Elgood's Brewery

Tourist Information Centre, Bridge Street, next to the Main Post Office and near to the Old Bridge.
Tel: 01945 583263

The Port of Wisbech and Yacht Harbour

Wisbech served as a port in medieval times but when the estuary of the River Ouse, became silted up, it was diverted into the sea at Lynn and the present artificial course of the River Nene was constructed from Peterborough to the Wash.  The drained marshes provided rich productive farmland and Wisbech became the centre of a thriving agricultural region and an important trading centre.

It was the drainage of the Fens that brought prosperity to Wisbech - both as a market town and a port. Throughout its history Wisbech has served as the focus of a vigorous local trade, in agricultural produce. It grew as an important trading centre, with shipments of corn and oil seed rape along the coast and to the continent, and imports - particularly coal from the North and timber from the Baltic. All this prosperity led to the magnificent Georgian architecture of the buildings along the Brinks

For more information about the port, please visit the
Port of Wisbech page

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Yacht Harbour from Freedom Bridge

 
Wisbech Yacht Harbour 
(Photo supplied by the Harbour Master)
E-mail Clinton Dorrington,  Wisbech Yacht Harbour Master

North Brink to the west

North Brink to the east

Facing each other across the water North Brink and South Brink are amongst the finest Georgian Streets in England. They have changed little over the years and have been used as a location fist the BBC TV period drama David Copperfield and other period productions for both TV and films

Described by Pevsner as 'one of the most perfect Georgian Streets of England', the North Brink is complemented by the more subdued style of the South Brink and together with the River Nene, which runs between them, they present a scene of great beauty.

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The Crescent & Castle

This delightful area, brimming with Georgian architecture, was developed by a local builder and speculator, Joseph Medworth in 1816. The original castle on the site was built shortly after the Norman Conquest to subdue the wild Fenmen led by Hereward the Wake. The circular shape of the Castle moat determined the later development of the Crescent.

In its present form it is styled as a Victorian middle class home and is used in conjunction with the Museum, both for tours and lectures. It is also used as a setting for films, notably the BBC’s David Copperfield.

The Wisbech Castle has tours of the Castle and Dungeons from 5th. May to 15th. Sept (2005) on Thursdays at 2.30pm.  £2.50.

The Castle Gardens are open from 5th. May to 15th. Sept (2005), Monday to Friday, admission Free.

Guided tours of the Gardens every Thursday, at 2.30pm, £2.50.

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The Crescent

Wisbech Castle from Museum Square

Wisbech & Fenland Museum

Wisbech & Fenland Museum

Alongside the displays of porcelain, pottery and bygones are some treasures of national importance.  The manuscript of Dickens ‘Great Expectations’, Napoleon’s breakfast service captured on the battlefields at Waterloo and Louis XIV’s ivory chess set.  A new display explores the landscape and history of the Fens.

 Telephone 01945 583817

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Perfectly positioned in the centre of North Brink, Peckover House is the finest property in Wisbech. It was built in 1722 and bought by Jonathan Peckover at the end of the 18th century. The Peckover’s, a Quaker banking family, presented the building to the National Trust in 1948. The outside of the house gives little idea of the elaborate and elegant interior of fine paneled rooms, Georgian fireplaces with carved over-mantels and ornate plaster decorations

At the back of the house is a beautiful walled garden with interesting and rare trees, delightful summer houses and fruiting orange trees, thought to be 300 years old.

The house and garden also provide a spectacular venue for the wide range of events throughout the years - it is even possible to get married at Peckover!

Open 15 March - 2 Nov

Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Good Friday, Bank Holiday Mondays & Rose Fair

Garden & Restaurant: 12.00 - 5.00pm
House/shop/bookshop: 1.00pm - 4.30pm 

  National Trust  -  Peckover House.

Peckover House Gardens
(Photo by permission WTDG)

St. Peter's & St. Paul's Church

St. Peter's Gardens

(Photo by permission WTDG)

Open Mon - Fri. 9 - 3pm (3.30pm in winter)

Sat. - for access call at the Vicarage in Love Lane.

Sun. - during services.

 

 

 

 

The Church of St Peter & St Paul and its gardens are. the setting for the annual Rose Fair. The church is full of breathtaking Flower arrangements and the gardens brim with crafts and activities.

Delicious strawberries picked freshly from the Fenland fields are served fur tea. A highlight of the festival is a procession of floats through the town on Rose Fair Saturday.

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Octavia Hill
(Photo by permission WTDG)

Octavia Hill Birthplace Museum

Octavia Hill Birthplace Museum

Octavia Hill was born in Wisbech in 1838. Although she is best known as one of the three founder members of the National Trust, 1895, her greatest achievements lie in the field of Housing Reform. She worked tirelessly to improve housing for the poorest sectors of society managing many improvements and rebuilding schemes, particularly in London. The Birthplace Museum at South Brink Place commemorates her life & work.

Mon, Tues, Wed, Sat & Sun, from 1pm – 4.30pm, (last admissions 4pm), so visits can be combined with the National Trust’s delightful Peckover House, nearby. We open to groups at other times and during the closed season by appointment

Octavia Hill Museum Website
To return to this page, please press your browser back button.

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Those backing up to the river used to be served by an array of warehouses, which could be serviced directly from the ships. The present market place grew under the protection of the Castle until it finally outstripped the Old Market in medieval times. The market area has been paved, and landscaped, and is now an attractive pedestrianised zone and the focus for the twice weekly traditional market.

Have you ever thought about the fruit and vegetables you eat

Where do they come from, how are they grown? How do they arrive on your plate? What about the flowers and plants you buy? Who grows them and where?

Fenland covers about 50,000 hectares of the most productive soil in the country with around

45,000 hectares being farmed intensively to grow cereals, root crops, fruit, vegetables, plants and flowers. But, did you know that the way we grow our food, transport it and where we sell it, all have an impact on the well-being of our environment and community?

Normal Market Days are Thursday and Saturday.

Buy Better, Buy Local, Buy Fenland

Farmers Markets

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Wisbech Market Place, 1894
(Courtesy of Mike Chapman, Markets Manager, Fenland District Council)

Wisbech Market Place, 2002

Elgood's Brewery and Garden

The classic Georgian brewery which dominates the southern end of North Brink, has stood almost unchanged for more than 200 years. The present owners, the Elgood family, mashed their first brew here on an autumn morning in 1878 and have continued to produce fine traditional ales ever since. Visitors can follow the brewing process on a guided tour, which ends with the opportunity to sample the final product. Outside, the 4 acre brewery garden has recently been restored. Original features, such as rare trees, blend delightfully with new beds & borders.

28th April 2009 to 24th September 2009

Tours take place at 2.00pm
on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.

Prices include tasting (adults only)
and access to the brewery gardens.

Adults £6.50, Childen (age 6 - 16) £4.00

(Children under 6 not permitted on Brewery Tour)

Tel: 01945 583160

www.elgoods-brewery.co.uk

Wisbech Town Park Bandstand

People In The Park
Wisbech Park is a place for people to enjoy themselves!  Tennis Court, football pitches, bowls

Nature In The Park
The town park is teeming with interesting and beautiful wildlife.

Wisbech Town Park

Fenland and West Norfolk Aviation Museum

Bambers Centre, Old Lynn Road, West Walton, Wisbech, PE14 7DA

Tel: 01945 461771 (During opening hours)

Open weekends and Bank Holidays from Good Friday to to end of September. 9.30 - 17:00. Admission; Adult £1.50, Children/Concession 75p.

Skylark Studios

Skylark Studios is situated just outside the village of Tydd Gote, on the border of Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire. Click here for more information and to see a map

Contemporary art gallery with changing exhibitions, classes, framing, tea and coffee. Open 9th Jan - 20th Dec, 10am - 5pm Wed - Sat (Tuesday by appointment) Admission free.

Hannath Road, Tydd Gote, Wisbech, PE13 5ND

Tel: 01945 420403

Web: www.skylarkstudios.co.uk

Woodhouse Farm Park

Jew House Drove, Friday Bridge, Near Wisbech, PE14 0HB

Tel: 01945 860309

Web: www.woodhousefarmpark.co.uk

Come and experience a genuine working farm. Plenty of animals to see and handle. Also indoor and outdoor play areas, tea room, gift shop, picnic area, nature walk and wildlife pond.

Open Easter to 30th October Tue-Sun and Bank Holiday Mondays 10:30 - 5pm (last admission 4pm). Reduced opening for winter (contact for details)

Admission: Adult £5.50, Children/SC £5.00, under 3's free, Family ticket (2+2) £20. Seasonal membership available. Guide dogs only.