Peterborough itself boasts a fascinating history, but it's worth remembering that the towns and villages surrounding our city have their own intriguing past.
If you jumped in a time machine and travelled back 700 or 800 years, you’d quickly realise how important a role castles played in medieval life.
Castles were vital in the Middle Ages because they served as military strongholds, seats of local government, and symbols of power.
They protected kings and lords from enemies, controlled vital trade routes, and helped maintain order over captured.
The arrival of the Normans in 1066 led to a new age of castle construction to act as defensive positions against warring tribes or invaders.
Several such castles were built near Peterborough all those centuries ago, although very few exist in their full form today.
Some were destroyed intentionally, while others were left to crumble over the centuries.
Here we take a look at five castles which once stood high and mighty near Peterborough, and what remains in 2026:
5. Washingley Castle
Washingley Castle, just south of Peterborough - was built to protect the lands of the de Washingleys, who were lords of Washingley Manor between 1166 and 1470. The castle has long since been demolished, with only a few mounds remaining on private land. Photo: Stephen Mudie