Here at the Peterborough Telegraph the majority of our work focuses on events in the city itself, but we also enjoy shining a light on the towns and villages located just a short drive away.
Peterborough’s close proximity to Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire makes it an ideal base to explore the charming villages located in these historic counties.
The north Northamptonshire countryside, for example, boasts literally dozens of chocolate box villages just waiting to be explored.
Villages such as Fotheringhay, Apethorpe and Southwick, to name but three, are well worth visiting on a spare day.
But its worth remembering that villages in the Fenland District, just east of the city, can be equally as picturesque.
Made up of around 500 square miles of farmland and, well, fens, the district also contains four towns.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the flat, barren Fens probably aren’t worth exploring, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
With the Summer bank holiday just around the corner, we’ve picked out six charming Fenland villages that you shoul consider visiting.
Discover them below:
5. Murrow
Unusually-named Murrow, near Wisbech, has a history rooted in agriculture and drainage of the Fens. The name, recorded as ‘Morrowe’ in 1376, derives from Old English words meaning marsh and row of houses. Nearby Wisbech St Mary is just a short walk away, or those preferring to stay in the village can relax in The Bell pub. Photo: Jonathan Thacker
6. Stonea
Best known for having the lowest hill fort in Britain, Stonea is a very isolated village, even by Fens standards. Built around 500 BC, Stonea Camp served as a defended refuge surrounded by marshes, featuring complex banks and ditches. The Iron Age site is popular among visitors, with a number of descriptive boards talking about the age and purpose of the obvious earthworks around. Photo: Ashley Dace