVentures ran
1632-548: A positive impact on development and jobs. In 2008, the BBC broadcast The Poles are Coming! , a controversial documentary on the impact of Polish migration to Peterborough by Tim Samuels , as part of its White Season . The number of languages in use is growing where previously few languages other than English were spoken. As of 2006 , Peterborough offered classes in Italian, Urdu and Punjabi in its primary schools. Christianity has
1734-437: A project to construct 350 apartments, various office spaces as well as a new home for Peterborough City Council with other projects within the development to include a Hilton Garden Inn hotel with a sky bar, a new passport office and various leisure, restaurant and retail opportunities. Other projects within the city include the extension to Queensgate Shopping Centre , The Great Northern Hotel and more recently plans to extend
1836-458: A regional hub. Coupled with vast local clay deposits, the railway enabled large scale brickmaking and distribution to take place. The area was the UK's leading producer of bricks for much of the twentieth century. Brick-making had been a small seasonal craft since the early nineteenth century, but during the 1890s successful experiments at Fletton using the harder clays from a lower level had resulted in
1938-558: A sculpture trail, which provides functional, landscape artworks along the Green Wheel route and a Living Landmarks project involving the local community in the creation of local landscape features such as mini woodlands, ponds and hedgerows. Another long-distance footpath, the Hereward Way , runs from Oakham in Rutland, through Peterborough, to East Harling in Norfolk. While cycling within
2040-681: A separate gaol for prisoners arrested in the Soke. The abbot formerly held four fairs, of which two, St. Peter's Fair, granted in 1189 and later held on the second Tuesday and Wednesday in July, and the Brigge Fair, granted in 1439 and later held on the first Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in October, were purchased by the corporation from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1876. The Bridge Fair, as it
2142-447: A series co-produced by English Heritage and B.T. Batsford . The final monograph on the site – entitled The Flag Fen Basin: Archaeology and environment of a Fenland Landscape – was published in 2001 as an English Heritage Archaeological Report. Pryor followed this with a third book on the site, published by Tempus in 2005; entitled Flag Fen: Life and Death of a Prehistoric Landscape , it represented what he considered to be
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#17328521140682244-514: A series co-produced by English Heritage and B.T. Batsford . The final monograph on the site – entitled The Flag Fen Basin: Archaeology and environment of a Fenland Landscape – was published in 2001 as an English Heritage Archaeological Report. The report is now available online through the Archaeology Data Service. Pryor has followed this with a third book on the site, published by Tempus in 2005. Entitled Flag Fen: Life and Death of
2346-444: A tenth of the population of Peterborough, mainly at Eastfield . Baker Perkins had relocated from London to Westwood , now the site of HM Prison Peterborough , in 1903, followed by Peter Brotherhood to Walton in 1906; both manufacturers of industrial machinery, they too became major employers in the city. British Sugar has moved its headquarters to Hampton from Woodston , the beet sugar factory, which opened there in 1926,
2448-542: A tramway joining the northern suburbs with the city centre. The system, which operated under the name Peterborough Electric Traction Company , opened in 1903 and was abandoned in favour of motor buses in 1930, when it was merged into the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company . Today, bus services in the city are operated by several companies including Stagecoach (formerly Cambus and Viscount ) and Delaine Buses . Despite its large-scale growth, Peterborough has
2550-437: A type not known in the area, indicating that they had been intentionally collected and transported to and placed at the site. Other artefacts found were animal bones, including horse mandibles . Horses were very valuable to the prehistoric people, since they provided a means of transport and could supplement or replace man-power. For example, they could be used to carry or pull timbers on sledges over long distances. Significance
2652-408: A variety of leisure and cultural developments; 338 in three hotels; and a further 4,847 jobs created in offices and other workspaces. Recent relocations of large employers include both Tesco (1,070 employees) and Debenhams (850 employees) distribution centres. A further 2,500 jobs were to be created in the £140 million Gateway warehouse and distribution park. This was expected to compensate for
2754-407: A whole. As part of the government's M11 corridor , Peterborough is committed to creating 17,500 jobs with the population growing to 200,000 by 2020. Future employment will also be created through the plan for the city centre launched by the council in 2003. Predictions of the levels and types of employment created were published in 2005. These include 1,421 jobs created in retail; 1,067 created in
2856-683: A working sheep farmer. Pryor is the son of Barbara Helen Robertson and Robert Matthew Marlborough Pryor MBE TD (known as Matthew), as well as being the grandson of Walter Marlborough Pryor DSO DL JP; both his grandfather and father had been British Army officers, serving in the First and Second World Wars respectively. He was educated at Temple Grove School in East Sussex , then at Eton College alongside his first cousin William Pryor, before studying archaeology at Trinity College, Cambridge , gaining
2958-402: Is a £7 million "superchurch," KingsGate , formerly Peterborough Community Church, which can seat up to 1,800 worshippers. In comparison with the rest of England, Peterborough has a lower proportion of Christians, Buddhists , Hindus , Jews and Sikhs . The city has a higher percentage of Muslims than England as a whole (9.4% compared to 5% nationally). The majority of Muslims reside in
3060-465: Is also a member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority , led by the directly elected Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough . The area governed by the city council is the district of Peterborough , which extends beyond the urban area of Peterborough itself to include surrounding villages and rural areas, particularly to the north-west and north-east. Peterborough's city status
3162-435: Is also drawn from the discovery of the ritual deposits within thirty metres of the timber post line, and only on its southern boundary. The amount, type, and placement of deposits, which continued for more than 1,200 years, support the theory that 'at least one facet of the site' was a role as a 'religious monument'. On Northey Island many round barrows contemporary with Flag Fen were found. These seemed to be constructed over
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3264-514: Is being preserved by replacing the cellulose in the wood with water-carried wax , impregnating the wood over the years. This technique is also being used to preserve Seahenge and the Hassholme Boat. Another preservation technique used for timbers found at the site is freeze drying . A well-organised visitor centre, the Flag Fen Bronze and Iron Age Centre , has been constructed there with
3366-409: Is forecast to reach 230,000 in 2031 and 240,000 by around 2041. Peterborough's population growth was reportedly the second fastest of any British city over the ten years from 2004 to 2013, driven partly by immigration. According to the 2011 census , 82.5% of Peterborough's residents categorised themselves as white , 2.8% of mixed ethnic groups , 11.7% Asian , 2.3% black and 0.8% other. Amongst
3468-462: Is formally held by the local government district rather than the urban area. Much of the Peterborough urban area is unparished , but some of the suburbs are included in civil parishes , including Bretton , Hampton Hargate and Vale , Orton Longueville , and Orton Waterville . Peterborough was an ancient parish , which was historically in the Nassaburgh hundred of Northamptonshire . The parish
3570-608: Is in the Antonine Itinerary of the late 2nd century. There was also a large 1st century Roman fort at Longthorpe , designed to house half a legion , or about 3,000 soldiers; it may have been established as early as around AD 44–48. Peterborough was an important area of ceramic production in the Roman period, providing Nene Valley Ware that was traded as far away as Cornwall and the Antonine Wall , Caledonia. Peterborough
3672-554: Is not expected to receive its degree awarding powers before 2030 when a review will take place to determine its future as part of Anglia Ruskin University or whether it should become its own entity. There is one main tier of local government covering Peterborough, at unitary authority level, being Peterborough City Council , which meets at Peterborough Town Hall and has its main offices at Sand Martin House on Bittern Way. The city council
3774-463: Is now known, granted to the abbey by King Henry VI , survives. Prayers for the opening of the fair were once said at the morning service in the cathedral, followed by a civic proclamation and a sausage lunch at the town hall which still takes place. The mayor traditionally leads a procession from the town hall to the fair where the proclamation is read, asking all persons to "behave soberly and civilly, and to pay their just dues and demands according to
3876-562: Is part of the Thomas Deacon Education Trust. The schools that remain have been extended and enlarged. Over £200 million was spent and the changes on-going to 2010. The King's School is one of seven schools established, or in some cases re-endowed and renamed, by King Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries to pray for his soul. In 2006, 39.4% of Peterborough local education authority pupils attained five grades A* to C, including English and Mathematics, in
3978-436: Is shown by its original name Medeshamstede to have possibly been an Anglian settlement before AD 655, when Sexwulf founded a monastery on land granted to him for that purpose by Peada of Mercia , who converted to Christianity and was briefly ruler of the smaller Middle Angles sub-group. His brother Wulfhere murdered his own sons, similarly converted and then finished the monastery by way of atonement . Hereward
4080-681: Is where permanently drained land in The Fens is created by the River Nene . Remains of Iron Age settlement and what is thought to be religious activity can be seen at the Flag Fen archaeological site to the east of the city centre. The Romans established a fortified garrison town at Durobrivae on Ermine Street , five miles (8.0 km) to the west in Water Newton, around the middle of the 1st century AD. Durobrivae's earliest appearance among surviving records
4182-493: The 2001 census , the workplace population of 90,656 is divided into 60,118 people who live in Peterborough and 30,358 people who commute in. A further 13,161 residents commute out of the city to work. Earnings in Peterborough are lower than average. Median earnings for full-time workers were £11.93 per hour in 2014, less than the regional median for the East of England of £13.62 and the median hourly rate of £13.15 for Great Britain as
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4284-523: The Channel 4 television series Time Team . Born to a Burke's Landed Gentry family, Pryor studied at Eton College before going on to study archaeology at Trinity College, Cambridge . With his first wife, Sylvia Page, he moved to Canada, where he worked as a technician at the Royal Ontario Museum for a year before returning to Britain. He has now retired from full-time field archaeology, but still appears on television and writes books as well as being
4386-560: The East Coast Main Line , 45–50 minutes' journey time from central London, with high-speed intercity services from King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley operated by the London North Eastern Railway at around a 20-minute frequency. It is the northern terminus of slower commuter services from Horsham , via Gatwick Airport and central London, operated by Govia Thameslink Railway . It is a major railway junction where
4488-575: The Fens and the university city of Cambridge is 30 miles (48 km) to the southeast. The local topography is flat, and in some places, the land lies below sea level, for example in parts of the Fens to the east and to the south of Peterborough. Human settlement in the area began before the Bronze Age , as can be seen at the Flag Fen archaeological site to the east of the current city centre, also with evidence of Roman occupation. The Anglo-Saxon period saw
4590-468: The General Certificate of Secondary Education , lower than the national average of 45.8%. The city has two colleges of further and higher education , Peterborough College (established in 1946 as Peterborough Technical College) and City College Peterborough (known as Peterborough College of Adult Education until 2010). By 2004, Peterborough College attracted over 15,000 students each year from
4692-518: The Long Parliament . The city lay on the border of the Eastern Association of counties which sided with Parliament, and the war reached Peterborough in 1643 when soldiers arrived in the city to attack Royalist strongholds at Stamford and Crowland . The Royalist forces were defeated within a few weeks and retreated to Burghley House , where they were captured and sent to Cambridge . While
4794-556: The Millfield , West Town and New England areas of the city, where two large mosques (including the Faidhan-e-Madina Mosque and Husaini Islamic Center-Peterborough) are based. Peterborough also has both Hindu (Bharat Hindu Samaj) and Sikh (Singh Sabha Gurdwara) temples in these areas. The Anglican Diocese of Peterborough covers roughly 1,200 square miles (3,100 km ), including the whole of Northamptonshire, Rutland and
4896-674: The Preseli Mountains in Wales. Many items denoting 'rank and prestige' were deposited in the water surrounding Flag Fen, including swords , spearheads , 'gold earrings , tiny pins and brooches '. Archaeologist Francis Pryor , who discovered the site in 1982, suggests that 'settlers often vied for social status by showing they could afford to discard valuable possessions'. There is also evidence of intentional destruction before placement, e.g. daggers broken in half placed on top of each other. Other finds included small, polished, white stones of
4998-515: The history of England after the Norman conquest , written here by monks in the 12th century. This is the only known prose history in English between the conquest and the later 14th century. The burgesses received their first charter from "Abbot Robert" – probably Robert of Sutton (1262–1273). The place suffered materially in the war between King John and the confederate barons, many of whom took refuge in
5100-476: The patron saint of workers Saint Joseph (San Giuseppe). By 1991, over 3,000 christenings of second-generation Italians had been carried out there. In 1996, it was estimated that the Italian community of Peterborough numbered 7,000, making it the third largest in the UK after London and Bedford . The 2011 Census recorded 1,179 residents born in Italy. In the late twentieth century the main source of immigration
5202-784: The railway station and long stay car park to facilitate more office space in the city centre and further parking. In 2020 planning permission was granted for a new university, ARU Peterborough , which subsequently opened its doors in September 2022 on Bishops Road, a five-minute walk from the City Centre. It is an employment focused university run by Anglia Ruskin University with four faculties: Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Creative and Digital Arts and Sciences; Agriculture, Environment and Sustainability; Health and Education. The new university took its first cohort of students in 2022, expecting to recruit up to 12,500 by 2028. ARU Peterborough
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#17328521140685304-475: The 12th century, the town was also known as Gildenburgh , which is found in the Peterborough version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (see Peterborough Chronicle below) and a history of the abbey by the monk Hugh Candidus . The town does not appear to have been a borough until at least the 12th century. Peterborough and its surrounding areas around have been inhabited for thousands of years because it
5406-463: The 6,000 job losses as a result of the decline in manufacturing, anticipated in a report cited by the cabinet member for economic growth and regeneration in 2006. With traditionally low levels of unemployment, Peterborough is a popular destination for workers and has seen significant growth through migration since the postwar period. The leader of the council said in August 2006 that he believed that 80% of
5508-581: The 65,000 people who had arrived in East Anglia from the states that joined the European Union in 2004 were living in Peterborough. To help cope with this influx, the council put forward plans to construct an average of 1,300 homes each year until 2021. Peterborough Trades Council, formed in 1898, is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress . Peterborough railway station is a principal stop on
5610-463: The A1(M) has led to Peterborough being proposed as the site of a 334 acres (1.35 km ) rail-road logistics and distribution centre to be known as Magna Park. The Peterborough Millennium Green Wheel is a 50-mile (80 km) network of cycleways, footpaths and bridleways which provide safe, continuous routes around the city with radiating spokes connecting to the city centre. The project has also created
5712-575: The Dog-in-a-Doublet lock was built five miles (8.0 km) downstream in 1937. The A1/A1(M) primary route (part of European route E15 ) broadly follows the path of the historic Great North Road from St Paul's Cathedral in the heart of London, passing Peterborough (Junction 17), and continuing north a further 335 miles (539 km) to central Edinburgh . In 1899 the British Electric Traction Company sought permission for
5814-685: The Parliamentary soldiers were in Peterborough, however, they ransacked the cathedral, destroying the Lady Chapel , chapter house , cloister , high altar and choir stalls, as well as mediaeval decoration and records. Among the privileges claimed by the abbot as early as the 13th century was that of having a prison for felons taken in the Soke of Peterborough , a liberty within Northamptonshire . This afforded it administrative and judicial independence from
5916-839: The Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (which has its seat at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Baptist , Norwich) and is served by Saint Peter and All Souls Church , built in 1896 and decorated in the Gothic style. The Greek Orthodox Community of Saint Cyril , Patriarch of Jerusalem was established in 1991 under the Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain . Peterborough has one independent boarding school: The Peterborough School at Westwood House, founded in 1895. The school caters for girls and now boys up to
6018-636: The Soke of Peterborough. The parts of the city that lie south of the river, which were historically in Huntingdonshire , fall within the Diocese of Ely , which covers the remainder of Cambridgeshire and western Norfolk. The current Bishop of Peterborough has been appointed Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Ely, with pastoral care for these parishes delegated to her by the Bishop of Ely . The city falls wholly within
6120-553: The UK and abroad and was ranked in the top five per cent of colleges in the UK. Greater Peterborough University Technical College is a new education facility set to open in September 2015. The city is currently without a university, after Loughborough University closed its Peterborough campus in 2003. Consequently, it became the second largest centre of population in the UK (after Swindon ) without its own higher education institution. In 2006, however, Peterborough Regional College began talks with Anglia Ruskin University to develop
6222-510: The UK's fifth largest co-operative society, was also based in Peterborough, where it was established in 1876. The combined society began trading as Central England Co-operative in 2014. Designated a New Town in 1967, Peterborough Development Corporation was formed in partnership with the city and county councils to house London's overspill population in new townships sited around the existing urban area. There were to be four townships, one each at Bretton (originally to be called Milton,
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#17328521140686324-572: The UK. This is mainly as a result of labour recruitment in the 1950s by the London Brick Company in the southern Italian regions of Apulia and Campania . By 1960, approximately 3,000 Italian men were employed by London Brick, mostly at the Fletton works. In 1962, the Scalabrini Fathers , who first arrived in 1956, purchased an old school and converted it into a mission church named after
6426-545: The Wake rampaged through the town in 1069 or 1070. Outraged, Abbot Turold erected a fort or castle, which, from his name, was called Mont Turold: this mound, or hill, is on the outside of the deanery garden, now called Tout Hill, although in 1848 Tot-hill or Toot Hill. The abbey church was rebuilt and greatly enlarged in the 12th century. The Peterborough Chronicle , a version of the Anglo-Saxon one, contains unique information about
6528-736: The age of 18. Peterborough's state schools have recently undergone significant change. Five of the city's fifteen secondary schools were closed in July 2007, to be demolished over the coming years. John Mansfield (now an adult learning centre), Hereward (formerly Eastholm, now City of Peterborough Academy, sponsored by the Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust) and Deacon's were replaced with the flagship Thomas Deacon Academy , designed by Lord Foster of Thames Bank which opened in September 2007. Queen Katharine Academy (previously The Voyager School), which has specialist media arts status, replaced Bretton Woods and Walton Community School. It
6630-488: The benefit of opening large-area excavations. Pryor returned to the UK in 1970, where the construction of the new town at Peterborough offered the opportunity to do large scale archaeology ahead of the planned development work. Between 1970 and 1978, he alternated between digs in the UK and writing up the excavation reports and giving presentations on his work in Canada. Pryor and his first wife were divorced in 1977, and during
6732-442: The ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire , England. For centuries, the city and many of its surrounding villages formed the Soke of Peterborough , in the historic county of Northamptonshire . The Soke of Peterborough had an independent county council , based in the city, between 1889 and 1965. After the Soke of Peterborough was abolished in 1965, the city formed part of the short-lived Huntingdon and Peterborough until 1974. Though
6834-533: The chairmanship of Lord Mawhinney , was set up by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2005 to oversee Peterborough's future development. Between 2006 and 2012 a £1 billion redevelopment of the city centre and surrounding areas was planned. The master plan provided guidelines on the physical shaping of the city centre over the next 15–20 years. Proposals are still progressing for the north of Westgate,
6936-464: The city has a long history as part of Northamptonshire (from the Middle Ages up to 1965), the city has been part of Cambridgeshire since 1974, and is the largest settlement in that county. The city is 74 miles (119 km) north of London, on the River Nene which flows into The Wash 27 miles (43 km) to the north-east; the cathedral city of Ely is 24 miles (39 km) east-southeast across
7038-476: The city received a boost during the COVID-19 pandemic with the introduction of new cycle lanes in busy streets, plans to connect the villages to the west of Peterborough with a new cycle track have been refused permission and some cycle lane decisions have been reversed in the city centre during easing of the corona virus lockdowns. The City of Peterborough local authority area has a population of 217,705 (2022). It
7140-589: The city. Nationally published cartoonist John Elson, from Peterborough, has provided imagery for many of the events. Francis Pryor Francis Manning Marlborough Pryor MBE FSA (born 13 January 1945) is an English archaeologist specialising in the study of the Bronze and Iron Ages in Britain. He is best known for his discovery and excavation of Flag Fen , a Bronze Age archaeological site near Peterborough , as well as for his frequent appearances on
7242-429: The city. Until 2017, PECT organised a yearly 'Green Festival' centered around Cathedral Square, Peterborough, which also benefited local artists and arts organisations through attracting Arts Council funding grants aided by arts facilitator organisation Metal. During the summer of 2018 the last Green Festival was held at Nene Park, in 2019 Peterborough's community environmental projects attracted ministerial attention from
7344-540: The course of these projects, he met his second wife, Maisie Taylor , an expert in prehistoric wood who later also appeared on Time Team ; they worked together on the series of projects in the Peterborough area, the most famous of which is Flag Fen . He has a daughter, Amy, from his first marriage. He was a founding member of the Institute of Field Archaeologists in 1982. In 1991, he published his first book about Flag Fen, entitled Flag Fen: Prehistoric Fenland Centre , for
7446-540: The dwellings of 'chiefs'. Mike Parker Pearson refers to this as the "Land of the Dead". There is also evidence of farming, including sheep remains, contemporary with the site. Phosphate analysis reveals high concentrations of cremations in the barrows , in the form of satellite and secondary burials in the round barrows. This suggests that the primary burials may have been of chiefs, or socially powerful/respected people, and that some people may have paid to be buried close to
7548-630: The environment secretary Michael Gove . During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–21 Peterborough's culture and leisure umbrella charity, Vivacity ceased operating. The council and regional development agency have taken advice on regeneration issues from a number of internationally recognised experts, including Benjamin Barber (formerly an adviser to President Bill Clinton ), Jan Gustav Strandenaes ( United Nations adviser on environmental issues) and Patama Roorakwit (a Thai "community architect"). According to
7650-572: The establishment of a monastery, Medeshamstede , which later became Peterborough Cathedral . As of the 2021 census the built-up area subdivision had a population of 192,178. In 2021 the Unitary Authority area had a population of 215,671. The population grew rapidly after the railways along with industry, the town became known for brick manufacture, arrived in the 19th century. After the Second World War, industrial employment fell and growth
7752-520: The fastest peak and off-peak travel times for a city of its size in the UK, due to the construction of the parkways. The Local Transport Plan anticipated expenditure totalling around £180 million for the period up to 2010 on major road schemes to accommodate development. The combination of rail connections to the Port of Felixstowe and to the East Coast Main Line as well as a road connection via
7854-770: The fluted legs) the bridge remains as Cubitts built it. Now a Grade II* listed structure, it is the oldest surviving cast iron railway bridge in the UK. By the Town Bridge, the Customs House, built in the early eighteenth century, is a visible reminder of the city's past function as an inland port. The Environment Agency navigation starts at the junction with the Northampton arm of the Grand Union Canal and extends for 91 miles (146 km) ending at Bevis Hall just upstream of Wisbech. The tidal limit used to be Woodston Wharf until
7956-487: The ground level was much lower than today, increasing around 1 mm (0.039 inches) per year as autumnal debris was added to the surface of the fens. By the early Roman period most of the structure was covered and preserved. The site was discovered in 1982 when a team led by Francis Pryor carried out a survey of dykes in the area funded by English Heritage . In 1992 Pryor told National Geographic that he "stumbled – literally – upon' Flag Fen 'when he tripped on
8058-408: The largest cluster of environmental businesses in the UK. In 1994, Peterborough designated itself one of four environment cities in the UK and began working to become the country's acknowledged environment capital. Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT), an independent charity, was set up at the same time to work towards this goal, delivering projects promoting healthier and sustainable living in
8160-514: The largest following in Peterborough, in particular the Church of England , with a significant number of parish churches and a cathedral. 56.7% of Peterborough's residents classified themselves as Christian in the 2011 Census. Recent immigration to the city has also seen the Roman Catholic population increase substantially. Other denominations are also in evidence; the latest church to be constructed
8262-569: The laws of the realm and the rights of the City of Peterborough". Railway lines began operating locally during the 1840s, but it was the 1850 opening of the Great Northern Railway 's line from London to York that transformed Peterborough from a market town to an industrial centre. Lord Exeter had opposed the railway passing through Stamford, so Peterborough, situated between two main terminals at London and Doncaster , increasingly developed as
8364-410: The modern district was created, being a lower tier non-metropolitan district , with the area also being transferred to Cambridgeshire at the same time. In 1998 the Peterborough district was removed from the non-metropolitan county of Cambridgeshire (the area governed by Cambridgeshire County Council ) to become a unitary authority, whilst remaining part of the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire for
8466-562: The monastery here and in Crowland Abbey , from which sanctuaries they were forced by the king's soldiers, who plundered the religious houses and carried off great treasures. The abbey church became one of Henry VIII 's retained, more secular, cathedrals in 1541, having been assessed at the Dissolution as having revenue of £1,972.7s.0¾d per annum. When civil war broke out, Peterborough was divided between supporters of King Charles I and
8568-461: The person they respected or followed. Because of its waterlogged condition the Flag Fen Basin was an area where peat deposits developed around 2000 BCE, and they survive there today. The anaerobic conditions generated by silt deposits from the fens protected the wooden posts and rafters of the collapsed structures from rotting away under the influence of air and bacteria. In the 10th century BC
8670-481: The previous year. Francis Pryor was supportive of the initiative and wrote afterwards: "happily, it was an experiment that worked: the participants had a good time, and the archaeology was professionally excavated, to a very high standard." Archaeological work at Flag Fen is ongoing. Extensive drainage of the surrounding area, which benefits agriculture, means that many of the timbers are drying out and are threatened with destruction by such exposure. One section of poles
8772-461: The public from 11 countries, supported by a specialist team including partners from the British Museum , Durham University , Birmingham University , York Archaeological Trust , University College London and English Heritage to assist in the scientific investigations. 130 members of public received hands-on training in archaeological techniques on site and visitor numbers increased by 29% from
8874-412: The purposes of lieutenancy and shrievalty . Figures plotting growth from 1995 to 2004, revealed that Peterborough had become the most successful economy among unitary authorities in the East of England. They also revealed that the city's economy had grown faster than the regional average and any other economy in the region. It has a strong economy in the environmental goods and services sector and has
8976-448: The rest of the county, with it having a quarter sessions separate from the rest of Northamptonshire from 1349. In 1576 Bishop Edmund Scambler sold the lordship of the hundred of Nassaburgh , which was coextensive with the Soke, to Queen Elizabeth I , who gave it to Lord Burghley , and from that time until the 19th century he and his descendants, the Earls and Marquesses of Exeter , had
9078-475: The site, which is located 800 m (0.5 miles) east of Fengate. Flag Fen is now part of the Greater Fens Museum Partnership. A visitor centre has been constructed on site and some areas have been reconstructed, including a typical Iron Age roundhouse dwelling. A Neolithic trackway once ran across what archaeologists have termed the "Flag Fen Basin", from a dry-land area known as Fengate to
9180-492: The south bank and the station quarter, where Network Rail is preparing a major mixed use development. Whilst recognising that the reconfiguration of the relationship between the city and station was critical, English Heritage found the current plans for Westgate unconvincing and felt more thought should be given to the vitality of the historic core. In recent years Peterborough has undergone significant changes with numerous developments underway, most notably are Fletton Quays,
9282-421: The white population, the largest categories were indigenous groups, those being English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British (70.9%), and other white (10.6%). Those of Pakistani ethnicity accounted for 6.6% of the population and those of Indian ethnicity 2.5.%. The largest black group were those of African ethnicity (1.4%). Peterborough is home to one of the largest concentrations of Italian immigrants in
9384-444: The world's first crowdfunded excavation, raising £30,000 to enable a three-week excavation at Flag Fen. The site had experienced a 50% decline in visitors since the large-scale English Heritage-funded excavations had finished in 1995. The project's remit was to help revitalise the heritage attraction whilst providing detailed scientific information on the preservation of the waterlogged timbers. The project involved around 250 members of
9486-450: Was "little evidence that the increased numbers of migrant workers have caused significant or systematic problems in respect of community safety or cohesion". In 2007, Julie Spence , the then Chief Constable emphasised that the fact that the demographic profile of Cambridgeshire had changed dramatically from one where 95% of teenagers were white four years previously to one of the country's fastest growing diverse populations, and said it had
9588-412: Was also created in 1541, covering the same area as the city. In 1790 a body of improvement commissioners was established to provide public services in the city. In 1874 Peterborough was incorporated as a municipal borough , with the commissioners replaced by an elected council initially comprising a mayor, six aldermen and eighteen councillors . The municipal borough was abolished in 1974 when
9690-682: Was closed in 1991. The Norwich and Peterborough (N&P) was formed by the merger of the Norwich Building Society and the Peterborough Building Society in 1986. It was the ninth largest building society at the time of its merger into the Yorkshire Group in 2011. N&P continued to operate under its own brand administered at Lynch Wood until 2018. Prior to merger with the Midlands Co-op in 2013, Anglia Regional ,
9792-464: Was divided into five hamlets or townships: Dogsthorpe , Eastfield , Longthorpe , Newark and a Peterborough township covering the central part of the parish including the town. Within the Peterborough township was an extra-parochial area known as the Minster Precincts, covering St Peter's Abbey and its close . When the former abbey church became Peterborough Cathedral in 1541, Peterborough
9894-559: Was from new Commonwealth countries. The 2011 Census showed that a total of 24,166 migrants moved to Peterborough between 2001 and 2011. The city has experienced significant immigration from the A8 countries that joined the European Union in 2004, and in 2011, 14,134 residents of the city were people born in Central and Eastern Europe. According to a report published by the police in 2007, recent migration had resulted in increased translation costs and
9996-452: Was funded by Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and opened in 1906; Carnegie was made first freeman of the city on the day of the opening ceremony. Peterborough enjoys a wide range of events including the annual East of England Show , Peterborough Festival and CAMRA beer festival, which takes place on the river embankment in late August. The yearly festivals have attracted arts funding and enabled further community projects within
10098-423: Was limited until its designation as a New Town in the 1960s. The town's main economic sectors are financial services and distribution. The original name of the town was Medeshamstede . The town's name changed to Burgh from the late tenth century, possibly after Abbot Kenulf had built a defensive wall around the abbey which was dedicated to Saint Peter ; eventually this developed into the form Peterborough. In
10200-552: Was opened by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1982. 34 miles (55 km) of urban roads were planned and a network of high-speed landscaped thoroughfares, known as parkways , was constructed. Peterborough's population grew by 45.4% between 1971 and 1991. New service sector companies like Thomas Cook and Pearl Assurance were attracted to the city, ending the dominance of the manufacturing industry as employers. An urban regeneration company named Opportunity Peterborough, under
10302-463: Was successful in a bid to create wild-flower meadows across Peterborough, which will include a traditionally managed hay meadow at Flag Fen. [REDACTED] Media related to Flag Fen at Wikimedia Commons Peterborough Peterborough ( / ˈ p iː t ər b ər ə , - b ʌr ə / PEE -tər-bər-ə, -burr-ə ) is a cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in
10404-443: Was thereafter deemed to be a city . The area originally holding city status was the Peterborough township plus the Minster Precincts. Although made a city in 1541, at that time Peterborough was not a borough (despite including the word in its name). Prior to the dissolution of the abbey in 1539, the abbey had been the manorial owner of the town; that ownership passed to the new cathedral authorities. A Peterborough constituency
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