Jobs in Peterborough | Pictures of Peterborough

Peterborough may not immediately spring to mind as an ideal place to live and work but, take a look at what is going on here and you will so find that there is more to the city than its truly magnificent cathedral.

The city's population has more than doubled in the last forty years and there are a number of significant development projects taking place in the centre to ensure that it continues to grow. And with property prices among the lowest in the South and East of England, coupled with the fact that this is the most successful economy in the region, Peterborough 's appeal for those people considering relocating away from some of the more populated conurbations – particularly in and around the capital just 50 minutes away – is increasing apace.

Getting around Peterborough
Commuting to the city centre and surrounding area is not as troublesome as you might expect for a city that has a population of over 160,000 people, even during the rush hour. Peterborough's network of dual carriageway ‘parkways' have been purposefully designed to cope with the demand of an increased population and they make it easy to get around without having to go through the city centre, with the city being located right next to the North-South A1(M) motorway and the East-West A47. And in the centre itself, there are around a dozen short- and long- term car parks.

Despite its large-scale growth, Peterborough has the fastest peak and off-peak travel times for a city of its size in the UK . Which is a major factor contributing to the city's status as one of only four Environment Cities in the UK that is committed to providing sustainable transport, with bus and train travel widely promoted and increasingly becoming the favoured form of transport for commuter's.

Both the train and bus station are located on the opposite side of the Queensgate shopping centres with the bus station service connecting every part of the city and the surrounding villages. Whereas Peterborough is connected via rail with the nearby towns of Stamford , Grantham, Ely, march, Wittlesea and Huntingdon along with direct connections to some of the largest cities in the regions such as Cambridge , Northampton and London

Eating, drinking and shopping in Peterborough
Whatever your shopping taste, Peterborough will pretty much satisfy your needs. When the Government identified the Peterborough as one of its landmark ‘new towns', it embarked on a significant programme of redevelopment in the city centre and surrounding area in a bid to attract more people away from the major South East conurbations, notably London. And the retail sector was – and still is – at the heart of this strategy.

Plans to further enhance the city's retail offering have been revealed and will include a new shopping complex and entertainment district at North Westgate . In the meantime, there are ample places to spend your hard-earned cash.

The award-winning Queensgate Shopping Centre has over 90 stores, including John Lewis, BHS, Marks & Spencer, Boots and Waitrose. Whereas t he Rivergate Centre at the southern end of the city centre is home to a number of other leading high street stores and smaller independent shops and fashionable boutiques.

And if you haven't entirely emptied your wallet, there is a plethora of coffee shops and eateries throughout the centre in addition to a number of pubs, bars and restaurants.

Indeed, when it comes to eating out, or having a few drinks after work on a Friday night, head to any street in the city centre with ‘gate' in its name and you will find a range of places to fill your stomach and quench your thirst; Westgate, Queensgate, Priestgate and Cowgate along with Broadway and Bridge Street. And given the fact that Peterborough is surrounded by the picturesque Cambridgeshire countryside and on the border of the Fens , there are also a number of villages on the outskirts of the city that offer traditional country pubs and some excellent dining alternatives.

And these villages and the surrounding countryside are also linked to the city centre by a continuous network of cycle ways, footpaths and bridleways that provide continuous routes around the city as part of the so-called Peterborough Millennium Green Wheel. But for a different way of keeping fit, Peterborough also has an athletics stadium, several sports centres, a parachute centre at nearby Chatteris and a dry ski slope and water sports centre at Tallington Lakes .

Armchair sports enthusiasts, you could watch football league club Peterborough United (aka ‘The Posh') who play at the London Road ground, the Peterborough Phantoms ice hockey team who play at Planet Ice and the Peterborough Panthers speedway team, who race at the East of England showground.

But if you prefer a more relaxed form of entertainment, the Key Theatre, Stamford Shakespeare Company, The Cresset and The Broadway all run a varied programme of entertainment and arts throughout the year. Whilst the Showcase Cinema screens the latest film releases.

Elsewhere, Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery , Burghley House and Longthorpe Tower , are all worth a visit if you have time on your hands. However Peterborough 's stunning, 13 th century neo-Gothic cathedral is unquestionably the city's high point.

Main residential areas
Despite being located in one of the most expensive property counties in England , Cambridgeshire, house prices to income ratio in Peterborough are significantly lower. In nearby Cambridge , the average semi-detached property costs around £280,000 whilst in Peterborough you would expect to pay, on average, just £154,000 for the same semi-detached home. This makes the city one of the most affordable locations in the South and East and is a major selling point for people considering moving to the region.

If you're thinking of moving to the area, take a look at some of the current property available to buy or let in Peterborough.

Take a closer look
A picture is worth a thousand words. You can see some images from in and around Peterborough below.

Looking for local vacancies? See all current jobs in Peterborough or find out more information on the local area.