# Travel >> Destinations >> United Kingdom

Whittlesey, UK: Fenland Town in Cambridgeshire

Whittlesey is a historic market town and civil parish in the Peterborough district of Cambridgeshire, England — deep in the Fens, the drained marshlands of eastern England.

Location & Geography

Coordinates: 52°33′N 0°07′W
Distance: ~10 miles (16 km) northeast of Peterborough
Setting: Flat, low-lying Fenland — rich black peat soil, drainage ditches (dikes), big skies
Population: ~16,000 (2021 Census)

History Highlights

• Roman: Fen causeway (Road) passed nearby
• Medieval: Whittlesey Mere (largest southern English lake) drained 1851
• St. Mary's & St. Andrew's Churches: Rare shared churchyard (two parishes, one graveyard)
• Whittlesey Straw Bear Festival: Annual Plough Tuesday tradition (revived 1980) — straw-covered dancer parades • Brickmaking: 19th-20th C industry (Fenland clay); Whittlesey bricks built Peterborough Cathedral restoration

Modern Whittlesey

• Transport: Railway station (Peterborough–March–Ely line), A605 road

Economy: Agriculture (potatoes, vegetables, cereals), food processing, light industry, commuting to Peterborough

Nature: Nearby Nene Washes (RSPB), Flag Fen (Bronze Age archaeology), King's Dyke (brick pits → nature reserve)

Services: Two primary schools, one secondary (Sir Harry Smith Community College), health center, library

Why Visit

Fenland landscapes, big-sky cycling, birdwatching (winter wildfowl), Straw Bear Festival (Jan), traditional pubs, gateway to Peterborough Cathedral and Flag Fen archaeology park.

Is England Part of the Schengen Area?

Can a Spanish Permanent Resident Visit England?

United Kingdom