Peterborough

城市概覽

In Jurassic times this area was covered by a tropical sea, depositing thick layers of clay, limestone and decomposing dinosaurs. The last Ice Age (the "Devensian") didn't quite reach here but its melt-off left beds of gravel. These are just what you need for pottery, bricks and road construction, and even in Roman times there were brick works here. The land is low-lying but not too low - it's just west of the Fens, so it's fertile, and a natural route for roads and later railways. An important medieval city grew up and the cathedral was built from the 12th century. In early modern times the Fens were drained, and the 19th / 20th century saw a growth in engineering, such as Perkins the diesel manufacturers. Brickmakers continued to scoop out the local clay, and their spent pits flooded to dot the landscape with lagoons. London is only an hour away and in the mid-20th century Peterborough grew from "overspill", as industry and workforces moved north to escape city congestion and high property prices. This was formalised in 1967 when Peterborough was designated a "New Town", one of several in that era. The old centre was left largely intact while three greenfield villages were added: Bretton, Orton and Paston; a fourth was left unbuilt. It's fair to say that these were not the sort of bucolic heart-of-England villages that Constable or Turner might have painted. But there was good employment as service industries took over from manufacturing, the architecture was bland rather than brutal, and they've fared better than some of the other "New Towns".

Visit Peterborough website

如何抵達

By road From London take A1(M) northwards. From Cambridge, take A14 northeast onto A1(M).

By rail 1 Peterborough station. On the west side of the city centre, adjoining Queensgate shopping centre. Follow the pedestrian underpass south to come into the centre. The station has a staffed ticket office, machines, toilets, a coffee shop and heated waiting rooms. There is step-free access by the lifts to all platforms. Plus bus is available here. (updated Jun 2024) Peterborough is on the East Coast Mainline and has four trains an hour from London King's Cross. The fastest take 46 min nonstop and are racing north to Grantham, Newark on Trent and Doncaster, fanning out towards Lincoln, Kingston upon Hull, Leeds, York, Newcastle upon Tyne and Edinburgh. The slowest may sometimes be more convenient as these start from Horsham and run via Gatwick Airport, London St Pancras and a couple of dozen other places to Peterborough, saving you from lugging bags on and off trains. Trains run hourly from Stansted Airport via Cambridge and Ely to Peterborough and continue to Stamford, Oakham, Melton Mowbray, Leicester, Nuneaton and Birmingham New Street. Trains from Liverpool run hourly via Manchester Piccadilly, Sheffield and Nottingham to Peterborough and continue to Ely, Thetford and Norwich. There's a direct train from Ipswich via Bury St Edmunds every couple of hours, otherwise travel via Cambridge and change.

By bus Stagecoach X4 runs from Northampton, every 30 min via Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby and Oundle. Stagecoach 904 runs from Huntingdon via Sawtry, and Bus 37 runs from Spalding. Delaine Bus 201 / 202 runs from Bourne and Stamford. First Excel buses run from Norwich, every 30 min via Dereham, King's Lynn and Wisbech. The bus station is north side of Queensgate shopping centre, 200 yards east of the railway station.

當地交通

Local buses run from the bus station to Orton, Paston and Bretton. There is a good cycle and footpath network. Much of the centre is pedestrianised, with a step-free route from the bus and railway stations to the main square and Cathedral. Taxis wait at the railway station. Operators include A2B Euro Cars (☏ +44 1733 566666), Adams (☏ +44 1733 555800), Peterborough Taxis 247/365 (☏ +44 1733 744497), Gold Star (☏ +44 1733 777888), The Taxi Firm (☏ +44 1733 305405) and Peterborough Cars (☏ +44 1733 704444).

必看景點

Cathedral Square is the fine plaza fronting the cathedral, but what you see first is St John the Baptist, the Anglican parish church built in 1407. This was where the townsfolk prayed, while the monks descanted in the cathedral. It's a striking building in Perpendicular style but most of the interior is 19th century. Guildhall on its east side was built in 1671, an open arcaded building with a market space on the ground floor. 1 Peterborough Cathedral, PE1 1XS, ☏ +44 1733 355315. M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su noon-3PM. Founded as an abbey in 665, with the present building started in 1118 and only completed in 1238. Enter the precincts through the gatehouse to be confronted by the West Front, triple arched in English Gothic. Highlights within are the original 13th century painted nave ceiling, the graves of Katharine of Aragon (first wife of Henry VIII) and of Mary Queen of Scots (re-interred in 1612 in Westminster Abbey), the fan vaulting of the New Building Ceiling, the Hedda Stone (an 8th century carving from the predecessor Saxon church) and St Oswald's Chapel with its original 12th century watchtower. It's an active church so you need to work around services. Donation £5. (updated May 2022) The Castle ("Mount Thorold") was an 11th century motte-and-bailey just east of the cathedral. All you see now is the mound in the cathedral gardens. Town Hall is a redbrick cod-Georgian building of 1929 lining Bridge St just south of the cathedral gatehouse. Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, Priestgate PE1 1LF (200 yards south of railway station), ☏ +44 1733 343329, [email protected]. Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su noon-4PM. This is in a Georgian mansion, built over a Tudor predecessor. The museum depicts the area from Jurassic times to present industry. The gallery has only a small permanent collection but hosts exhibitions. Free (exhibitions charged). (updated May 2022) 2 Flag Fen Archaeology Park, The Droveway, Northey Road PE6 7QJ, ☏ +44 1733 864468. W-Sa 10AM-4PM. This is a Bronze A

體驗活動

Cinema: Empire Cinema is within Queensgate Shopping Centre. Showcase is half a mile east, junction of Boongate with A1139. Theatre: New Theatre is on Broadway. Key Theatre is on Embankment Rd by the river. Peterborough United ("The Posh") were relegated in 2022 and now play football in League One, the third tier. Their home ground London Road (sponsored as Weston Homes Stadium), capacity 15,000, is a mile south of the railway station. 1 Nene Valley Railway, Oundle Rd PE2 9NR, ☏ +44 1780 784444, [email protected]. Daily 9AM-4:30PM. This is a standard gauge railway, often steam-hauled. Notable among UK heritage railways for its large collection of Continental European rolling stock, which has led to it being a filming location for a variety of films, including two James Bonds. In summer it makes three runs daily (sometimes more, check timetable) along a 7 mile track between Peterborough, Orton Mere, Overton, Wansford, and Yarwell. Wansford is the main base, and features a collection of activities including a view over the