Begin in the city centre
Peterborough offers more than one sort of shopping trip. Around Cathedral Square, you can combine the historic centre with shops, a cafe stop and a visit to the cathedral precinct. Give yourself time to explore the streets rather than expecting every shop to sit inside one centre.
Queensgate is the main named city-centre shopping centre. Its website brings together current shops, places to eat, leisure and visitor information. Use the live directory if you want a particular retailer: familiar names, opening hours and services can change, and a centre's opening time is not necessarily every shop's opening time.
Make time for Westgate Arcade
Westgate Arcade offers a smaller-scale shopping experience within the central area. Queensgate describes it as Peterborough's first indoor shopping arcade, built in the late 1920s. Its emphasis on independent and specialist retailers makes it worth a separate browse rather than treating it as another stretch of high-street chains.
Look at the current arcade directory when planning your stops. Specialist fashion, celebration services and other businesses can give you reasons to visit with a particular purchase in mind. Avoid assuming every shop sells locally made products; ask individual retailers about what they stock and where it comes from.
Combine shopping with a little history
A city-centre trip need not end when your shopping is finished. Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery on Priestgate is close enough to Queensgate to make a museum-and-shopping visit practical. The operator's visitor page sets out its opening arrangements, access information and any current offers.
You can also leave time for the cathedral or choose a cafe or restaurant for a break. Check the places you particularly want to visit before travelling, especially for an exhibition, an appointment or a specialist purchase. Do not rely on an old list of market days or stall locations: current trading arrangements need checking separately.
Look beyond the central streets
Local shopping also happens in neighbourhoods such as Hampton, Bretton and Werrington. Serpentine Green is a separate shopping destination in Hampton, not part of Queensgate or another name for the city centre. Plan it as a different journey and check the destination's current retailer and travel information.
For any shopping trip, confirm parking charges, accessible facilities and individual opening hours with the destination. Our directory lets you look for local businesses by area and category as listings are added. Contact a shop directly before making a special journey for a product, repair or collection.
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