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News and Views
More news from the Society
If you are not a member please do join us, the larger our membership the greater our voice and influence.
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- New mini-map walking tours of Peterborough (May 2026)
- Reinstatement of the Peterborough Arch ‘Bob’ (December 2025)
- Award for our Peterborough Milestones leaflet (December 2025)
- Central Park (Memorial) Sunken Garden replanting (October 2025)
- New walking and cycling maps (June 2025)
- Stanley Park Interpretation Board (December 2024)
- Central Park Willow Tree flower beds planting (October 2023)
- The Peterborough Local Plan
- National Civic Day - Embankment litter pick (June 2023)
- Litter Action Week (March 2023)
- Towards a Better Balance between Heritage and Growth (September 2022)
- Exhibition of our Society (January 2023)
- Embankment Masterplan (April 2022)
- Our Heritage at Risk (June 2021)
- Nene photo project (2021 onwards)
- Our vision for a better Embankment area (March 2021 - February 2022)
New mini-map walking tours of Peterborough
Recently the Civic Society’s Derek Brown and myself have been working with Joanne Rose, a Hereward Community Rail Partnership Officer, to devise walking maps for those visiting Peterborough city centre.
The HCRP is a community-based organisation that promotes rail travel within a designated region, which is funded by the train operating companies - Greater Anglia, CrossCountry, LNER and East Midland Railway along with Fenland District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council.
The intention is to encourage more people from Whittlesea, March, Manea, Ely and Cambridge to increasingly use the train, especially to travel to Peterborough. (Note that the railway companies spell it Whittlesea instead of Whittlesey – I’m not sure of the difference). I’m told that historically it was spelt either Whittlesey or Whittlesea but only the station is now called Whittlesea. Hereward CRP secured the funding for this project from CrossCountry Trains Community Engagement Fund. The train operator are keen to promote Peterborough as a destination and promote local walking and cycling routes and the use of the train for integrated and sustainable journeys.
So, what are these walking maps and who are they for? The four walking maps routes range from the short, just over a mile, to quite long – nearly six miles. The shortest walk is a gentle stroll from Cathedral Square around the Cathedral precinct and back again, the longest one goes from the city centre, to the river and along the northern bank to Thorpe Meadows, Thorpe Hall and back again – a walk for those owning stout shoes!
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The City Centre Heritage & Blue Plaques Walk is perhaps the most complex and rich in terms of built-environment content. Followers of the walk will be taken to look at many of the city’s iconic buildings as well as twenty-four of the Society’s blue plaques. The walk is nearly three miles long and could easily end at one of the increasing number of cafes and bars in and around Cathedral Square. Click image to right to download the map.
The City Centre Cathedral Short Walk is specifically designed for those residents and visitors who may not consider themselves walkers per se – the walk ambles around the outside of the Cathedral, taking in some of the lesser known city centre features. Believe it or not there is peace and tranquillity metres away from Cathedral Square and many of the places are completely unknown to locals yet alone visitors to the city. Click image to right to download the map.
The City Centre Green Walk is a figure-of-8 walk that encompasses places as rich as Minster Precincts, the Embankment, Bishop’s Road Gardens, Stanley Park, Broadway cemetery and Central Park. The walk is proof that there are so many green spaces and peaceful nooks and crannies within easy walking distance of the city centre. Just have a look online at an aerial view of the city and you may be amazed at the amount of green spaces Peterborough possesses. Click image to right to download the map.
The fourth walk, entitled Riverside and Meadows Walk is perhaps the most demanding, one of those walks that requires ‘sensible footwear’. The walker passes Railworld and is encouraged to notice much of the railway’s old Victorian cast iron bridges near the river itself. The walk is five and a half miles long and takes in the banks of the river Nene, Thorpe Meadows, Thorpe Hall, birthplace of many a Peterborian (including myself) when it was used as the city’s maternity unit between 1943 and 1970. The walker meanders through parkland and meadows near the river floodplain where, if you’re really lucky, you might spot a kingfisher. Occasionally the route can be adversely affected by bad weather conditions or a swollen river but there are alternatives. Common sense is needed. There’s plenty to see and it really is amazing that there is so much peace and tranquillity just a few hundred metres from the busy city centre. Click image to right to download the map.
The four HCRP/Civic Society maps are available for free, from the Town Hall Tourist Information Office, Peterborough Museum, Cathedral or the railway station. Alternatively you can download any of the maps from the Peterborough Civic Society (follow image links above right or click here) or HCRP website or the Walking and Cycling section of the HCRP website. Happy walking!
Reinstatement of the Peterborough Arch ‘Bob’
On 10 December Nene Park Trust invited us to attend the unveiling of the reinstatement of the Peterborough Arch, made from Iroko wood and restored to its original location on Thorpe Meadows adjacent to Longthorpe Parkway, looking towards Peterborough and view of the Cathedral, which used to be visible from this location when the sculpture was first erected in the late 1980s.
The extensive restoration was carried by Hall Conservation Ltd, the cost was in excess of £50,000.00 and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Henry Moore Foundation, the Arts Council England, Compare the Market and by £3,000.00 in public donations including a donation from the Civic Society.
The Peterborough Development Corporation originally commissioned the artist Lee Grandjean to create a sculpture for use as part of the city’s expansion.
Representatives from those organisations who contributed towards the costs attended the ceremony along with the artist Lee Grandjean who was delighted with the final result, and was deeply touched by the care shown with the restoration and the affection the people of Peterborough had with his sculpture, and acquired the nickname of ‘Bob’.
Peterborough Arch is back home so do visit ‘Bob’ and view the other sculptures that form the Thorpe Meadows Sculpture Trail.
Photos from the event are below. Lee Grandjean is in photo right.
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Award for our Peterborough Milestones leaflet
On Monday 8 December, at its regular monthly meeting, the Society was presented with a certificate by officers of the Milestone Society in recognition of the production of a leaflet celebrating the milestones in and around Peterborough. The leaflet, which has been produced by Civic Society members David Jost and Peter Sargent, is available for free at Peterborough Museum, the Cathedral and can also be downloaded (follow the link). The Civic Society has noted that some of the milestones are in need of maintenance and repair and have been assured by Peterborough City Council that work will be carried out.
Members of the Milestone Society have searched for and recorded 31,000 milestones and way markers throughout the country. These can be found on the Milestone Society website.
Civic Society committee member David Jost said, “We are really pleased to have brought these often forgotten and neglected features to the public's attention and are proud to receive this award. However there may be more out there that we have missed. Please get in touch with the Civic Society if you spot any others."
Pictured below is the award and the award being presented, left to right David Jost, Rob Westlake (chairman of the Milestone Society), Bruce Keith, Peter Sargent and Sally Weald.
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Central Park (Memorial) Sunken Garden replanting
Peterborough City Council continues to experience severe financial constraints and consequently it has not been able to maintain the flower beds in Central Park. In October 2023, in partnership with Friends of Central Park (FOCP), the Society undertook to replant the beds around the Willow Tree (follow link) and has continued to maintain them and undertake new planting.
The flower beds in the Sunken Garden, also known as the Memorial Garden, had also fallen into an unkept state. The FOCP approached the Society regarding another project to resurrect them. With £3,100.00 funding obtained from the Fund for of Nature Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, a planting plan designed by Otis Roberts, a landscape architect. The plants were obtained and delivered (with thanks to The Willow Cafe for stabling them). David Turnock, our chairman was the principal lead in organising and arranging the planting and, over four days with help from members and volunteers from all over the city and pupils from Thomas Deacon Academy, the beds were cleared, weeded and fully replanted. Photos of what has been achieved are below and we all look forward to enjoying the gardens over the coming years.
The Friends of Central Park have extended their grateful thanks to all those involved.
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New walking and cycling maps
In 2025 members of the Society were involved with Fenland District Council and the Hereward Community Rail Partnership in developing new Walking and Cycling maps for Peterborough, Stamford and the surrounding area. This project is designed to attract more visitors to Peterborough and Stamford, particularly those from nearby towns and villages, such as Whittlesey, March, Ely and all rail stops en route.
Two maps have been created covering city centre and urban area of Peterborough, and to cover Peterborough, Stamford and surrounding area. Follow the link to download these maps as PDFs. At the same location links can be found to access more walking and cycling maps. Hard copies of the Peterborough map are expected to be available to pick up from the railway station, museum and tourist information. The Peterborough, Stamford and surrounding area map is known to be available from Stamford Tourist Information.
Stanley Park Interpretation Board
Stanley Park was named after William Stanley, an important business man in the history of Peterborough. William was a successful ironmonger who went on to form a business partnership that was to prove the founding of the world-famous Perkins Engines, thus is a very important figure in the history of Peterborough. The Society felt more recognition should be given to his name and the background to Stanley Park, so has installed a new interpretation board in the park to provide information about him and the history of the park.
The land that forms the park was a gifted to Peterborough by Mrs Jane Stanley, widow of William, and the park has been enjoyed by the people of Peterborough for the past 160 years. In addition to gifting the recreation ground Jane also arranged the erection of a drinking fountain. This has been beautifully refurbished by the City Council along with a renewed inscription, but the fountain is sadly no longer operational.
We are most grateful to Richard Hillier, the former City Archivist, who helped research the background to William Stanley. Photo second in from left shows David Turnock (left), Peter Lee (centre) and David Jost (right).
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Planting of the flower beds around the Willow Tree, Central Park
We are all too aware of the severe financial constraints Peterborough City Council are experiencing, as a result of which they can sadly no longer plant and maintain the flower beds around the willow tree in the centre of Central Park. We all enjoyed the colourful displays that raised our hearts, and we miss them so much. The Society had discussions with the Council and agreement was reached that the Society would undertake to plant up and maintain the flower beds, with the groundskeepers continuing to cut the grass.
In 2023, in partnership with Friends of Central Park who met half of the cost of the planting, Society committee members conditioned the soil and planted perennials rather than annuals. This year we and, from comments received, the passing public have been delighted with the results. Being perennials the plants will develop and mature as the years go on. We are grateful to Otis Roberts, Landscape Architect, for recommending the species of plants to be used, and designing a planting plan for the individual beds.
Toby Wood, Vice Chairman of The Society, has produced a Central Park appreciation booklet which is for sale at the Willow café, and can also be purchased on line by following the link, or at our open meetings.
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National Civic Day - Embankment litter pick
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For National Civic Day 17 June 2023 committee member Derek Brown organised a litter pick of the Embankment area and invited members of the Society to participate. A member of our group also belonged to Peterborough Lions, and they sent some volunteers which was much appreciated. Peterborough City Council kindly supplied us with litter sticks and bags. So sporting our new high-vis Peterborough Civic Society vests designed by committee member Toby Wood, we split up into groups of two or three and went our separate ways, bringing the filled bags back to an agreed collection point. From the photos you will see we had a very worthwhile haul. You may wonder but litter bins are present in this area and they are regularly emptied.
Civic Society helps with the Litter Action week
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Litter Action Week was organised by Peterborough City Council and supported by several community groups, held between 25th March and 1st April and they supplied litter sticks and bags to those taking part. The Civic Society volunteered to participate and were asked to clear the Dickens Street/Charles Street/Star Road area. We did this and a bit around the Key Theatre, but our major effort was diverted on the day to the Wellington Street car park and the verges and cycle path in Boongate, which were particularly bad. We collected about 18 bags of litter and some larger fly-tipped debris and found a used syringe, the location of which was phoned through to the Council, who arranged same day priority removal.
Towards a Better Balance between Heritage and Growth
The City of Peterborough has played a key part in a national research project looking at development and growth in historic cities. Following extensive research carried out in twelve cathedral cities and towns throughout England, the final report “Towards a Better Balance between Heritage and Growth” has been launched. The project was funded by Historic England, and carried out by the partnership of the Alliance of Historic Cathedral Cities and Towns (ACT), the Historic Towns and Villages Forum (HTVF) and Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners (AMUP).
ACT came out of a coalition of Civic Societies, and the research incorporates the views of civic societies, local authority councillors and officers, using extensive surveys and interviews. As a founding member of ACT, David Turnock, our Chairman, was delighted that Peterborough was chosen as a case study for this important work. Like so many civic societies across the country we strive to protect the heritage but also appreciate the key need for additional housing and economic development in our city.
The report which is in three parts can be downloaded by following the links:-
 Executive Summary |  Main Report |  Issues and Opportunities |
Our exhibition
With thanks to Peterborough Museum we had an exhibition on show in the Community Gallery during the first part of 2023, which has now concluded. Below is how it appeared. Click on the image to enlarge.
