Peterborough

Peterborough (/ˈpiːtərbrə/ or /ˈpiːtərbərə/ (listen)) is a cathedral city in the East of England. The population is about 184,500 as of mid–2011. The city is well known for its cathedral.

Peterborough
City and unitary authority
Peterborough Cathedral
Motto:  "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Upon this rock)
Peterborough Unitary Authority Area shown within Cambridgeshire
Coordinates: 52°34′21″N 00°14′35″W
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	East of England
Ceremonial county	Cambridgeshire
Admin HQ	Peterborough
City status	1541
Incorporated	1874
Unitary	1998
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district
• Governing body	Peterborough City Council
• Leadership	Leader and Cabinet
• Executive	Conservative
• MPs	Stewart Jackson (Con) Shailesh Vara (Con)
Area
• Total	132.58 sq mi (343.38 km2)
Population  (2005 est.)
• Total	197,100
• Density	1,480/sq mi (573/km2)
• Ethnicity	82.5% White 11.7% Asian 2.3% Black 0.8% Other 2.8% Mixed
Time zone	UTC±0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
Postcode area	PE
Area code	01733
ISO 3166-2	GB-PTE
ONS code	00JA (ONS) E06000031 (GSS)
OS grid reference	TL185998
NUTS 3	UKH11
Website	www.peterborough.gov.uk

Even though it is part of Northamptonshire, for ceremonial purposes it is inside the county of Cambridgeshire. The city is 75 miles (121 km) north of London. It is on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea, about 30 miles (48 km) to the north-east.

The railway station is an important stop on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh. The local government area includes Northamptonshire and Rutland to the west, Lincolnshire to the north, and non-metropolitan Cambridgeshire to the south and east.

The topography of the land is flat. In some places it is below sea level, for example in the Fens that are east of Peterborough.

Human settlement began before the Bronze Age, as seen at the Flag Fen archaeological site to the east. There is also evidence of Roman occupation. In the Anglo-Saxon English period of time, a monastery, Medeshamstede was built. This later became Peterborough Cathedral.

The population grew fast after rail transport began in the 19th century. At that time, Peterborough became known for the manufacturing of bricks.

Historic cast iron railway bridge over the River Nene (1847), built by Lewis Cubitt

The River Nene embankment, seen from Frank Perkins Parkway

Population growth

After World War II, the city did not grow much, until the 1960s. Peterborough was named a "New Town" in 1967, by the government. This was part of the New Towns Act of 1946. It planned new towns to move people into better homes, who were still living in poor or bombed-out housing from the war.

Housing and population are still growing in the 21st century. Peterborough's population growth was the fastest of any British city over the ten years from 2002. This was partly due to immigration.

Because the city is still getting larger, the city council has passed a law for a new development plan. This is to add an additional 22,000 homes, 18,000 jobs and over 40,000 people who will live in Peterborough by 2020. The newly developing Hampton township will be finished. There will also be a 1,500-homes built in Stanground, and a 1,200-homes built in Paston.

Suburbs

Parnwell

Parnwell is a housing estate in the east of the city. Situated off Parnwell Way, it is easily accessible using the Frank Perkins Way (A1139). It is served by a convenience store at the Parnwell Centre and has a Sure Start Centre and a health centre.

The local primary school is Parnwell Primary School, which was opened in 1989 to serve children from 4 to 11 years. Children over this age may choose to attend the City of Peterborough Academy (COPA), Thomas Deacon Academy or the Stanground Academy.