gardens. The river is often busy with colourful boats cruising the Fenland waterways. The town is a popular stopping-off point for boaters with free moorings in the town centre, close to shops and places to eat. The town centre has an unusual Broad Street lined with shops and headed by an elaborate fountain which was erected to commemorate the coronation of King George V. There is a good variety of shops, from well known high street names to small independent stores. A number of specialist markets are held throughout the year, including the Italian, French and Christmas markets.
Whittlesey sits on the very western edge of the Fens, close to the cathedral city of Peterborough. The town has an interesting maze of streets with a mix of architecture spanning several centuries. The Buttercross in the Market Place is one of the most striking buildings and a reminder of Whittlesey’s rich trading and agricultural history. South of the town, the narrow river, part of the Nene - Ouse Navigation Link, meanders alongside the Manor fields - a perfect spot to moor for a while and take a stroll. Whittlesey has two churches, both close to the town centre. The Church of St Mary is famous for its glorious spire supported on elegant flying buttresses from the massive tower below. Each January, Whittlesey celebrates the old agricultural custom of Straw Bear dancing with a three-day festival that grows bigger and better each year. ‘The Bear’, a man in a costume made of straw, is accompanied by his keeper and several hundred dancers and musicians in
a procession around the town and stops off for refreshments at pubs along the route. Buttercross Auctions are open the first Friday of the month and the market is in town every Friday, on Whittlesey Market Place.
Wisbech the Capital of the Fens, is the perfect place for a day out or a break to get away from it all. There is plenty of accommodation choice, from historic town centre hotels to attractive B&B’s in rural settings and charming self catering cottages. Wisbech is renowned for its elegant Georgian architecture, a legacy from an era when the town was a booming trade centre. Stroll along the Brinks or round the Crescent to see some fine Georgian houses. Then visit Peckover House on North Brink, once the home of the Peckovers, a Quaker banking family, now in the care of the National Trust and open to visitors from spring to autumn three or four afternoons a week. A little further along North Brink is a completely different example of Georgian architecture. Elgood’s Brewery was one of the first Georgian breweries to be built outside London and has stood almost unchanged for more than 200 years. You can sample some of Elgood’s award winning real ales, either on a brewery tour or in one of the many Elgood’s pubs in town. Wisbech has two museums; the Wisbech and Fenland in the Crescent and Octavia Hill’s Birthplace House on South Brink. Wisbech also has one of the oldest surviving Georgian Theatres in the country, The Angles. 43
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