Moving to Peterborough?
The area around the cathedral city of Peterborough is an incredibly flat one, but
with a prolific and lengthy history! The region dates back to before the Bronze
Age. The archaeological site known as ‘Flag Fen’ can be found to the east of the
city centre – It is a fascinating place and well worth making the effort to go and
see it.
Medeshamstede monastery was established during the Anglo-Saxon era. ‘Medeshamstede’
was the Anglo-Saxon name for the area. It later became Peterborough Cathedral.
It was the arrival of the Great Northern Railway’s main line that propelled Peterborough
out of its humble market town roots and into a major industrial centre; for much
of the 20th Century the area was the UK’s main producer of bricks.
In the 1960s Peterborough was designated to be on of the country’s New Towns. The
city’s growth is still increasing and expanding, and there is currently a massive
regeneration project underway.
It is a multi-cultural and diverse city with, interestingly, one of the largest
Italian communities in the UK! This was a result of recruitment by the London Brick
Company in the southern Italian regions of Puglia and Campania in the 1950s. The
diversity of the city can plainly be seen in its abundance of ethnic restaurants:
Thai, Chinese, Indian and Nepalese, Turkish, and, of course, many Italian restaurants!
Peterborough has some fabulous historical buildings in and around it, including
the magnificent Burghley House, which is Grade I listed and one of the finest examples
of 16th Century English Elizabethan architecture. Longthorpe Tower was built in
1310 and is also Grade I listed. It rather marvellously contains the most complete
set of domestic paintings from that period in northern Europe! It is protected by
law, and under the care of English Heritage.
Peterborough has a number of fun yearly events; the ‘CAMRA’ beer festival is one
of them, and the ‘East of England Show’ is another. One can also find a number of
entertainment venues – theatres, art centres, cinemas etc.
A sporty city, Peterborough United F.C (more commonly known as ‘The Posh’) is based
here, but there are also various other competing teams in the city, in sports such
as; cricket, rugby, rowing, American Football, and more!
An exciting city to be a part of, Peterborough has much to offer anyone who wishes
to make the city their home.