Clarkson Memorial

The Clarkson Memorial is a Gothic monument in Wisbech featuring a central statue set on a raised platform beneath a pointed spire-shaped canopy. The structure displays Victorian Gothic architectural details with carved panels and ornamental stonework typical of its period.

Built between 1880 and 1881, it commemorates Thomas Clarkson, an 18th-century abolitionist who gathered evidence against the slave trade. It was erected at the site of the former 1801 Customs House, connecting it to the town's administrative and maritime heritage.

Carved panels on the monument show William Wilberforce, Granville Sharp, and an enslaved person, connecting them visually to the local memory of anti-slavery work. People walking past can see these figures and understand the stories they represent without needing additional explanation.

The memorial sits on Bridge Street near the River Nene in central Wisbech, easily accessible on foot from the town center. Its location provides good views of the surrounding historic streetscape and nearby river.

Local Quaker philanthropists, the Peckover family, funded much of the construction cost and left their mark on Wisbech's charitable history. Their legacy as benefactors extended across generations and shaped local patronage for decades.