Project Themes.

A. Life in a Country House: Burghley House. This theme will lead you on a journey through the past five centuries presenting the changes at Burghley House, and the lives of the people involved in its upkeep and development.

Burghley House, near Peterborough, is an excellent example of how the way of life in an English Country House has changed over the centuries. Built in the late 16th century, Burghley has been passed down through generations of the Cecil family for more than 450 years.

B. Life in a Fenland Community: Thorney Village. This theme will allow you to explore the growth of Thorney village in response to changes in the social, economic and natural environment.

The island of Thorney was a nucleus for drainage work in the 17th century. The village was substantially rebuilt by the Dukes of Bedford in the 2nd half of the 19th century, and the rows of cottages are one of the most noticeable features of the village. There also are the physical remains of a great Norman Abbey church, now used as a parish church.

C. The Railway Comes to Peterborough. This theme will lead you through the major events on the railways and the new communities which grew in Peterborough. A journey through the expansion of the railways in Peterborough and the impact this has had on development and change within the city, on the economic life and on the townscape.

D. Peterborough: the New Town. This theme will allow you to explore the contribution of the different communities and the merge of different cultures that gives Peterborough its unique identity.

Peterborough's expansion during the last 4 decades has had a profound effect on the size, appearance and diversity of the city. People have come to the city from overcrowded parts of London and from many parts of Europe such as Italy, Poland and Ukraine, and from the world, for example the Caribbean and Pakistan.

E. Peterborough: the Commuting City. This theme will allow you to travel through time by different modes of transport and to experience the impact on personal lifestyles.

Peterborough has seen considerable growth in recent years, both through the New Town development and through increased accessibility and mobility. Increasingly, commuting has shaped the development of the city and its townscape leading to diverse and new lifestyles of its population.