Whittlesey offers several ways to explore: the building phases of St Mary’s parish church, the open Buttercross in the market square and a walk through the historic Fenland town. There is also the Whittlesey Museum, birdwatching at Kings Dyke Nature Reserve and two festivals with different schedules. You can therefore treat culture, a walk and an event date as separate parts of your stay.

Church architecture and the market square

The Church of St Mary is a parish church with features dating from several centuries. The nave and aisles are mostly from the 14th century. The north arcade and chancel arch date to the 13th century, while the west tower is from the 15th century; the chancel extension was built at around the same time. The nave forms the main part of the church, the aisles run along its sides, and the chancel arch marks the entrance to the chancel. This makes it possible to explore the building’s history through different parts and periods, rather than reducing the church to a single century. You can make a concrete comparison between features from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.

The Buttercross is a square, open market house dating from the late 17th century, located in the market square. Its function clearly distinguishes it from St Mary’s parish church. Together, the two buildings offer different perspectives on Whittlesey’s architectural history: the church, with its medieval features, and the market house, from a later period. If you are interested in historic architecture, you can compare a church and a market building as different types of structures.

Museum and walks

The Whittlesey Museum holds a collection of more than 9,000 objects and adds a museum visit to the town’s historic buildings. It is in the town centre, is served by several bus routes and is only a short walk from Whittlesea railway station. The station and bus routes provide useful reference points for getting there. If you plan to travel by train or bus, you can take these details into account when planning your museum visit.

The Whittlesey Heritage Walk is a circular route through the historic Fenland town. You can choose between a long and a short route and adjust the length of your walk to suit you. Check the route details before setting out so you can plan using the latest information.

At Kings Dyke Nature Reserve, visitors can use birdwatching hides. Birdwatching is therefore a clearly defined nature-focused activity during your stay. As facilities and visitor rules can change, check the latest information before your visit.

Festivals with different schedules

The Whittlesey Festival is free and takes place on the second Sunday in September. The programme includes a parade, stage entertainment and an exhibition of classic vehicles. If you want to plan your stay around the festival, check the date for the relevant year before travelling.

The Straw Bear Festival follows a different, usually two-day format: on Saturday, a procession with dance groups makes its way through Whittlesey and ends in the market square; on Sunday, the bear is burned. For choosing your dates, this differs from the festival held on a specified Sunday in September: the Saturday procession is usually followed by the burning of the bear on Sunday.

Discover more destinations: Yaxley, Chesterton, Horseheath, Duxford, Littleport, Sawtry, Hardwick, Manea.

For the wider travel overview: Cambridgeshire.