Peterborough City Centre - Miscellaneous Photographs

Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority in the East of England, with an estimated population of 161,000 as of 2006. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire.

Peterborough Town Hall is 73.7 miles (118.6 km) north from the centre of London at Charing Cross. The city is situated on the River Nene, which flows into the North Sea approximately 30 miles (48 km) to the north-east. The local topography is notoriously flat and low-lying, and in some places lies below sea-level. The area known as the Fens falls to the east of Peterborough. The City of Peterborough includes the outlying settlement at RAF Wittering, and as a unitary authority borders Northamptonshire and Rutland to the west, Lincolnshire to the north, and Cambridgeshire to the south and east.

The history of human settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age, as can be seen at the Flag Fen archaeological site to the east of the current city centre. This site also shows evidence of Roman occupation. The Saxon period saw the establishment of an abbey, which later became Peterborough Cathedral. The population grew rapidly following the arrival of the railways in the nineteenth century, and Peterborough became an industrial centre, particularly noted for its brick manufacture. The population has again undergone rapid expansion since Peterborough was designated a New Town following the Second World War. This continues today, with the city council's master plan running to 2012 being particularly focused on a £1 billion regeneration of the city centre and immediately surrounding areas. In common with much of the UK, industrial employment has fallen, with newer jobs tending to be in financial services and distribution. (Source: Wikipedia)

A brief history of Peterborough written by Tim Lambert can be found at Local Histories

A fantastic view of Peterborough city centre taken around 1900 from the cathedral. .

A view of the Guildhall and Cathedral Square, taken during the 1960s.