Victorian - 1837 - 1900
The late 18th and early 19th centuries saw
great changes to the countryside and the old rural way of life.
John Clare, (left) the famous "peasant poet" from
Helpston, wrote fondly of nature and the countryside, but was
dismayed by the loss of common land and the enclosure of ancient
fields. Yet there were greater changes to come with the
establishment of the railways.
During the 1840s, railway lines began to open locally, but it
was the Great Northern Railway Company's main line from London to
York, which opened in 1850, that made the biggest impact on
Peterborough. They provided over 200 houses for employees in an
area which came to be called "New England", near their major repair
and maintenance depot. Peterborough, situated midway between two
main terminals at London and Doncaster, increasingly developed as a
regional railway centre.
Between 1841 and 1871, the population of Peterborough
doubled to 15,500 and various housing schemes were implemented by
development companies. Places like Gladstone Street, Park Road,
Broadway and Park Crescent were built. During the years 1871 to
1901 the population doubled again to almost 31,000, spurred on by
the employment created by the brick industry.Brick making had been a small seasonal craft since the early
19th century, but during the 1890s successful experiments at
Fletton using the harder clays from a lower level had created a
much more efficient process. This allowed the manufacture of bricks
on such a large scale that the companies were able to supply even
London builders.