East of England Visitor Guide 2018

Fenland is a beautiful landscape formed by
nature and shaped by people over more
than 6,000 years. It consists of four historic
market towns and a wealth of stunning rural
villages situated in the peaceful countryside
with more than 200 miles of rivers and
drains. The four main towns of Chatteris,
March, Whittlesey and Wisbech all have
charm and interesting histories to discover.
CHATTERIS
Chatteris would have been a seaside
town in Neolithic times, it perched on the
edge of a vast tract of salt marshes, with
the sea just to the east. Today, there is
not a bucket and spade in sight - in fact
this busy little town is 50 miles from the
nearest beach.
The town we see today grew around the
abbey of St Mary from around 1010. A
market place formed in front of the abbey
and streets evolved to connect to the
other settlements in the Fens. Although
there is little sign of the abbey remaining,
Chatteris is still well connected and is an
ideal base for touring the Fens and south
Cambridgeshire.
MARCH
March was once an island surrounded by
marshes. As the land was drained and
made more fertile the town grew and
prospered. Today the town is a pretty
market town, offering all the delights you
would expect to find in a place such as
this. The River Nene winds its way through
THE
FENS
the town centre, past the park and pretty
riverside gardens.
The river is often busy with colourful boats
cruising the Fenland waterways. The
town is a popular stopping-off point for
boaters with free moorings in the town
centre, close to shops and places to eat.
The town centre has the unusual Broad
Street lined with shops and headed by
an elaborate fountain which was erected
to commemorate the coronation of King
George V.
There is a good variety of shops, from
well-known high street names to small
independent stores. A number of specialist
markets are held throughout the year.
including the Italian, French and Christmas
markets.
34 Download Our App Today!