Photo of Burghley House, a Grade II* registered house & garden near Ryhall, Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

Burghley HousePhoto daniel danielek / Unsplash

Places to explore near Peterborough

One of the finest Norman cathedrals in England rises above Peterborough, a fenland market town turned railway and brick city on the River Nene. The land around lies flat, black and below the sea, drained over centuries into the arable Fens. West the river climbs to the reed-fringed reservoir of Rutland Water, a magnet for ospreys and sailors. The Bronze Age causeway at Flag Fen survives in the waterlogged peat nearby, and the wet grassland of the Nene Washes floods each winter into a haven for wildfowl.

85 places within 25 km — the standouts first, nearest first within each group. 1 is a national icon.

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Worth the tripnational icons and local highlights within reach

Photo of the River Nene, a 91-mile river navigation running from Northampton to near Wisbech, England.

River Nene

River navigation

Guillotine-gated locks and water meadows from Northampton to Peterborough, where the Nene slips out into the Fens.

0.5 km S · Northamptonshire & Cambridgeshire

Photo of Peterborough Cathedral, a cathedral in Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

Peterborough Cathedral

Cathedral near Peterborough

Dramatic Norman nave and painted timber ceiling.

0.6 km E

Peterborough Lido

Lido near Peterborough

A Grade II-listed Art Deco lido of 1936 by the River Nene, with a clock tower and three heated pools.

0.7 km SE

Photo of Longthorpe Tower, a landmark near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

Longthorpe Tower

Landmark near Peterborough

A 14th-century fortified tower on the edge of Peterborough, famous for the most complete set of domestic medieval wall paintings in England.

2.6 km W

Photo of Nene Park, a country park near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

Nene Park

Country park near Peterborough

A country park in Cambridgeshire.

3.2 km SW

Photo of Flag Fen Archaeology Park, a visitor attraction near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

Flag Fen Archaeology Park

Attraction near Peterborough

Bronze Age timber causeway preserved in the Peterborough peat, with a reconstructed roundhouse and a museum of fenland finds.

3.9 km E

Photo of Nene Valley Railway, a visitor attraction near Fotheringhay, Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

Nene Valley Railway

Attraction near Fotheringhay

Preserved steam line running for miles along the Nene through Ferry Meadows into Peterborough, with a working museum yard.

9.5 km W

Photo of Sacrewell Farm and Country Centre, a visitor attraction near Fotheringhay, Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

Sacrewell Farm and Country Centre

Attraction near Fotheringhay

Working farm and country centre near Peterborough built around a rare 18th-century watermill still in turning order.

10.9 km W

Photo of Trinity Bridge, a landmark near Crowland, Lincolnshire, central England.

Trinity Bridge

Landmark near Crowland

Strange three-way medieval bridge stranded in the streets of Crowland, built over long-vanished channels of the fen rivers.

12.6 km NE

Photo of Crowland, a village in Lincolnshire, central England.

Crowland

Fenland town gathered around ruined Croyland Abbey and the strange three-way Trinity Bridge stranded in the streets.

12.6 km NE · Lincolnshire

Photo of Fotheringhay, a village in Northamptonshire, central England.

Fotheringhay

Nene-side village of honey-stone cottages under a great lantern-towered church, with the grassy motte where Richard III was born and Mary, Queen of Scots died.

14.3 km W · Northamptonshire

Photo of Burghley House, a Grade II* registered house & garden near Ryhall, Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

Burghley House

House & garden near Ryhall

Turreted Elizabethan prodigy house near Stamford.

15.9 km NW

Photo along the Macmillan Way, a 290-mile long-distance path running from Boston to Abbotsbury, England.

Macmillan Way

Long-distance path

Boston to Abbotsbury down the limestone belt — 290 miles waymarked in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

16.8 km NW · spans 10 counties

Photo: The Meadows, Stamford, a viewpoint near Ryhall, Lincolnshire, central England.

The Meadows, Stamford

Viewpoint near Ryhall

Riverside water-meadows below Stamford's spires, the classic view of the honey-stone town across the Welland.

17.7 km NW

Photo of Fineshade Wood, a visitor attraction near King's Cliffe, Northamptonshire, central England.

Fineshade Wood

Attraction near King's Cliffe

Rockingham Forest woodland near Corby with cycle and walking trails, a red-kite feeding history and a café in the old abbey grounds.

20.8 km W

Photo of Wadenhoe, a village in Northamptonshire, central England.

Wadenhoe

Riverside hamlet of thatched limestone cottages on the Nene, its hilltop church and quiet moorings making it one of the county's prettiest corners.

23.6 km SW · Northamptonshire

Photo of Ayscoughfee Hall, a Grade II registered house & garden near Spalding, Lincolnshire, central England.

Ayscoughfee Hall

House & garden near Spalding

A merchant's house of 1451, its five acres holding a yew walk planted in the 1720s.

24.4 km N

Photo of Lyveden, a house & garden near Wadenhoe, Northamptonshire, central England.

Lyveden

House & garden near Wadenhoe

An Elizabethan garden lodge, left unfinished.

24.4 km SW

Photo of Deene Park, a Grade II registered house & garden near Seaton, Northamptonshire, central England.

Deene Park

House & garden near Seaton

Home of the Brudenells since 1514, including the earl who led the Light Brigade.

24.5 km W

Also nearbygood places nearby, nearest first

Oakham Ales Brewery Tap

Brewery near Peterborough

Peterborough's landmark brewpub in a former labour exchange, one of the largest in Europe, pouring the brewery's own award-winning ales.

0.4 km E

Thorpe Hall

House & garden near Peterborough

A rare Commonwealth-era house built in the 1650s for Cromwell's Lord Chief Justice.

1.8 km W

Photo of Crown Lakes Country Park, a country park near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

Crown Lakes Country Park

Country park near Peterborough

A country park in Cambridgeshire.

3.9 km S

Photo of Castor Hanglands, a National Nature Reserve near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

Castor Hanglands

National Nature Reserve near Peterborough

A National Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire.

7.2 km W

Photo of St Mary's Church, Whittlesey, a church in Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

St Mary's Church, Whittlesey

Church near Whittlesey

Fenland market-town church distinguished by its tall, elegant 15th-century crocketed spire, a landmark for miles across the peat.

8.3 km E

Photo of the River Welland, a river navigation running from Stamford to Fosdyke, England.

River Welland

River navigation

A fenland river winding through Spalding's bulb country between the Deepings and the outfall toward the Wash.

8.8 km N · Lincolnshire & Cambridgeshire

Photo of Thorney, a village in Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

Thorney

Former fen island near Peterborough built around a great abbey church, later a model estate village of the Bedford dukes.

10.9 km NE · Cambridgeshire

Photo of Thorney Abbey Church, a church in Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

Thorney Abbey Church

Church near Thorney

The surviving Norman nave of a great Benedictine abbey stands as the parish church of this former fen-island village.

10.9 km NE

Photo of Elton Hall & Gardens, a Grade II* registered house & garden near Fotheringhay, Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

Elton Hall & Gardens

House & garden near Fotheringhay

A part-Gothic, part-Tudor house of the Proby family, with a Gothic orangery.

11.9 km SW

Everything else within 25 km (57) — reserves, earthworks & places to check before travelling

Crowland AbbeyAbbey12.8 km NE
St Andrew, CotterstockChurch16.1 km SW
ApethorpeVillage16.6 km W
The George of StamfordPub17.7 km NW
Touthill and site of castle baileySite of a former castleaccess unclear0.6 km E
Nene WashesSSSI1.4 km SE
Longthorpe Roman fortRoman archaeological siteaccess unclear3 km W
Orton PitSSSIaccess unclear3.3 km S
Milton HallHouse & gardenaccess unclear4 km W
Dogsthorpe Star PitSSSIaccess unclear4.1 km NE
Horsey hillfortHillfortaccess unclear4.4 km SE
Robin Hood and Little John stonesStanding stoneaccess unclear4.9 km W
Castor Flood MeadowsSSSI6.3 km W
Eye Gravel PitSSSIaccess unclear6.5 km NE
Holme FenNational Nature Reserve8.5 km S
Deeping Gravel PitsSSSIaccess unclear9 km N
Bassenhally PitSSSIaccess unclear9.6 km E
Sutton Heath and BogSSSIaccess unclear9.7 km W
Torpel Manor (or castle), AshtonCastleaccess unclear10.4 km NW
Southorpe PaddockSSSI10.7 km W
Southorpe MeadowSSSIaccess unclear11.3 km NW
Maxey CastleCastleaccess unclear11.7 km NW
Wansford PastureSSSIaccess unclear11.7 km W
Old Sulehay ForestSSSIaccess unclear12.1 km W
Southorpe RoughsSSSIaccess unclear12.1 km NW
Barnack Hills and HolesNational Nature Reserve12.3 km NW
West Abbot's and Lound WoodsSSSIaccess unclear12.4 km W
Bedford PurlieusNational Nature Reserve13.5 km W
Woodwalton FenNational Nature Reserve13.5 km S
Cross DrainSSSIaccess unclear13.7 km N
Fotheringhay motteEarthworks of a former castleaccess unclear13.8 km SW
Fotheringhay PriorySite of a former prioryaccess unclear14 km W
The Falcon Inn (Fotheringhay)Pub14 km W
Bruce's Castle (Cambridgeshire)Castleaccess unclear14.1 km S
Langtoft Gravel PitsSSSIaccess unclear14.1 km NW
Ashton WoldSSSIaccess unclear14.3 km SW
Bonemills HollowSSSIaccess unclear14.8 km W
Whitewater ValleySSSIaccess unclear14.9 km W
Collyweston Great WoodNational Nature Reserve16.1 km W
Castle Hill motte (Cambridgeshire)Castleaccess unclear16.1 km S
Sawtry AbbeyAbbeyaccess unclear16.1 km S
Racecourse RoadCounty topaccess unclear16.2 km W
Aversley WoodSSSIaccess unclear16.4 km S
CotterstockVillage16.7 km SW
Apethorpe PalaceHouse & gardenaccess unclear16.8 km W
RamseyVillage16.9 km SE
Upwood MeadowsNational Nature Reserve17 km S
Ramsey AbbeyAbbeyaccess unclear17.1 km SE
Adventurers' LandSSSIaccess unclear17.1 km E
Ruins and site of St Leonard's PriorySite of a former prioryaccess unclear17.2 km NW
King's Cliffe BanksSSSIaccess unclear17.2 km W
Booths Hill, Ramsey AbbeyAbbeyaccess unclear17.3 km SE
Woodwalton MarshSSSIaccess unclear17.4 km S
Greyfriars PriorySite of a former prioryaccess unclear17.6 km NW
Racecourse Farm FieldsSSSIaccess unclear17.7 km W
The Chequered SkipperPub17.7 km SW
St Michael's Priory (Lincolnshire)Prioryaccess unclear17.8 km NW

Ordered by how far each place is worth travelling for, then by distance. Distances are straight-line to the nearest edge of each place — paths wind, of course.