Highlights
In 1209, when riots in Oxford resulted in the hanging of three students, a group of its scholars settled in ‘Granta Brygge’ and sowed the seeds of England’s second university. Prior to its rise as a celebrated seat of learning, it was a small market town on the edge of the swampy fens. The colleges which encroached on the centre were to transform it into a university-dominated town whose intellectual and architectural heritage became the envy of the world. At the same time the pre-eminence of the university gave rise to open conflicts between townspeople and students (‘town and gown’) which were to flare up on and off for over six centuries.
Punting on the Cam.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
Today the university comprises 31 independent colleges, with over 19,500 students. Many visitors see no more than facades, but the true flavour of the colleges can only really be appreciated by penetrating the inner sanctums. Despite the appearance of privacy, the majority of colleges are open to the public and are more approachable than their battlemented gate-towers might suggest. The most famous colleges charge entrance fees and nearly all colleges have restrictions on access, particularly during the exam period (Apr–June).
Cambridge is also a market town, a shopping centre and the hub of a high-tech revolution. Over 1,500 scientific and technological companies, many based at the burgeoning ‘Silicon Valley’ on the northern edge of the city, benefit from the research and expertise of the university. A science and technology campus to the west of the city opened in 2013 and the University is currently expanding further to the northwest.
The breathtaking interior of King’s College Chapel.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
King’s College
Start your explorations in the city centre at King’s College 1 [map], which was founded in 1441 by Henry VI. It was a grandiose project involving the demolition of a quarter of the medieval centre and causing lasting anger and resentment among the townspeople. This was one of the king’s two ‘royal and religious’ foundations, the other being Eton College, and until 1873 King’s College was exclusively for boys from Eton. Work on the famous King’s Chapel started in 1446 and took nearly a century to complete.
Retail therapy
Cambridge has a busy daily market in the centre with books, jewellery and clothes as well as fruit, vegetables and cheese. The Sunday market is strong on arts, crafts and local produce. As well as the high-street names in the award-winning Grand Arcade, the city has a number of interesting, small boutiques. The best hunting grounds are King’s Parade, Rose Crescent, Magdalene Street and Bridge Street.
A classic Cambridge satchel in an eye-catching shade of pink.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
King’s College Chapel
Normally there is no public access to the college from the main gateway, and visitors are guided to the north entrance. Facing the college façade, turn right and take Senate House Passage, turning left at the end for King’s College Chapel 2 [map] (www.kings.cam.ac.uk; term-time: Mon–Fri 9.30am–3.30pm, Sat 9.30am–3.15pm, Sun 1.15–2.30pm, out of term: daily 9.30am–4.30pm, closes 3.30pm Dec–Jan), world-famous for its sublime Gothic architecture and choral music.
The chapel has the largest fan-vaulted stone ceiling in the world, its only apparent support being the slender columns of the nave. The variety of decoration reflects the changes in style through five reigns and the Wars of the Roses. Dividing the ante-chapel from the choir is the intricately carved dark oak rood screen, a magnificent example of Renaissance woodwork, donated by Henry VIII. The screen bears his initials and those of his Queen, Anne Boleyn, and dates from 1533 (three years before he had her executed). Henry VIII also commissioned the exquisite stained-glass windows on the north, south and east sides of the chapel, depicting scenes from the Old and New Testament (upper and lower levels respectively). The altarpiece is Rubens’ exuberant Adoration of the Magi, which was privately donated to the college in 1961.
Henry VI had stipulated that a choir of six men and 16 boy choristers should sing every day in the chapel. Today, the renowned King’s College Choir, whose Festival of nine Lessons and Carols is broadcast live across the world on Christmas Eve, sings here daily during term time (Mon–Sat 5.30pm, Sun 10.30am and 3.30pm) and visitors are welcome to attend the services.
The Backs
Visitors normally have to leave King’s College Chapel by the north gate, but should the main chapel entrance be open take the opportunity to see Great Court and partial views of ‘The Backs’, the glorious lawns, gardens and tree-lined avenues lying between the rear of the colleges and the banks of the Cam. Exiting from the north gate you pass on your left Clare College 3 [map] founded in 1326. The college’s Old Court backs onto the River Cam, and Clare Bridge – the oldest of the college bridges – offers picture-postcard views of punts drifting past weeping willows, grassy banks and college gardens. For a river view without an admission fee continue along Trinity Lane, passing Trinity Hall 4 [map], one of the smaller, more intimate colleges on the Backs, then left for Gareth Hostel Bridge.
View of ‘The Backs’.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
Senate House Passage
Retrace your steps to Senate House Passage, stopping at the Gate of Honour 5 [map] of Gonville and Caius College, one of the earliest Renaissance stone structures in the city. Undergraduates of the college pass through the gate to receive their degrees at the graduation ceremonies which take place at the Senate House 6 [map] opposite. Cross Trinity Street for the Cambridge University Press Bookshop 7 [map], the oldest bookshop site in Britain: books have been sold here since 1581.
The Gate of Honour at Gonville and Caius College.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
St Mary the Great
Across the road the Church of St Mary the Great 8 [map] has always been an important centre of worship and debate. The great 16th-century Protestant reformers – Erasmus, Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley, who were later burnt at the stake – all preached here. It is worth climbing the 123 steps of the tower for a splendid view of the city below.
Trinity College
Head north along Trinity Street for the Great Gate of Trinity College 9 [map] (www.trin.cam.ac.uk; Chapel: daily 10am–5pm), the largest and richest Cambridge college, founded by Henry VIII just before his death in 1546. Trinity has produced 32 Nobel Prize-winners, six British prime ministers, two kings and numerous poets, writers, philosophers and scientists – Francis Bacon, Lord Byron, Ernest Rutherford, Lord Tennyson and Vladimir Nabokov among them. Isaac Newton completed his best-known works here and the apple tree outside the Great Gate, in front of his former study, is said to be descended from the famous tree whose apple dropped on his head and inspired the theory of gravity.
Don’t walk on the grass
This walk through Cambridge takes about two hours excluding visits to colleges and museums. If the colleges are open to the public (certain times only) it’s well worth having a peek. Don’t be surprised to see notices forbidding you to walk on the lawns. Only college fellows are permitted to do so.
‘Keep off the grass’ sign at a Cambridge college.
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Great Court
The 16th-century Great Court, impressive for sheer size and grandeur, with a beautiful carved fountain, is the site of the Great Court Run, where students attempt to run round the perimeter within the time it takes the clock to strike 12 (43 seconds), a scene memorably captured in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire (though this was filmed at Eton, not Trinity). The Olympic runner Lord Burghley accomplished the feat in 1927. To the right of King Edward’s Tower is the Gothic chapel, with imposing statues of celebrated Trinity alumni in the antechapel. The large ivy-clad building on the west range is the Master’s Lodge, the Master here being the only one in Cambridge who is nominated by royalty.
Wren Library
Great Court leads to the cloistered Nevile’s Court, flanked on the far side by the Wren Library ) [map] (www.trin.cam.ac.uk; term-time: Mon–Fri noon–2pm and Sat 10.30am–12.30pm; free), one of the finest classical buildings in the country, designed by Sir Christopher Wren as a gift to the college. The four statues surmounting the library represent the disciplines of Divinity, Law, Physics and Mathematics. The perfectly proportioned interior houses rare manuscripts and first editions, with works by Shakespeare, Milton and Bertrand Russell.
Punting under the Bridge of Sighs.
Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications
St John’s College
Leave Trinity by the Great Gate and turn left for St John’s College ! [map] (www.joh.cam.ac.uk; daily Mar–Oct 10am–5pm, Nov–Feb 10am–3.30pm), founded by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. The 16th-century Gate Tower is a suitably ornate entrance to a college that is only challenged by Trinity for size and grandeur. Areas accessible to visitors include the very fine Tudor brick First Court, the grandiose neo-Gothic chapel, inspired by Sainte-Chapelle in Paris and designed by George Gilbert Scott in the 1860s, the Tudor brick Second Court and the delicate Bridge of Sighs @ [map], a Gothic revival gem modelled on its Venetian namesake. New Court was the first major College building to be erected west of the river. Known as ‘The Wedding Cake’, it overlooks the immaculate lawns of The Backs.
The Gate Tower of St John’s College.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
The Round Church and Sidney Sussex
Exiting the college by the main entrance, turn left and cross Bridge Street for the 12th-century Round Church £ [map], more formally known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Originally a wayfarers’ chapel, it is one of only four surviving Norman round churches in England. A visitor centre with information on the history of Cambridge occupies the interior.
From Bridge Street head towards the centre of town, passing on your left Sidney Sussex College $ [map]. One of the smaller colleges, it is notable as the last resting place of the head of Oliver Cromwell. In 1960 the skull (removed from his body almost 300 years earlier) was buried here in the College chapel, but its precise location is a well-kept Cambridge secret. Cromwell had briefly been a student here until his father’s death obliged him to return home and take on family responsibilities. In 1643 he returned as military leader, looted the colleges – which supported King Charles I – and requisitioned their courts as barracks.
Enjoying an afternoon drink at the Eagle pub.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
Market Square and around
Turn right at the end of Sidney Street for Market Street, leading to the Market Square % [map]. Stalls have been trading at this square since the Middle Ages. It’s a lively centre with a general market from Monday to Saturday and an arts, crafts and local produce market on Sundays. Take Peas Hill south of Market Square, to the right of the Guild Hall, and turn right into Bene’t Street. The Saxon tower of St Bene’t’s Church ^ [map] is the city’s oldest architectural feature, built in about 1020 during the reign of King Canute. The round holes in the tower are thought to have been made to encourage owls to nest, and catch the mice. Opposite the church is The Eagle & [map] pub, with plenty of historical interest as well as cask ales.
Getting around
Cambridge isn’t car friendly. Leave your wheels in one of the five Park and Rides (www.cambridgeparkandride.info) and catch the bus into the centre. The city is relatively compact and easy to explore on foot. Alternatively, you could join the students and travel on two wheels. Bikes can be hired from Rutland Cycling (www.rutlandcycling.co.uk) on Corn Exchange Street in the centre. Or join a guided bike tour (www.cambridgebiketours.co.uk).
Science museums
Cambridge has more museums, galleries and collections within a square mile than any other UK city outside London. A cluster of them lie in the centre, though not very conspicuously. You won’t have time to do them justice on a day trip, but they are all free so you might just want to have a brief look and come back another day. (If not, skip to the Corpus Clock, see below.) Take Free School Lane beside St Bene’t’s Church. Half-way down is the Old Cavendish Laboratory * [map], which became internationally famous for its extraordinary history of discovery and innovation in Physics. It was here that J.J. Thomson discovered the electron (1897), Ernest Rutherford split the atom (1932) and Crick and Watson discovered DNA (1950s). In 1974 the laboratory was moved to a new campus in west Cambridge.
The Mathematical Bridge.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
Further down on the left is the Whipple Museum of the History of Science ( [map] (tel: 01223-330 906; www.hps.cam.ac.uk/whipple; Mon–Fri 12.30–4.30pm; free) with a fascinating array of scientific instruments dating from the Middle Ages to the present day. Turn left at the end of the lane for Downing Street. On the left, the Museum of Zoology , [map] (www.museum.zoo.cam.ac.uk; due to reopen in late 2017 following redevelopment; free) includes specimens discovered by Charles Darwin on his 1831 voyage on the Beagle.
The Corpus Clock.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
Over the road the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology ⁄ [map] (tel: 01223-333 516; http://maa.cam.ac.uk; Tue–Sat 10.30am–4.30pm, Sun noon–4.30pm; free) displays art and culture from around the world and includes a 45ft (14-metre) totem pole and Pacific material collected on Captain Cook’s voyages.
Tucked away on the same site is the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences ¤ [map] (tel: 01223-333 456; www.sedgwickmuseum.org; Mon–Fri 10am–1pm and 2–5pm, Sat 10am–4pm; free), housing Britain’s oldest intact geological collection including a 125,000-year-old hippo found locally, marine reptiles, dinosaurs and an exhibition on ‘Darwin the Geologist’.
The Corpus Clock
Return to King’s Parade, on the corner with Bene’t Street, where tourists are normally mingling around the Corpus Clock ‹ [map] on Corpus Christi’s Taylor Library. This 24-carat gold-plated stainless steel disc has a large, grim-looking grasshopper perched on top which ‘devours time’ in front of your eyes. The clock has no hands or numerals, but there are 60 slots cut into its face which light up to show the time. The £1m time-eater was unveiled in 2008 by famous Cambridge physicist, Stephen Hawking. It was a radical idea, especially for a college whose Old Court resisted 18th-century refurbishment and is the oldest surviving enclosed court in Cambridge. For the main entrance of Corpus Christi College › [map], turn left along Trumpington Street. Old Court to the left dates from 1352 and gives you an insight into the secluded and private atmosphere which characterised the early University.
The Eagle’s DNA
It was in the Eagle on Bene’t Street in 1953 that Watson and Crick announced to the world that they had discovered ‘the secret of life’ (DNA). A plaque in this old coaching inn records the event, and the pub serves ‘Eagle’s DNA ale’ to commemorate the discovery. Check out too the ceiling of the RAF Bar, covered with the names of British and American RAF pilots returning from World War II, signed with cigarette lighters and candle-smoke.
Queens’ College
Take the next turn right, Silver Street, passing on the right Queens’ College fi [map] (www.queens.cam.ac.uk; most days 10am–4.30pm, except during exams, check website for details). The Cam divides the college in two and is spanned by the Mathematical Bridge. Contrary to popular belief, this was not designed by Newton, nor was it built without the use of bolts. It was in fact constructed in 1904 as an identical replacement of the original (1749) using bolts at the main joints. The College’s Old Court is one of the finest examples of a medieval quadrangle, and, beyond the passage lies the enchanting Cloister Court, flanked by the half-timbered President’s Lodge. From Silver Street Bridge fl [map] you can see Scudamore’s (for more information, click here), pioneers of punt hire, who have been in the business for over 100 years.
Paintings at the Fitzwilliam Museum.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
Pembroke and Peterhouse
Return to Trumpington Street and turn right. The college on the left is Pembroke ‡ [map], best known for its chapel (1663–5), the first work to be completed by Sir Christopher Wren. William Pitt the Younger (1759–1806), a precocious student, came up to Pembroke at the age of 14, and became Britain’s youngest prime minister only 10 years later. Further down, on the right, is Peterhouse ° [map], the oldest of the colleges, founded in 1284 by the Bishop of Ely. Sir Frank Whittle, inventor of the jet engine, was a student here, as was Charles Babbage, whose work led to the modern computer.
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Beyond Peterhouse you’re unlikely to miss the formidable neoclassical facade of the Fitzwilliam Museum · [map] (tel: 01223-332 900; www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk; Tue–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm; free), one of the great treasure houses of Britain. The museum is a mini-Louvre, with almost half a million works of art from around the world. The nucleus is a priceless collection of paintings, books and manuscripts belonging to the museum’s founder, Viscount Fitzwilliam. The Fitzwilliam was one of Britain’s earliest public picture galleries and its internationally famous collection includes masterpieces by Italian Renaissance artists, Flemish masters and French Impressionists. There are Egyptian, Greek, Roman and West Asiatic antiquities, glass, sculpture and armour, as well as outstanding displays of ceramics, illuminated musical and literary manuscripts and a fascinating collection of fans. When it comes to a break from sightseeing there is an excellent shop with cards, books and gifts, plus an adjoining café.
Punters on the Cam.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
One of the most enduring images of Cambridge is of languid summers spent punting along on the river. The calm and shallow waters of the River Cam are ideally suited to the flat-bottomed punts, which are propelled by pushing a long pole against the riverbed. Pleasure punts were introduced in Edwardian times; before that they were used by fishermen and reed cutters in the Fens. As ever, the two major university cities have their own approaches: in Cambridge, the tradition is for the punter to stand on the boat’s short deck (known as the ‘counter’ or ‘till’), whereas in Oxford, you stand at the other end, with the till at the front.
Kettle’s Yard
On Northampton Street, north of the city centre, Kettle’s Yard (www.kettlesyard.co.uk; due to reopen in 2018 following redevelopment – check website; free) is a fascinating gallery in four cottages, which Tate Gallery curator Jim Ede restored and made into his home in the 1950s. He filled this haven of peace with works by Ben Nicholson, Henry Moore and many other leading artists. A major development over several years has seen a new education wing and café added, plus improved exhibition galleries, while leaving the house untouched.
The Kettle’s Yard cottages.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
Punts can be hired at the bottom of Mill Lane at Scudamore’s º [map] (tel: 01223-359 750; www.scudamores.com; punt chauffeurs available). Most visitors choose to glide along The Backs behind Trinity, King’s and several other colleges – though this stretch of river does become congested in summer. With time on your hands you could take the more tranquil route through the lush meadows to Grantchester. A skilled punter should be able to reach the village in 1.5 hours or less.
The Botanic Garden
A must for any garden lover, the Botanic Garden (www.botanic.cam.ac.uk) is a 40-acre (16-hectare) oasis providing year-round colour and structure: 8,000 plants species, a magnificent tree collection, glasshouses of tropical plants, a Scented Garden, a Winter Garden and a Genetics Garden which illustrates how genetic variation plays on the appearance of plants. It’s a reminder that the garden was established by Professor Henslow, the tutor who inspired Charles Darwin.
One of the glasshouses in the Botanic Garden.
Bigstock
Rupert Brooke’s Grantchester
The riverside village of Grantchester was immortalised by Rupert Brooke, the poet who wrote movingly of the futility of war and died in World War I at the age of 28. A student of King’s College, Brooke spent much of his time here, studying, swimming, walking barefoot and boating to Cambridge. The last two lines of his eulogy, ‘The Old Vicarage, Grantchester’, written in nostalgic mood from a Berlin café, still reverberate in the village lanes:
Stands the Church clock at ten to three
And is there honey still for tea?
Rupert Brooke statue in Grantchester.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
It is believed the clock had broken in Brooke’s day – if this was not the case it was altered to stand at ten to three for several years as a memorial to the poet. The clock today is fully functional but there is still honey for tea beneath the apple trees in The Orchard Tea Garden (see opposite).
During the pre-war period, The Orchard was a favourite haunt of Brooke and a group of friends, who became known as the Grantchester Group or the ‘neo-pagans’: the philosophers, Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein, the writers, E.M. Forster and Virginia Woolf, the economist, Maynard Keynes and the artist, Augustus John. Brooke lodged at Orchard House in 1909, then later moved to the old Vicarage next door, which is now home of novelist and former politician, Jeffrey Archer. Brooke, who was buried in an olive grove on the island of Skiros in Greece, is commemorated on a war memorial in the churchyard, along with other war victims.
Eating Out
Alimentum
152–4 Hills Road; tel: 01223-41300; www.restaurantalimentum.co.uk; Mon–Sat noon–2pm and 6–9.30pm, Sun noon–2pm and 6–9pm.
Skilfully prepared yet unfussy modern European dishes are served at this seriously on-trend restaurant, which boasts a Michelin star. If you’re really pushing the boat out try the seven-course chef’s tasting menu. £££
Bould Brothers Coffee
16 Round Church Street; tel: 07796-320 049; www.bouldbrotherscoffee.co.uk; Mon–Fri 8am–6pm, Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 10am–5pm.
A new addition to the Cambridge café scene in 2017, locals are billing this as some of the best coffee in town. Brothers Max and Alex Bould bring experience and passion to their coffee making, complemented by great snacks – home-made banana bread, toasted brioche, sandwiches and delicious pastries. Range of loose leaf teas too. £
Cambridge Chop House
1 King’s Parade; tel: 01223-359 506; www.cambscuisine.com; Mon–Thu noon–10.30pm, Fri–Sat until 11pm, Sun until 9.30pm, also breakfast daily 9–11am.
Right in the centre, the Chop House serves no-nonsense British classics – ‘the sort of food your grandmother may have cooked’ – accompanied by Cambridge real ales from the cask and wines from Languedoc-Roussillon. Despite the name there is always fish on the menu, too. ££
Cotto
Gonville Hotel, Gonville Place; tel: 01223-302 010; www.cottocambridge.co.uk; Tue–Sat 6.30–9pm.
Having relocated to the Gonville Hotel to the south of Parker’s Piece in early 2017, this Cambridge favourite continues to please. Chef Hans Schweitzer has worked in top-notch restaurants and his modern European dishes rarely disappoint. £££
Midsummer House
Midsummer Common; tel: 01223-369 299; www.midsummerhouse.co.uk; Wed–Sat noon–1.30pm, Tue–Thu also 7–8.30pm, Fri–Sat also 6.30–9.30pm.
Chef Daniel Clifford serves elegant, modern European cuisine in the stylish surroundings of a Victorian house on the banks of the Cam. The food is seriously sophisticated, with occasional unexpected textures and combinations. The setting is sleek and contemporary with crisp white linen and gleaming glasses. This is the only Michelin two-star restaurant in East Anglia, with prices to match. £££
The Orchard Tea Garden
47 Mill Way, Grantchester; tel: 01223-840 230; www.theorchardteagarden.co.uk; daily Apr–Oct 9am–6pm, Nov–Feb 9.30am–5pm (until 6pm Sat–Sun).
An oasis of thought-provoking calm that became the haunt of Rupert Brooke and a remarkable group of his friends. A pamphlet lists famous people who have taken tea here, among them Bertrand Russell, E.M. Forster, Virginia Woolf, Maynard Keynes, along with royalty and 21st-century celebrities. Under new management, the aim is to continue the traditional nature of the establishment. Coffee, teas and light lunches, inside or out. £
The Pint Shop
10 Pea’s Hill; tel: 01223-352 293; www.pintshop.co.uk; food: daily noon–10pm (Sat–Sun opens 11am).
This pub and restaurant has become a hit for its beers, no-frills menu and great bar snacks. It offers around 16 types of beers and some 100 gins along with Welsh rarebit, filled brioche buns and Scotch eggs or delicious main meat dishes cooked over charcoal. The setting is simple (pale painted wood and parquet floors) but welcoming. ££