Museum Square, Wisbech, Cambs PE13 1ES | Tel: 01945 583817

Wisbech Through the Ages 1900-1945

"The Town of Wisbeach is very like the town of Boston. It stands upon a river which is very narrow and which curves, and in which there rises and falls a most considerable tide, and which is bounded by slimy wooden sides. Here, as at Boston, the boats cannot turn around..." Belloc 1906.

The town continued to grow, with extensive developments taking place along the Lynn Road (by 1934 Wisbech was formally joined to Walsoken). During the 1930's there were major slum clearance works along the side of the canal, which was now in a state of decline. Slum clearance was also carried out around the Horsefair. People were re-homed into new council houses, such as those along Southwell Road. Aerial view of the town from 2500ft taken in July 1941.

 

 
 

The iron bridge across the Nene was replaced by the existing concrete bridge in 1931. The harbour remained busy, with timber still representing the most important cargo. Trade was strong with the Midlands and the Baltic. Fruit canning factories also became a major new source of employment in the town.

The Empire Cinema was opened on Blackfriars Road in 1932. Electricity came to the town from generators on Oil Mill Lane. The original Queen's School was opened in Queen's Road in the 1930's. By 1931 the towns population had risen to 12,005.

 

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