Peterborough is a key stop on Thomas Wolsey’s northward progress: the cardinal is expected to arrive there for Holy Week, and the crowds who gather to see him make his continuing public appeal unmistakable. For Thomas Cromwell, the town is both a practical waypoint and a measure of the risks involved in helping his former master withdraw from court.

Place in Wolsey’s Progress

As Cromwell plans the journey, he tells his household and clerks that Wolsey wants to travel slowly, allowing people to admire him. The cardinal is to reach Peterborough for Holy Week and then continue by stages to Southwell, where he can plan the next part of his progress to York. Peterborough thus belongs to a carefully arranged route, rather than serving as the journey’s final destination.

The Cardinal’s Reception

During Holy Week, reports reach Cromwell that more people have crowded into Peterborough to see Wolsey than the town has known within living memory. The crowds turn the itinerary into a public spectacle: Wolsey may be moving away from the centre of power, but his presence still draws an extraordinary audience. Cromwell follows the cardinal’s northward movement mentally, tracing the route through Stamford, Grantham, and Newark toward Southwell.

Cromwell’s Role and the Route’s Significance

Cromwell’s attention to Peterborough is part of his attempt to make Wolsey’s departure orderly and comfortable. He later sends practical instructions for the arrangements at Southwell, while insisting that the cardinal’s movement is a tactical retreat, not a rout. The distinction matters: Peterborough’s reception suggests that Wolsey retains popular standing even as his political position is precarious, and Cromwell continues to serve him while navigating the king’s uncertainty and the possibility of surveillance within Wolsey’s retinue.