What is "whittlesey"

Whittlesey, historically known as Whittlesea (as the name of the railway station is currently spelt) or Witesie, is an ancient Fenland market town around east of Peterborough, in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire in England. With the neighbouring villages of Coates, Eastrea, Pondersbridge and Turves, it had an population of 16,058 at the 2011 Census.