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Peterborough Cathedral -
Photo:
Mark Anderson
CCL |
A curious mixture of the old
and new, the modern heart of the manufacturing and
commercial centre of Peterborough is dominated by
a magnificent Norman cathedral which sits uneasily
amongst tower blocks, factories and retail
outlets. The glorious building with its
triple-arched west front was constructed on top of
an earlier abbey church in the 12th century.
Its predecessor was sacked by an unholy alliance
involving Hereward the Wake and a band of Danes.
Its high wooden roof is decorated with paintings
dating back to the 13th
century. Other structures of note include a 17th
century Butter Cross, a 13th century tower
containing the best preserved examples of English
medieval wall paintings and the Church of St John
the Baptist, built in the early 15th century with
stone taken from Canterbury’s Chapel of St. Thomas.
The city itself has a
remarkable and turbulent history. The Romans
created the first major settlement here by
creating a large fortress but archaeologists have
found the remains of a thatched ‘hut’ dating from
3,700BC.
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