Public Sculpture was desligned by Bernard Meadows in 1968. It was commisioned by Eastern County Newspapers for placement at the entrance of the visitor receception area of their new offices.

As I mentioned in my previous post I was unable to view parts of the Peterborough Cathedral due to it being occupied by invaders.

The invaders were animatronic dinosaurs from the National History Museum.  The exhibiton, entitled, ‘T. Rex: The Killer Question’ explored the question of whether T. Rex was a ferocious hunter or just a scavenger.

The exhibition meant that parts of the Cathedral were off limits unless we purchased a ticket to see the dinosaurs.

The Norman Peterborough Cathedral was founded as a monastic community in 654 AD. The Cathedral is the burial place to two queens and the scene of Civil War upheavals.

During our visit the Cathedral was under occupation by a different threat. More on that in my next post.

Billy Knights, a retired farmer began designing and creating the Water Gardens in 1970 in his 70th year. The site was a damp meadow which became too wet for cattle to graze.

Mr Knights’s son jokingly suggested he should have a water garden, which prompted him to draw out plans (on the back of a piece of wallpaper) and he soon had machines in, digging out the ponds and waterways.

He worked on his garden with love and enthusiasm until he died aged 93. For over 20 years the gardens had been open to the public.

Both Billy and his wife Florence loved their gardens and sharing them with others. With this in mind and as a tribute to her parents Coral began restoration in April 2002. Having been unattended and closed for five years the gardens had become quiet derelict.

However, they were re-opened again in June 2003, with a new car park, refurbished tearoom/gallery, a toilet for disabled people and an 8 acre Natural Trail.

There has since been the planting of native shrubs and trees around the East Pond, the addition of a bird hide, bamboo grove, scented arbour, rustic roundhouse, stumpery and plant sales. *

* Information from the water gardens website

The Chapel of St Mary on the Mount, known as the Red Mount Chapel, was built between 1483-85 by Robert Curraunt for William Spynke, the Benedictine prior of Lynn. It was for use by pilgrims travelling to the shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham. The chapel was built on ‘the hylle called the Lady of the Mounte’, on the line of the town’s defences. The brick-built chapel is octagonal, with buttresses at each corner. It has three entrances, the one at the rear probably being used by the priest.

Leaving St Nicholas’ chapel via the south porch leads to the churchyard where you can find a small 7th Century cottage known as the “Exorcist’s house”. The building dates from 1635, and is thought to replace an earlier building which was home to members of the clergy who served St Nicholas’ chapel, located adjacent to the cottage.

The reason for the unusal house name has been lost over time. Maybe a priest associated with the adjacent St Nicholas’ chapel lived there and provided spiritual healing.

Jhumpa Lahiri

The following link explains the historic features that can be found within the chapel:

A tour of St Nicholas’ Chapel