DISCOVER WISBECH
Wisbech is a market town and inland port with a population of about 20,000 in the Fenland area of Cambridgeshire. The tidal River Nene runs through the centre of the town and is spanned by two bridges. The name is believed to mean on the back of the (River) Ouse, with Ouse being a common Celtic word relating to 'water'.
Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 coming into force in 1974 Wisbech was a municipal borough. It is now a civil parish in the Fenland district.
Wisbech Castle was built to fortify the town by William I, and in later Tudor times became a notorious prison. The Castle was rebuilt in the mid-17th century and again in 1816 by Joseph Medworth, who also developed the Crescent, familiar as the setting in numerous costume dramas. The major town dwelling is Peckover House with its fine walled garden, built for the Quaker/banking family in 1722 and now owned by the National Trust.
In the 17th century, the local inhabitants became known as the "Fen Tigers" because of their resistance to the draining of the fens, but the project turned Wisbech into a wealthy port handling agricultural produce. At this time Wisbech was on the estuary of the River Ouse, but silting caused the coastline to move north, and the River Nene was diverted to serve the town. The Wisbech Canal joining the River Nene at Wisbech was subsequently filled in and became the dual carriageway leading into the town from the east (now crossing the bypass).
The eight-kilometre (5-mile) £6 million A47 Wisbech/West Walton Bypass opened in spring 1982.
 CULTURE IN WISBECH
The Angles Theatre is a thriving professional theatre, run almost entirely by volunteers and backed by many leading names including Derek Jacobi, Jo Brand and Cameron Mackintosh. It is also the home of the "Nine Lives" theatre company, a company formed as part of Performing Arts programme run by the Isle College.
The amateur dramatic group The Wisbech Players has been performing for over 50 years. They currently perform twice a year in spring and autumn at the Angles Theatre.
Amateur dramatic group The Wisbech Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society (WAODS) have been providing musicals to the town since 1905 and a yearly pantomime since 1975. The Society's home is at the local Thomas Clarkson Community College, where rehearsals and performances take place.
Every summer a "Rose Fair" is held in St. Peter's church. The church is decorated with flower displays sponsored by local organisations and businesses. A parade of floats forms up in Queens Road and circuits the town. Strawberry and cream teas are served and stalls raise funds for local charities. Coaches bring visitors from a wide area. Details are available from the local tourist office.
Wisbech is twinned with Arles in France.
Local youth organisations include the Army Cadet Force, Air Training Corps, Sea Cadets, Girls Venture Corps Air Cadets, Fire cadets and St. John Ambulance cadets. There are numerous Scouting groups for boys and girls.
NOTABLE BUILDINGS
• Peckover House (1722; owned by the National Trust)
• Clarkson Memorial (1881)
• St. Peter and St. Paul's, the parish church.
• Octavia Hill Birthplace Museum where she was born before her family's move to London.
• Wisbech Museum; extensive collections of local records and other items. Notable artifacts include: Napoleon's Sèvres breakfast service, said to have been captured at the Battle of Waterloo; Thomas Clarkson's chest, containing examples of 18th century African textiles, seeds and leatherwork which he used to illustrate his case for direct trade with Africa; and the original manuscript of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations.
• Elgood's Brewery; The Brewery was founded in 1795, and bought soon after by the Elgood Family. It is a traditional brewery, but produces less than some modern micro-breweries, with output at around 90-100 barrels per week. The beers produced include: "Black Dog Mild", "Golden Newt", "Cambridge Bitter, "Greyhound Strong Bitter", "Old Smoothie Mild", "Old Smoothie Bitter", "Brookes Ale", "Reinbeer" and "Jingle Ale". Recently The Brewery has won champion beer of Britain for its Cambridge Bitter. The brewery is also known for its gardens, which are open to the public.
From Wikipedia.org, the Free Encyclopedia
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