Peterborough rewards guests who take the time to look properly. It’s a city with genuine depth — a nearly 900-year-old Cathedral, acres of parkland minutes from the centre, and a food and drink scene that’s grown quietly confident over the last few years — but it doesn’t shout about any of it. That’s exactly why we like recommending it.
Start with Peterborough Cathedral. Its West Front is one of the finest Gothic facades in England, and the interior, with its painted wooden nave ceiling, is worth the unhurried visit. From there, the city centre is easy walking — Cathedral Square, the surrounding lanes, and a growing number of independent cafés and restaurants tucked just off the main streets.
If you’d rather trade pavement for greenery, Nene Park and Ferry Meadows are a short trip from the centre and offer over 2,000 acres of lakes, trails and open space — ideal for a slow morning walk, a cycle, or an afternoon on the water if you fancy paddleboarding. On a rainy day, Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery is a reliable, free-to-enter fallback with genuinely interesting local history.
In the evening, the city has more character than people expect. The Brewery Tap, set inside a converted Victorian chapel, brews its own beer and is one of the best atmospheres in the city for a proper night out. For something more low-key, The Bumble Inn is a tiny, much-loved micropub that regulars will tell you is the real find.
We built our stays around exactly this kind of exploring — homes finished and cleaned to a standard that lets you relax the moment you walk in, positioned so all of this is genuinely close by, not a taxi ride away. Whichever pace you prefer, Peterborough tends to surprise people who give it a proper chance.
Ready to make it your base? Check availability for your dates, or browse our Peterborough homes to find the right fit for your stay.