A-Z of Peterborough

Peterborough grew up around its cathedral, originally founded as an Anglo-Saxon monastery, but it was only in the nineteenth century that this city on the edge of the Fens started to grow to its present size as one of the largest cities in the east of England. The arrival of the railways and development of new industries in the early nineteenth century brought large numbers of people to Peterborough, and the expansion continued with its designation as a New Town in the 1960s, which led to a large programme of house building and redevelopment of the city centre. A–Z of Peterborough reveals the history behind the city’s streets and buildings, industries, and the people connected with it. Alongside the famous historical connections are unusual characters, tucked-away places and unique events that are less well known. Readers will discover tales of the importance of brickmaking, the tragic accident of a Victorian lady balloonist and parachutist, a pioneering eighteenth-century botanist and riots during the First World War among many other fascinating facts in this tour of Peterborough’s history. It is fully illustrated throughout and will appeal to all those with an interest in this city in the east of England.