Born near Peterborough in 1735, William Speechly became one of Georgian Britain’s most important practical horticulturists. As head gardener to the 3rd Duke of Portland, he combined observation, experiment and engineering to improve the cultivation of pineapples, grapes and other tender fruits in the English climate.
The vicar of Stanground turned his Fen-edge parish into the haunted village of Stoneground. E. G. Swain’s 1912 ghost tales and his Peterborough connection.
Ethel Granger held the record for the smallest waist ever recorded, measured at 13 inches in Peterborough in 1939. A corsetier, motorcyclist and true original.
This summer, Peterborough Cathedral will become the setting for Travelling Bricks, an extraordinary globally touring exhibition made from over one million LEGO® bricks, combined with hands-on interactive experiences designed for families to create, explore, and play...
Adrian Lyne is a Peterborough-born film director, producer and screenwriter whose work helped define the look and mood of mainstream cinema in the 1980s and 1990s.
Born at Castor Rectory and educated partly in Peterborough, John Davys Beresford became a prolific novelist, critic and speculative writer whose imagined superchildren, pandemics and dystopian societies helped shape early British science fiction.
Neil Hubbard is one of British popular music’s most respected guitarists. From his formative years as a Peterborough Cathedral chorister and King’s School pupil, his precise, soulful playing carried him into Bluesology, Juicy Lucy, the Grease Band, Kokomo, Roxy Music and an exceptional catalogue of session work.
A former Peterborough Cathedral chorister and Head Boy at The King’s School, David Lammy went on to become a barrister, author, long-serving Member of Parliament and one of the most prominent British politicians of his generation.
Gray Jolliffe is a British illustrator and cartoonist whose distinctive humour and visual style have made him a recognisable figure in British publishing and popular culture. Born Graham Jolliffe in 1937, he studied at The King’s School in Peterborough before...
Peterborough-born physicist Professor Frank Close OBE FRS has spent his career investigating the fundamental structure of matter and helping millions of readers, viewers and listeners understand some of science’s most challenging ideas.
Peter Boizot was one of Peterborough’s great originals: an entrepreneur, restaurateur, philanthropist, art collector, jazz promoter, football club owner and determined champion of his home city. Best known nationally as the founder of PizzaExpress, he later invested his money, energy and imagination in Peterborough’s buildings, heritage, culture and sporting life.
Hidden above the bustle of Queensgate Shopping Centre, there’s a piece of Peterborough that time almost forgot. On 24th April, thanks to the Queensgate management team, members of the Discover Peterborough team were given rare access to a set of historic rooms above...
A quiet but remarkable part of Peterborough Cathedral is offering a rare glimpse into the city’s past, as interest grows in the Cathedral Library and Archive and the stories it holds. As part of ongoing work to uncover and share Peterborough’s lesser-seen heritage,...
These beautiful paintings by Roy Butchart (1 March 1925 – 27 April 2016) aren’t on public display, so for many people, this may be the first time they've seen his work. That makes them feel even more special – a hidden thread of local artistic heritage, quietly...
Walter Cornelius was born in 1923 into a Latvia that was, for a brief and precious moment, at peace. The country had declared independence in 1918, and the years that followed brought a fragile but genuine stability. For Walter's family, life on a Latvian farm was...
Imagine an encyclopaedia of the natural world — lions, camels, serpents, dolphins, dragons and unicorns — painted in brilliant colours, shimmering with gold leaf, and imbued with moral lessons drawn from every creature it portrays. Created in Peterborough around...
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Longthorpe is one of Peterborough’s most extraordinary historic sites. Longthorpe Tower may appear modest from the outside, but within its walls lies a rare and remarkable collection of medieval wall paintings that have survived for...
At the heart of Dinosaur City, an extraordinary sight awaits. A colossal Titanosaur — one of the largest creatures ever to walk the Earth — takes centre stage inside the stunning surroundings of Peterborough Cathedral. Standing beneath its vast frame, you begin to...
Alfred Nicholson Leeds (1847–1917) was a pioneering British fossil collector whose work transformed our understanding of Jurassic marine life.
Seeing Is Believing: Experience the Natural History Museum’s Titanosaur at Peterborough Cathedral 13th April - 31st May 2026 Inside the soaring stone vaults of Peterborough Cathedral, visitors will soon be able to stand beneath one of the largest animals ever to walk...
Peterborough’s City of Culture conversation is not really about a title. It is about something quieter, and more demanding. It is about whether a city chooses confidence over decline, participation over commentary, and shared authorship over passive observation. It is...
In April, Peterborough Cathedral will host Titanosaur – a chance to stand, quite literally, in the shadow of the Late Cretaceous Period. The colossal Patagotitan mayorum – the most complete giant dinosaur ever discovered – will stand within the Cathedral’s vast...
You know that feeling when the city noise fades and the air seems to open up around you? That is what greets you at Heron Meadow. A short walk from the busier paths of Nene Park, the landscape shifts. The ground dips gently towards the river. Reeds whisper in the...
Ancient limestone mounds, rare orchids and Roman quarrying combine at Barnack Hills & Holes. Set within Clare Country, this remarkable nature reserve reveals the geological and cultural foundations of Peterborough, offering wildflower meadows, open skies and centuries of layered history.