About
Peckover House is a captivating Georgian townhouse standing on North Brink, widely regarded as one of the finest Georgian streets in England and perhaps in all of Britain. Built around 1722 and set on the northern bank of the River Nene in the Fenland market town of Wisbech, the house is named after the Quaker banking family who owned it for nearly 150 years from 1777. Jonathan Peckover acquired the property in that year and it remained in the family until it was given to the National Trust in 1948.
The house presents an elegant Georgian facade to the street: five bays wide in warm red brick, with large sash windows and a handsome Doric doorcase. Internally, the principal rooms retain much of their original character, with fine plasterwork, panelling, and furnishings that reflect the refined taste of the Quaker gentry in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The Peckover family were exceptional patrons of the arts and the house contains family portraits, silver, furniture, and books that speak eloquently of a cultured and prosperous household.
The walled garden to the rear is one of Peckover House's greatest glories and one of the finest examples of a Victorian town garden in East Anglia. Despite being only two acres in size, it contains an extraordinary range of horticultural treasures: ancient orange and lemon trees that were grown in the orangery, majestic specimen trees including a tulip tree and a Ginkgo biloba, a fernery, a croquet lawn, a walled kitchen garden, and herbaceous borders of great richness and variety. The combination of mature trees, Victorian glass, and formal and informal planting makes this a garden of national importance.
North Brink itself is extraordinary: a riverside street lined with dignified Georgian merchants' houses that form one of the most complete Georgian townscapes outside Bath and London. Walking the street before or after visiting the house is an essential pleasure, and the contrast between the grandeur of the streetscape and the intimacy of the walled garden behind creates a visit of unusual variety and delight.
Wisbech itself has strong associations with the abolitionist Thomas Clarkson, who was born here, and with Charles Dickens, who visited the town and whose original manuscript of Great Expectations is preserved in the nearby Wisbech and Fenland Museum.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
💡 Visitor Tips
- The Victorian walled garden is the property's greatest treasure — spend plenty of time there, especially in the orangery area where the ancient citrus trees are extraordinary survivors of Victorian horticulture.
- Combine your Peckover House visit with the Wisbech and Fenland Museum just five minutes away — together they give a complete picture of Wisbech's remarkable history.
- Late May and early June are ideal: the borders are coming into full colour, the citrus trees go outside, and visitor numbers are lower than in the school summer holidays.
- Wisbech has limited rail access — bus from Peterborough or King's Lynn is the most practical public transport option. The town centre is compact once you arrive.
- Children enjoy the croquet lawn in the garden and the novelty of lemon and orange trees growing outdoors in England. Family trails are usually available at the reception desk.
- Walk the full length of North Brink before entering the house to appreciate the completeness of the Georgian streetscape — it is one of the finest architectural sequences in the East of England.
- Contact the property before visiting if you have mobility concerns. The ground floor rooms and most of the garden are accessible, though original stairs prevent full access to upper rooms.
- The walled garden is spectacular for photography in summer when the borders are full and the kitchen garden is productive. The orangery also photographs beautifully in early morning light.
Highlights
Discover the unique exhibits and collections at this museum.
Collections
Peckover House contains the contents of a wealthy Quaker merchant family's house as accumulated from the late 18th to early 20th centuries, including furniture, silver, portraits, ceramics, and family papers. The two-acre walled garden contains significant horticultural collections including ancient citrus trees, Victorian glasshouses, and specimen trees.
Georgian House Interiors
Principal rooms with original plasterwork, panelling, and Peckover family furnishings dating from the 18th and early 19th centuries.
The Walled Victorian Garden
Two-acre garden with specimen trees, Victorian orangery, fernery, herbaceous borders, and kitchen garden.
Peckover Family Collection
Portraits, silver, ceramics, books, and documentary material relating to the Quaker banking family over six generations.
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.