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Wisbech is the ‘Capital of the Fens’, a town of 25,000 people tucked in the North of Cambridgeshire close to the border with both Norfolk and Lincolnshire.

The town has always been an important East Coast Port, once at the mouth of the Great Ouse and, in later years(as a result of the Nene Cut), now some nine miles from the Wash.

Wisbech is a market town of great character and historical importance: the Charter of King Walphere of 664 mentioned Visebec, and a castle was erected in 1086 by King William I. King John visited Wisbech in 1216 and slept at the castle; stories concerning the whereabouts of his famous lost jewels still abound. Around the current Wisbech Castle are some beautiful three storey Georgian town houses in The Crescent and Union Place. The area has been the chosen site for several television and film period dramas.

Pevsner called the North and South Brinks ‘one of the most perfect Georgian streets in England’: on North Brink can be found Peckover House, the National Trust property of the late Peckover Quaker, banking family. Visitors can stroll in the sumptuous gardens, take tea in the Reed Barn and immerse themselves in the history of this house built in 1722.

The Wisbech and Fenland Museum established in 1835 has in its archives the original manuscript of Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens in addition to many other exhibits of local and national historical interest. The Museum also houses the Town Library, a medieval collection consisting of many Greek and Latin scholastic volumes.

The Angles Theatre, an original Georgian theatre, is more than 200 years old and is one of the oldest theatres still in use today. With the front row of the audience right on stage, it is a fine example of an intimate theatre with the audience participation being lively.

The Rose Fair, held in July each year, attracts visitors from far and wide and the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul is garlanded with flower arrangements produced by many skilled and enthusiastic amateurs.

The Georgian Brewery of Elgood’s, as well as its brewery tours now has one of the finest gardens open to the public. The present owners, the Elgood Family mashed their first brew here in 1878 and have continued to produce fine traditional ales ever since.

On the South Brink is the Birthplace House of Octavia Hill, one of the Founders of the National Trust, born here in 1838: her greatest achievement being in the field of housing reform.

For more information on these and all the other aspects of our Historic Georgian Town please pay a visit to our Tourist Information Centre housed in Fenland@your service on Bridge Street. This can be found adjacent to the largest monument in Wisbech, the Clarkson Memorial, which commemorates Thomas Clarkson; one of the earliest leaders of the Abolitionist Movement who pressed for the ending of the African Slave Trade.

There is much to see and enjoy in Wisbech. Thursday and Saturday are the traditional market days, a Farmers Market takes place here on alternate Fridays. There is also an annual Christmas Market with seasonal entertainment. If you are a resident, please use our town and its facilities. If you are a visitor then - “Welcome to Wisbech” - and enjoy your stay.