Editing Wisbech (section)

==Economy==

=== Historical ===
Before the draining of the Fens was completed, livestock was grazed on the common land and were marked to identify their owners; this was also the case with [[swans]], which were usually marked on their bills.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V19/V19_N11/V19_N11_P262_273_A052.pdf|title=British Birds|website=britishbirds.co.uk|access-date= 17 February 2019}}</ref> The riverside location and fertile soils surrounding Wisbech allowed the town to flourish.

A thriving pipe-making business was being carried out in the town by Amy White in the 1740s.<ref>{{cite news|title=Two pipe makers|date=2 April 1747|newspaper=Stamford Mercury|page=4}}</ref> Soap-making was also taking place in the 1740s<ref>{{cite news|title= Soap Office| newspaper= Stamford Mercury |date= 17 April 1746|page= 4}}</ref>

A number of breweries existed in the town; the last one remaining is Elgood's on the North Brink. Established in 1795 and remaining a family-owned business, the [[brewery]] and gardens are a popular location for tourists to visit.<ref>{{cite book|title=Wisbech: Official Town Guide and Map 2019|author=anonymous|publisher=Local Authority Publishing Co.Ltd|year=2019}}</ref>

The first half of the 19th century was a very prosperous time for the town and an annual average of 40,000 tons of goods passed through the port, consisting mainly of coal, corn, timber and wine. The surrounding land produced large quantities of [[sheep]] and [[oxen]] as well as [[wool]], [[hemp]] and [[flax]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The history of Lynn|volume=I|page=104|author=William Richards M.A.|year=1812}}</ref> Such was the trade with [[Denmark]] that a consul was based in North Terrace in a Queen Anne house sometimes called the Danish House.<ref>{{cite book|title=The 37th Annual Report|author=anonymous|publisher= The Wisbech Society|year=1976}}{{page needed|date=February 2020}}</ref> In 1851 the population was 9,594. It decreased to 9,276 in 1861 and picked up to 9,395 in 1891. A [[National Provincial Bank]], on the North Brink and a [[Savings Bank]] was built in Hill street in 1851 (it later became a Liberal Club, it is currently (2023) The Magwitch)<ref>{{cite news|title= New Banking Offices|newspaper= Stamford Mercury|date= 26 September 1851|page= 3}}</ref> In 1853 the Wisbech and Isle of Ely Permanent Building Society was established.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000421/18680104/132/0006|title=Wisbech and Isle of Ely Permanent Building Society|newspaper=Cambridgeshire Times|access-date= 25 September 2019}}{{subscription required|via=britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk}}{{full citation needed|date=February 2020|reason=A minimum of title=, date=, newspaper= is required}}</ref>

Ropemaking took place at the [[Ropewalk]] and tent-making also took place in the town at W. Poppleton's, Nene Parade. Customers included the visiting J.W. Myers circus in 1881.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001122/18810823/103/0008|title=J.W.Myers Circus|access-date=30 September 2019}}{{subscription required|via=britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk}}{{full citation needed|date=February 2020|reason=A minimum of title=, date=, newspaper= is required}}</ref>

The Wisbech Fruit Preserving Company Ltd was wound up in 1894 and the site put up for sale.<ref>{{cite news|title= For Sale|newspaper= Leeds Mercury|date= 20 April 1895|page= 12}}</ref>

In October 1906 the first of the annual [[mustard (condiment)|mustard]] markets of the year took place where the harvest of 'brown' and 'white' seed took place. Regular annual Buyers included Messrs [[Colman's]] of [[Norwich]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000237/19071025/032/0006|newspaper=Stamford Mercury|title=Coleman of Norwich|access-date =21 September 2019}}{{subscription required|via=britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001995/18891025/055/0005|title=Coleman of Norwich|newspaper=Wisbech Standard|access-date=4 October 2019}}</ref>

The Wisbech Mustard market held on four Saturdays in October was claimed to be unique, in 1911 it had been running for over forty years. Buyers from the major mills and producers attended and traded in and near the Rose and Crown.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001122/19111031/071/0005|title=Wisbech Mustard Market|newspaper=Spalding Free Press|access-date=29 December 2019}}</ref>

Large numbers of workers were needed to pick fruit, in 1913 due to the great influx of pickers, the police had to find accommodation for 500 'homeless' workers each night. Until 1920 the train companies provided special rail fares for fruit pickers coming to the area.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002217/19130705/164/0008?noTouch=true|title=Fruitpicking|newspaper=The Tewkesbury Register and Agricultural Gazette|access-date=1 November 2019}}{{subscription required|via=britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk}}</ref>

[[Liptons]] had one of their jam factories in the town in the 1920s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000762/19240802/029/0002|newspaper=Bury Free Press|title=Liptons|access-date= 26 September 2019}}</ref>

Samuel Wallace Smedley (1877-1958) bought the old [[Crosse and Blackwell]] jam making factory. Wisbech Produce Canners (formed in 1925), on Lynn Rd, was the first in England to produce frozen asparagus, peas and strawberries. The Wisbech Producer canners in 1931 became part of the National Canning Company. 
It was renamed Smedley's Ltd in 1947, later [[Smedley HP Foods Ltd]] and later taken over by Hillsdown Foods. It is presently (2021) owned by [[Princes Group]].<ref>{{cite book|author= Michael Smedley|title= What Happened to Smedley's?: Pioneers of British Canned and Frozen Foods: An Industrial History, 1925-1975|publisher= Michael J Smedley|year= 2012|isbn= 978-0-9571830-0-1}}</ref>

=== Contemporary ===
The Metal Box company established their largest manufacturing unit at Weasenham Lane in 1953. The site provides processed food cans for fruit, vegetables, soups, milk and pet foods. The workforce grew to over 1,000 before reducing as a result of automation and redundancies. Steel was brought from Welsh steelworks and also from overseas. The site had its own rail yard before the Wisbech to March line closed. The site is now part of Crown Cork.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.crowncork.com|title=Crown Holdings|website=crowncork.com|access-date=4 December 2019}}</ref>

English Brothers Ltd, another long-established company in Wisbech, are importers of timber brought in at Wisbech port.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Wisbech Regency Town Book| author= anonymous| publisher= Regency Town Books| year= 1969}}</ref> In 1900 they manufactured wooden troop hits for the war in South Africa.<ref>{{cite news|title= Wisbech|newspaper=Stamford Mercury|date= 28 September 1900|page= 4}}</ref> During World War II they produced wooden munitions boxes.<ref>{{cite book|title=Lilian Ream : a life in photography|author=anonymous|publisher=Cambridgeshire County Council|year=1992}}</ref> Shire Garden Building Ltd based in Wisbech and Sutton Bridge have been manufacturing wooden buildings since the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shiregb.co.uk/about-us|title=Shire|website=shiregb.co.uk|access-date=15 February 2019}}</ref>

In 2010 Dutch based Partner Logistics opened a £12m frozen food warehouse on Boleness Road, employing over fifty staff. The 77,000 pallet, fully automated "freezer" centre had contracts with [[Lamb Weston]], [[Bird's Eye]] and Pinguin Foods.

In recent decades the closure of the Clarkson Geriatric hospital (1983), Bowthorpe maternity hospital (c. 1983), Balding & Mansell (printers) (c. 1992), Budgens store<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fenlandcitizen.co.uk/news/breaking-news-wisbech-budgens-store-to-close-on-thursday-1-7853869/|title=Wisbech Budgens store to close on Thursday|website=fEnlandcitizen.co.uk|access-date=18 August 2018|date=7 March 2017}}</ref> (formerly Coop) (2017) and horticultural college (2012),<ref name="Student reunion">{{cite web|url=https://www.wisbechstandard.co.uk/news/student-reunion-held-to-mark-the-closure-of-the-wisbech-horticultural-station-1-1445503|title=Student reunion held to mark the closure of the Wisbech horticultural station|date=14 July 2012|work=Wisbech Standard|access-date=18 August 2018}}</ref> Bridge Street post office (2014), as well as gradual reductions in workforce by CMB, indicate a decline in the economy.

Small family businesses such as Bodgers (2013),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wisbechstandard.co.uk/news/two-new-fast-food-outlets-in-centre-of-wisbech-to-bring-60-full-and-part-time-jobs-to-the-town-1-3612226|title=Two new fast food outlets in centre of Wisbech to bring 60 full and part time jobs to the town|website=Wisbechstandard.co.uk|date=28 May 2014|access-date=18 August 2018}}</ref> Franks butchers (2015)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-31573914|title=Butcher's shuts after 107 years|date=22 February 2015|access-date=18 August 2018|publisher=BBC}}</ref> and local bakeries have given way to the supermarkets.

The larger employers in Wisbech include Nestle Purina PetCare, Cromwell Rd<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/scalding-steam-five-suffer-burns-in-factory-horror-1-64968|title=SCALDING STEAM: Five suffer burns in factory horror|website=Peterboroughtoday.co.uk|access-date=18 August 2018}}</ref> and Princes, Lynn Rd.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4217181|title=Princes, Lynn Road, Wisbech (C) Richard Humphrey|website=Geograph.org.uk|access-date=18 August 2018}}</ref>

In April 2018 plans for an £8m redevelopment of the [[North Cambridgeshire Hospital]] were announced.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.wisbech2020vision.co.uk/article/13319/NHS-Trust-launches-redevelopment-plans-for-North-Cambridgeshire-Hospital-Wisbech|title=NHS Trust launches redevelopment plans for North Cambridgeshire Hospital, Wisbech|website=Wisbech 2020 Vision|access-date=18 August 2018|date=19 April 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Museum Square. - geograph.org.uk - 1091228.jpg|thumb|[[Wisbech & Fenland Museum|Museum Square, Wisbech]]]]

===Tourism===

[[National Trust]] property [[Peckover House and Garden]] attracts tourists and locals. The [[Wisbech & Fenland Museum]] draws in visitors to see the [[Charles Dickens]] manuscript, [[Thomas Clarkson]] memorabilia and other exhibits. The [[Octavia Hill]] Birthplace House also attracts those interested in the National Trust, army cadet force or social housing. The [[Angles Theatre]], The Light and [[The Luxe Cinema]] also attract audiences from outside the town.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}} The [[port of Wisbech]] and marina attract boating enthusiasts. [[Wisbech Castle|The Castle]] has a programme of public events and activities.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wisbechtowncouncil.gov.uk/wsbech-castle.html|title=Wisbech castle|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom|access-date= 13 January 2019|date=29 November 2018}}</ref>