The GoUK.com Guide to Tourism in the UK

Cambridge Tourist

GUIDED TOURS

You can have guided tours starting at the Tourist Information Centre in Wheeler Street or you can have guided tours on a double-decker bus starting at the train station.

PLACES TO VISIT IN CAMBRIDGE

You can visit the college courtyards, chapels, and some gardens at most times of the year and there are guided tours of the colleges.

THE COLLEGES

Corpus Christi College - Trumpington Street

Town merchants founded Corpus Christi in 1352. The 14th century Old Court gives a good idea of the atmosphere of a Medieval Cambridge college.

Emmanuel College - St Andrew's Street

Founded in 1584 and adapted partly from former monastic buildings. The Chapel was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and contains a memorial to John Harvard who studied at the college and who later founded the Harvard University in the USA.

King's College - King's Parade

Henry VI founded King's in 1441. The college has an outstanding chapel showing a superb example of Perpendicular architecture. The interior is perfectly proportioned, with wonderful 16th century stained glass and a magnificent Gothic-style fan-vault ceiling. Rubens' "The Adoration of the Magi" adorns the altarpiece. There are often music concerts held at the chapel.

Peterhouse College - Trumpington Street

Founded in 1284, this was the first college in Cambridge. In Medieval days, students began their courses when they were 14 or 15 and the education took 7 years to complete.

Queen's College - Queen's Lane

The most picturesque college with its famous 16th century half-timbered President's Gallery in Cloister Court.

St John's College - St John's Street

Established in 1511. The Bridge of Sighs spans the river to this college. Bridge of Sighs

Trinity College - Trinity Street

Founded by Henry VII in 1546. Prince Charles, Sir Isaac Newton, Lord Byron, Francis Bacon, and Alfred Lord Tennyson were students here. The Wren Library was built between 1676 and 1690 by Sir Christopher Wren who also designed St Paul's Cathedral. Lord Byron kept a bear in his rooms at Trinity and he led it around the college on a chain. Look for the tree outside Trinity's gate, said to descend from Newton's famous apple tree.

Some famous Cambridge graduates

• Alfred Lord Tennyson, poet
• Charles Darwin, who developed the evolutionary theory of natural selection
• E M Forster, author
• Francis Bacon, English philosopher and statesman
• John Harvard, clergyman, whose legacy helped to found Harvard University in the USA
• John Maynard Keynes, scientist; and the economist
• John Milton, statesman the poet
• Lord Byron, poet who kept a bear in his rooms at Trinity and led it around the college on a chain
• Oliver Cromwell, the most important leader in the English Civil War (1640-1660). Cromwell's head, and only his head, is buried in Sidney Sussex College
• Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales and current heir to the throne
• Rupert Brooke, war poet
• Sir Isaac Newton, scientist who formulated the early theories of gravitation
• William Pitt, Prime Minister, who entered Pembroke College aged 15 and was Prime Minister within 10 years

BRIDGES

Bridge of Sighs - St. John's College

The inspiration for this bridge was the famous Bridge of Sighs in Venice over which condemned prisoners were led from the Doge's Court. (They sighed as they were led over the bridge to their deaths!) Sighs connects the old and newer parts of St John's College. The windows have bars so the students cannot jump out!

Mathematical Bridge - Queen's College

The original bridge, erected in 1784, was said to be able to stand without any nails or screws - but some students took it to pieces and could not work out how to put it back together again! The present bridge, with nails and screws, is a 20th Century copy of the original.

CHURCHES

St Benet's Church - Benet Street

The oldest church in Cambridge. Its Saxon Tower, dating from about c.1000 -1050, is the oldest surviving building in the city.

Little St. Mary's Church - Trumpington Street

This was originally called St Peter's until it was rebuilt in the 14th century. A gallery still connects it with Peterhouse, the College to which it gave its name.

Great St Mary's Church

This is the University Church. All distances in Cambridge are measured from Great St Mary's. At one time University students were not allowed to live more than three miles from here. Fine views of the city can be seen from the tower - so get your walking boots on and climb the steps!. The quarter hour chimes, composed in 1793, were copied for the chimes of Big Ben.

The Round Church (Holy Sepulchre)

Standing at the corner of St John's Street and Bridge Street, is the oldest of the four remaining round churches in England. It was modelled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The church houses the Cambridge Brass Rubbing Centre.

MUSEUMS

Cambridge and County Folk Museum - at the corner of Northampton Street and Castle Street

Contains a wide range of domestic articles including toys, trade, and agricultural equipment reflecting local life from the 17th century onwards.

The Fitzwilliam Museum - Trumpington Street

Is one of the most important museums in Britain. This museum has extensive Egyptian, Greek, and Roman collections. It has medieval works, drawings, sculptures, paintings, coins, ceramics, glass, and armour.

Kettle's Yard - Castle Street/Northampton Street

This art gallery houses a collection of works of art of the 1920s and 1930s.

Sedgwick Museum of Geology - New Museums Site, Downing Street

This museum contains a collection of fossils from all over the world. There are also skeletons of dinosaurs, reptiles and mammals.

Scott Polar Research Institute - Lensfield Road

This is a memorial to Captain Scott's expedition to the North Pole and you can see relics from Captain Scott's journey to the South Pole as well as other exhibits relating to the Polar regions.

University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology - Downing Street Site

This museum contains Stone Age material from Europe, Asia, and Africa, and prehistoric to medieval finds from the Cambridge area. See the cape made from beetles' wings!!

University Museum of Classical Archaeology - Sedgwick Avenue

This museum has a collection of Greek and Roman casts, vases and other artefacts.

University Museum of Zoology - Downing Site

This museum contains a collection of zoological specimens used in teaching and research in the University. It has an enormous whale skeleton over the Museum entrance.

Whipple Museum of the History of Science - Free School Lane

This museum has an exhibition showing the history of scientific instruments and their use in scientific discovery.

GARDENS

The Botanical Gardens

These gardens are regarded the second most important gardens in England. It has 40 acres of gardens and glasshouses. The beautiful gardens contain a wide variety of plants from all over the world. It also has a good cafe.

SHOPPING

There are many well-known stores in Cambridge such as Marks and Spencer, John Lewis, and Debenhams. There are two main shopping areas in Cambridge: one on the old, traditional marketplace in the city centre, and the other at the new Grafton Centre. The Grafton Centre is a modern covered shopping centre with dozens of shops, including a department store, an eight-screen cinema, and restaurants. The open-air market is held every day except Sunday selling a variety of goods.

There are many other interesting shops around Trinity St, Rose Crescent, Green Street, Benet Street and Mill Rd. King Street and Burleigh Street have a lot of charity shops.

CINEMAS

There are two cinema centres in Cambridge.

The Arts Cinema - Market passage

The films range from Hollywood releases to foreign language films with subtitles.

Warner Cinema - The Grafton Centre

This has eight screens.

THEATRES

• The Arts Theatre, Market Passage
• The ADC Theatre, Park Street. Mainly used by the University and other amateur societies between October and July. There is a Drama Season during the Cambridge Festival and a summer programme of classic films
• The Mumford Theatre, Anglia University, East Rd. Small theatre with the largest stage area in Cambridge
• The Cambridge Drama Centre, Covent Garden. Small-scale theatre and workshops
• The Corn Exchange, Wheeler Street. This concert hall is a major venue for orchestral concerts and live bands in Cambridge. Dance, comedy, and films are also shown here
• The Junction, Clifton Road. Young people's venue showing a range of music, plus discos, comedy and special events
• The Boat Race, Burleigh Street. A small venue offering a variety of music and comedy
• In the summer, there are many plays at the Colleges, including Shakespearean plays held in college gardens

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Many of the colleges and churches have music recitals and choral music.

NIGHTCLUBS

• Fifth Avenue, Heidelberg Gardens, Lion Yard. Monday nights are especially for students
• Chicago's, 22 Sidney Street. Lively restaurant/disco with an American theme

PUBS WITH LIVE MUSIC

• The Alma, Russell Court. Usually on Tuesday nights
• The Burleigh Arms, Newmarket Road. Most nights
• The Man on the Moon, Norfolk Street. A folk music pub with gigs and players nights
• The Anchor, Silver Street

WHERE TO EAT

• Auntie's Tea Shop, 1 St Mary's Passage. Traditional English tea-rooms with waitress service and home-made food
• Hobbs Pavilion, Parker's Piece (behind the University Arms Hotel). Informal, friendly restaurant that specialises in pancakes with every filling
• Piano's Restaurant, 154-156 Hills Road. French and Greek food
• The Steps Restaurant, Market Square, next to Burton's. Basement cafe with reasonable lunches and good selection of rolls
• Tatties, 11 Sussex Street. Relaxed atmosphere. Variety of fillings for baked potatoes. Good selection of deserts.

PUNTING

• Punts, rowing boats, and canoes can be hired at Quayside (beside Magdalene Bridge) or the Mill Pond
• Chauffeur Punts, safer but not quite so much fun, can be hired from "The Anchor Inn" at Silver Street

CYCLING IN CAMBRIDGE

Cycling is the best way to travel in Cambridge. Bicycle hire is about £15.00 per week with a £25.00 deposit or you can buy new/second-hand bikes. Look out for advertisements in the Cambridge Evening News or in newsagents' windows.

Safety notes

1. Wear a helmet
2. Use bright lights on your bike at night
3. Always signal before you turn
4. Do not ride two abreast
5. Do not wear a Walkman when cycling
6. Do not block the pavement or ride on the pavement - it is an criminal offence
7. Always lock your bicycle - but not when you're cycling it!!

SPORTS FACILITIES IN CAMBRIDGE

• Kelsey Kerridge Sports Hall, Gonville Place. squash, 5-a-side football, volleyball, badminton, indoor tennis, weight-training, etc
• Parkside Pool, Mill Road. Indoor swimming pool
• The Abbey Pool, Whitehill Rd. Indoor swimming pool
• Jesus Green Open Air Pool, Jesus Green. Open during the summer months
• Tennis Courts. Outdoor courts at Jesus Green (grass and hard courts) and Lammas Land (hard courts). Indoor courts on Long Rd and Hills Rd

PLACES TO VISIT NEAR TO CAMBRIDGE

American Military Cemetery and Chapel - Madingley (6 km west)

Nearly 4,000 American servicemen killed during the second World War were buried here. The Chapel is a striking example of modern architecture.

Anglesey Abbey (National Trust, 10 km east)

The Abbey was built as an Augustinian priory and was converted into a private house after 1591. It contains a collection of European paintings, sculptures, and furniture. The colourful gardens are laid out to a grand and geometric pattern.

Audley End House (23 km south)

A country house that is displayed as it was in the 18th and 19th centuries. It has richly decorated interiors with collections of furniture and pictures. The house is set in a landscaped park.

BURY ST EDMUNDS (48 km east)

This is a thriving medieval market town. It has an Abbey that was built to house the relics of St Edmund who was killed in 869 by the Danes. There are some beautiful gardens, good restaurants, and interesting shops in this town.

CHILFORD HUNDRED VINEYARD - Chilford Hall, Linton (16 km south-east)

This is the largest vineyard in the county. You can tour the ancient building which houses the winery and taste the fine English wines.

ELY (26 km north)

This is a charming historic market city, which stood on an island before the Fens were drained. The Cathedral, which is one of Britain's most beautiful cathedrals, dominates the small town, and can be seen for miles around - it is known as the Ship of the Fens. You can visit Oliver Cromwell's house, which has been restored in 17th century style.

GRANTCHESTER

This is a charming village with thatched and lime-washed cottages near to Cambridge. You can visit a traditional pub or drink tea at "The Orchard."

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM - DUXFORD AIRFIELD (13 km south)

This museum houses a collection of historic military and civil aircraft, including Biplanes, Spitfire, Concorde, and Gulf War jets.

LINTON ZOO - Linton (16 km south-east)

There is a varied collection of wildlife from tarantula spiders to big cats, set in 16 acres of beautiful gardens.

SAFFRON WALDEN (23 km south)

This is an ancient market town with fine timber framed houses of the 15th and 16th century.

ST IVES (19 km west)

This is a picturesque market town. Oliver Cromwell's statue can be found in the market place as he worked in the town and lived in nearby Huntingdon. See Culture Vulture for more information about St Ives.

NEWMARKET (13 km east)

This town is famous for horseracing. You can visit The National Horseracing Museum and the National Stud, which show the horses being trained.

WICKEN FEN (National Trust, 23 km north-east)

This area is interesting for plant, bird and insect life.

WIMPOLE HALL (National Trust, 13 km south-west)

This is a spectacular 18th century stately home. Several of the owners have held high parliamentary office. 'Capability' Brown extended the 350 acre landscaped park.