The Will o’ the Wisps of Helpston
John Clare did more than write about will-o’-the-wisps. He described seeing them himself around Helpston, preserving an extraordinary meeting of observation, folklore and fear.
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The Plough Witches
John Clare recorded the disguises, blackened faces and ritual misrule of Peterborough’s Plough Monday performers, part of a winter tradition that survived across the region.
The Toadmen
Fenland horsemen were said to possess a secret bone giving them extraordinary power over horses, obtained through one of British folklore’s strangest initiation rituals.
The Paschal Pickerel
Why would a pike appear at the Last Supper? Explore Peterborough’s Paschal Pickerel tradition through lost medieval glass, Christian fish symbolism and Fenland life.
The Woman in Black of Woodston
A Woman in Black was said to have appeared around Woodston from 1908. Sixty-five years later, the neighbourhood was still telling her story.
Charles Kingsley (1819–1875)
Charles Kingsley (1819–1875) was a prominent Victorian clergyman, historian, social reformer and author, remembered for works including The Water-Babies, Westward Ho! and Hereward the Wake.
Button Cap
Meet Button Cap, the Barnack Rectory ghost heard in loose slippers, turning pages and searching endlessly for a missing deed while the Kingsley family listened.
The Ghost of Woodcroft Castle
The haunting of Woodcroft Castle grew around the brutal death of Royalist clergyman Michael Hudson during the Second Civil War in June 1648.
Wansford in England
A sleeping man, a floating haycock and one persistent punchline. Discover how a seventeenth-century joke became part of Wansford’s identity for nearly four centuries.
The Shag Foal
Around Barnack and Helpston, travellers feared a dark shaggy creature after nightfall. John Clare’s own experiences show how easily familiar animals became something stranger.
Old Scarlett, the Man Who Buried Two Queens
Meet Robert Old Scarlett, Peterborough Cathedral’s remarkable Tudor sexton, remembered for burying Katharine of Aragon and Mary Queen of Scots decades apart.
Robin Hood and Little John
Two ancient stones near the Nene became Robin Hood and Little John, but their real history points towards medieval route rights, tolls and Barnack stone.
Lady Conyburrow’s Way
Follow the mysterious Lady Conyburrow’s Way at Castor, where St Kyneburgha, Roman archaeology, medieval tradition and a strange path through the landscape meet.
The Witch of Ailsworth
An unnamed tenth-century Ailsworth widow lost her land and was drowned after an accusation involving iron stakes. Later generations remembered her simply as a witch.
The Princes, the Hart and the Well in the Cloister
Peterborough’s legendary Christian foundation begins with two Mercian princes, a hunted hart, St Chad and a tragedy later woven into the monastery’s identity.
Hereward and the White Wolf
Hereward’s real 1070 raid on Peterborough later grew into a legend filled with dreams, lost treasure, strange lights and a mysterious white wolf.
John Clare Cottage launches free admission for under-25s to mark John Clare’s birthday
To mark the birthday of celebrated poet and environmentalist John Clare, John Clare Cottage is delighted to announce that, from this week, all visitors aged under 25 will be able to visit the historic cottage free of charge. John Clare’s own education was...
The Wild Hunt of 1127
In 1127 Peterborough’s chronicler recorded black riders, monstrous hounds and hunting horns in the night, creating one of England’s most remarkable Wild Hunt accounts.
Strike Gold at Peterborough Cathedral’s Travelling Bricks Exhibition
Visitors to Peterborough Cathedral’s Travelling Bricks exhibition are invited to uncover a hidden treasure and win fantastic city centre prizes in the exciting Golden Brick Challenge! Families will be invited to join a unique challenge that brings together creativity,...
Peterborough WakePark
Ever heard of Cable Wakeboarding? It’s like snowboarding, but on water; like waterskiing, but without the boat; like a skateboard park but with a softer landing - there’s many ways you could describe it - but all you really need to know is it’s a really fun and...
Rich Simmons
Born in Peterborough, Rich Simmons is a self-taught contemporary artist whose vividly coloured work combines pop art, comic books, street culture, punk energy and social commentary. His career has taken him from designing T-shirts and running creative workshops to international exhibitions, major murals and museum displays.
Jodie Turner-Smith
Peterborough-born Jodie Turner-Smith followed an unconventional route from finance and corporate banking to modelling, independent cinema and major international productions, becoming one of the most distinctive British screen actors of her generation.
William Speechly (1735-1819)
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.
Edmund Gill Swain (1861-1938)
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.