For Sale

Publications

News and Views

Join Us

Links

Current Events - Summer visits 2026

Summer visits for 2026

City Centre Heritage & Blue Plaques Walk of Peterborough City Centre - completed

Toby Wood kindly offered to lead a walking tour around the City Centre picking up on features that Derek Brown and he have put together for a series of four new walks leaflets in Peterborough. These are available from the Museum Tourist Information desk.

Meet at the Guildhall for £1.50pm

Rockingham Castle - completed

We will meet at the ticket office at 1.50pm. There are no private tours available that day so Members are free to tour the castle at their own pace with guides in each room to explain the history of the people and building. We will then meet in the cafe at 3.30pm for afternoon tea which will be laid out on reserved tables for us by cafe staff.

The cost for entry plus the tea which includes a cream tea and cake is £26.60 per person

Spaces now limited - for date details and how to book join the Society

Whittlesey Town, Museum and Parish Church tour - completed

We will meet at Whittlesey Museum at 1.50pm ready for a 2.00pm start.
The Museum is being opened especially for us.
After some time in the museum we will then follow part of the Heritage Walk through the town to St. Mary's Church where the Church warden will provide us with a guided tour and then afternoon refreshments in the church. After tea I will invite anyone who wants to accompany me to explore a bit more of the Heritage Walk.

The cost of the tour plus refreshments is £15 per person and this includes donations towards the upkeep of the Museum and St. Mary's Church

This is now fully booked.

Completed summer visits

City Centre Heritage & Blue Plaques Walk of Peterborough City Centre

Rockingham Castle

We had a successful visit to Rockingham Castle, rounding off with a really excellent cream tea of clotted cream with jam on freshly baked scone, and with portion of freshly prepared Victoria or lemon sponge cake, really generous portions and beautifully cooked. We thank the organisers for arranging the visit and for finishing our visit in such fine style, and we were blessed with excellent weather.

To maintain the privacy of the owners of the Castle, photography within the castle was not permitted, which we fully understand.

The first six pictures were kindly provided for use on the Society website by our member David Dixon and remain his property. The rest of the photos were taken by myself, the webmaster.

Whittlesey Museum and St Mary's Church

Sadly I (the webmaster) was not able to go so unable to take photos. However Society member David Jost kindly supplied me the following photos to use on the Society website and they remain his property.

Speaker season for 2025/2026 now completed

Our talks are held at our usual venue of St Marks Church Hall, Lincoln Road, PE1 2SN commencing 07.30pm, to which NON-MEMBERS are welcome to attend, but please be aware we rely entirely on subscriptions and voluntary contributions to cover our expenses. We therefore request a donation of at least £5.00 per head is made for each non-member attendance, or this is waived if you join while at the meeting. Details of our subscription rates are on our Join Us page. Photographs from our 2025 summer visits (follow link) can be found further down the page.

8 September 2025 7.30pm - The unique life of a Blakeney Point Coastal Ranger

with Ajay Tegala, Ranger and TV Presenter

We all appreciate that much of our wildlife requires human help to flourish. And we will have a personal angle on the subject to launch our new season of talks. Ajay Tegala, raised in Market Deeping, is a wildlife presenter, conservationist, ranger, and author. With a degree in Environmental Conservation, he has over a decade of experience, working at Blakeney Point and Wicken Fen, Britain’s first nature reserves. His books, The Unique Life of a Ranger (2022) and Wetland Diaries (2024), detail his work protecting seabirds, seals, and wetland species. His TV credits include BBC’s Springwatch, Countryfile, and Inside the Bat Cave. A passionate communicator, he contributes to podcasts like Wild Tales, supports Butterfly Conservation and champions fenland restoration.

13 October 2025 7.30pm - Peterborough Positive - its role and aspirations

with Pep Cipriano, Chief Operating Officer, Peterborough Positive

Pep Cipriano is a passionate advocate for Peterborough’s city centre revitalisation. With over 30 years of experience in communications, marketing, and event management, he leads the Business Improvement District (BID), representing over 400 businesses. Pep drives initiatives like the “Flower Power” project, Glastonbury screenings, and Peterborough’s Strongest competition to boost interest in Peterborough city centre. He collaborates with police and local stakeholders to enhance safety, tackling issues like shoplifting through schemes like the DISC app. His leadership of Peterborough Positive is vital in fostering a cleaner, safer, and vibrant city, promoting tourism and community pride.

10 November 2025 7.30pm - From Teaching to Battle Rapping and Performance

with Mark Grist, poet, performer and teacher

Mark Grist, born 1981, in Peterborough, is a multi-award-winning poet, battle rapper, and children’s author. Initially an English teacher, he studied at the University of East Anglia and used rap to teach poetic devices, inspiring students. His viral Don’t Flop rap battle against MC Blizzard became the UK’s most viewed, with over 60 million online views for his work. His poem Girls Who Read won two International Luvvie Awards. Grist, a former Edinburgh Fringe Slam Champion, has performed globally, authored books for Bloomsbury, and hosts the podcast Mark Can’t Rap.

In collaboration with illustrator Chis Jeavons, Mark has produced two books for children, Rhinos Don’t Cry and Bears Don’t Get Scared.

8 December 2025 7.30pm - Flag Fen Futures 10 year plan

with Jacquie Mooney, General Manager, Flag Fen

Flag Fen is a globally significant Bronze Age site, featuring a 3,000-year-old wooden causeway and replica roundhouses. Managed by Jacqui Mooney since 2021, it attracts 10,000 schoolchildren annually for immersive history education. Mooney, with extensive heritage experience from the National Trust and English Heritage, aims to elevate Flag Fen’s profile, emphasizing its serene fenland landscape and archaeological value. After a 2025 arson attack destroyed an Iron Age roundhouse, Jacqui launched a £50,000 fundraising appeal, raising over £13,000 quickly. Her vision includes rebuilding, enhancing nature conservation, and partnering with City College Peterborough to preserve Flag Fen’s legacy for future generations.

12 January 2026 7.30pm - Great Scott - Britain's most prolific architect

with Nigel Lowey, speaker on history, architecture and design

Nigel Lowey is a Nottingham-based historian will be talking to us about Sir George Gilbert Scott, this country’s most prolific Victorian architect, whose work in Peterborough includes Peterscourt in Midgate and his role as Cathedral architect. Nigel's talks celebrate the preservation of cultural heritage, demonstrating his deep knowledge of history, architecture and design. He is known especially for his expertise on the transformation of St. Pancras Station and the Midland Grand Hotel. His interest in these Victorian Gothic landmarks evolved into a recognised specialisation, leading to lectures for history and civic groups around the country.

9 February 2026 7.30pm - Norman Cross and the Arts and Crafts of Prisoners of War

with Paul Chamberlain, historian

Paul Chamberlain is a leading historian of the Napoleonic era, specialising in prisoners of war from 1793–1815. His book, The Napoleonic Prison of Norman Cross: The Lost Town of Huntingdonshire, details the world’s first purpose-built prisoner-of-war camp, opened in 1797. Housing up to 7,000 French and other inmates. Norman Cross functioned as a self-contained town with barracks, a hospital, and a market. Paul, a Fellow of the International Napoleonic Society, contributed to the 2009 Time Team dig at the site and was a key member of the group responsible for the re-erection of the Norman Cross Eagle Memorial in 2005. His work, praised for its thorough research, continues to highlight the camp’s impact on the region and to unearth further stories of the lives of individual prisoners and their military guardians.

Whilst Paul will be focussing on the Arts and Crafts of the prisoners, we hope, following the purchase in 2025 of the Norman Cross prison site by Nene Park Trust with Historic England’s grant support, Paul will also be able to share a vision for its future.

9 March 2026 2.30pm - Triumph and Disaster: archaeological insights into life in the medieval countryside

with Professor Carenza Lewis, archaeologist and TV presenter

This is our keynote lecture and will be held in the ARU Peterborough Living Lab commencing 2.30pm.

If not a member please join and help support our work through your membership. Bookings are now closed.

Professor Carenza Lewis is a renowned British archaeologist, television presenter, and academic. Best known as an original expert on Channel 4’s Time Team (1993–2004, returning since 2021 on YouTube), she popularised archaeology through engaging fieldwork. A specialist in medieval rural settlements with recent work ranging from plague pandemics to climate change, she founded Access Cambridge Archaeology and initiatives like Dig School. Now Professor of Public Understanding of Research at the University of Lincoln, she pioneered community digs involving thousands of volunteers and introduced this practice to Europe. In 2023, she became the first woman awarded the British Academy Landscape Archaeology Medal for her impactful work.

13 April 2026 7.30pm - The Great Fen Project: an update

with Matt Jackson, Conservation Director, Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire

Matt Jackson plays a pivotal role in the Great Fen project, a 50–100-year initiative to restore 3,700 hectares of fenland between Peterborough and Huntingdon. He oversees efforts to connect Woodwalton and Holme Fen National Nature Reserves, creating a wildlife-rich wetland. Matt supports the Fens Reservoir proposal, advocating for 20% Biodiversity Net Gain to enhance habitats like the Ouse Washes. His work emphasises sustainable water management, carbon sequestration, and community engagement, ensuring the project mitigates climate change while fostering biodiversity. Matt’s leadership of the organisation drives restoration, wet farming trials, and conservation, transforming the Great Fen into a haven for species like bitterns and fen violets.

11 May 2026 7.30pm - Kill or Cure? Dr T J Walker, Victorian Surgeon

with Liz Davies, historian

Well-known local historian and museum curator, Liz Davies will deliver a talk on Dr.Thomas James Walker (1835–1916), a Peterborough surgeon. Walker was a pioneer of laryngoscopy and antiseptic surgery at Peterborough Infirmary when it occupied the current Museum building in Priestgate. Following a medical education in Edinburgh and Vienna, and alongside his role as surgeon, he also became a vigorous local historian and archaeologist, authoring The Depot for Prisoners of War at Norman Cross (1913) and archaeological papers on Peterborough’s Roman and Anglo-Saxon heritage. In 1915, he received the Freedom of the City.

One of our Blue Plaques features Dr Thomas James Walker, follow the link to view it.

Previous speakers

Follow the link for our previous speakers and their subjects from previous years.

Photos from summer visits from previous years

Follow the link for photos from our summer visits from previous years.

Committee Meetings

Committee meetings are normally arranged on the first Monday of each month throughout the year, except January and May which are on the second Monday.

Summaries of the society's talks and accounts of its visits appear in our Annual Report. The contents of our most recent Annual Reports are listed here, some of which can be downloaded. To obtain a copy please write or email our Secretary.

page last changed 8 July 2026