March is a Fenland market town and civil parish in the Isle of Ely area of Cambridgeshire, England.

March is situated on the banks of the navigable old course of the River Nene, today mainly used by pleasure boats.

March was recorded as Merche in the Domesday Book of 1086,[2] perhaps from the Old English mearc meaning 'boundary'.

[4] At one time shipping on the River Nene provided the basis of the town's trade, but this declined with the coming of the railways in the 19th century.

A single arch bridge was built over the River Nene towards the north end of the town in 1850.

The town council administers allotments, sponsors band concerts and owns the March Museum.

March was historically a chapelry within the ancient parish of Doddington, which formed part of the North Witchford hundred of Cambridgeshire.

[11] March Urban District Council built the Town Hall in 1900 to serve as its headquarters.

In 1669, the town successfully petitioned King Charles II and in 1670 he granted the Lord of the Manor of Doddington a Royal Charter with the right to hold a market with two annual fairs, in spite of the opposition of Wisbech Corporation.

The Lord of the Manor of Doddington, who owned a large part of March, gave special permission to the townspeople to sell their goods on some of his land in the town centre.

This office was covered by a turret which housed the Town Clock (purchased by public subscription about 1750) and the Fire Bell.

The want of a market house was remedied, in a makeshift fashion, by Sir Henry Peyton (who was the Lord of the Manor of Doddington).

Statute fairs for the hiring of servants took place each autumn, this was also an opportunity to socialise, and shows and ginger bread stalls were set up, the large numbers could also attract pickpockets.

The saint's relics were enshrined in gold in Ely Cathedral, until in 1016 they were carried off to battle in the hope they would bring victory to Edmund Ironside, the son of King Ethelred.

But at the Battle of Ashingdon the army of King Canute captured the relics and he presented them to Canterbury Cathedral.

[27] Fenland Community Church is unique in the local area in focussing on the needs of people with learning difficulties.

[29] An "old legend told how the people of March in the 13th century endeavoured to build a church on the site where the present cross stands, but the devils were utterly opposed to the proposal.

They considered the fenland was especially theirs ... As fast as the people of March dug their foundations and built their church the devils came and pulled the work down...

This conflict lasted some years, when the March people, not to be beaten, set up the stone crucifix as an object of terror to the devils.

The devils left the town, and that is how the cross came to occupy its present position, which no doubt would have been the better site for the church.

[31] It is open every Saturday and Wednesday from 10:30 – 15:30 and contains a vast amount of local memorabilia, both from March, and its surrounding villages.

Such artefacts include the clock face from the Church of St Mary,[32] Benwick and a large collection of cameras.

The natural regeneration of the remaining 44 hectares (110 acres) resulted in its classification as a potential country park.

[36] It is unusual in that it is one of a handful[37] of post offices that display the royal cypher from the brief reign of Edward VIII.

In the town centre there are independent shops and retailers such as W. H. Smith, Boyes, Boots, Sainsbury's, Lidl and Superdrug.

In 2008, Meadowland retail park opened with an Argos Superstore, Mattressman, Carpetright, Halfords and The Original Factory Shop.

The town's major employers are Whitemoor Prison, Tesco and Sainsbury's, and the many food processing factories in the area.