Cambridge
[ January 2, 2022 by admch 0 Comments ]

Cambridge Hidden Gems

The blue ball

The Blue Ball, Grantchester

While vast swathes of Cambridge’s pubs fall over themselves to bag a refurb and hawk artisan beer and food on slates, the Blue Ball recalls a simpler time and remains a true original – no nonsense drinks, no nonsense decor and a no nonsense landlord.

Water flumes at Parkside Pools

Water flumes at Parkside Pools

A childhood staple for a generation of Cambridge kids and probably the most fun you can have in CB1 for less than a fiver.

Reality checkpoint

Reality checkpoint

Much like standing in the very middle of the Oxford Circus crossing feels like you’re at the epicentre of London, standing next to Reality Checkpoint on Parker’s Piece invokes a similar sense of satisfaction.
A brilliant place to visit if you need to get a new grasp on reality.

Pottering on the river

Pottering on the river

Forget the colleges, grab a canoe and head off in the opposite direction for a much more relaxing trip. There are cows. A heron lives there. The Mill will do you a huge jug of beer to take with you, so you can drink in the canoe. It’s way better than punting.

The Centre for Computing History

The Centre for Computing History

Geographically apart from Cambridge’s museum circuit (it’s in Coldham’s Road), but every bit as fascinating if you remember Jet Set Willy and waiting hours to play a 48k computer game that will never load.

Portugal Place

Portugal Place

Try walking along here in a snow shower and not uttering the words “Christmas”, “card” “looks” and “like”. Never going to happen.

A church with a difference

A church with a difference

All Saints’ Church’s on Jesus Lane has a breath-taking interior which is a triumph of Victorian art and design. Light gleams through stained-glass windows, designed by leading Arts and Crafts artists, including William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones and Ford Madox.

Cambridge foodPark

Cambridge food Park

Who needs a restaurant when some of the best food can be enjoyed on the street corner? Enjoy a whole host of different food from Steak & Honour burgers to Bao delicacies from Guerilla Kitchen.

Cambridge
[ January 2, 2022 by admch 0 Comments ]

Dinning in Cambridge

Pint Shop

Pint Shop

Opened in 2013 by Richard Holmes and Benny Peverelli, this gastropub serves craft brews from the UK and abroad and a great selection of artisan gins and homemade soft drinks – best enjoyed with a pie or hot Scotch egg. The restaurant area offers a more extensive menu, with meat cooked over a charcoal spit roast (try the devilled kebab with marinated pork belly).

Steak & Honour

Steak & Honour

In 2017, Steak & Honour added a bricks-and-mortar site to its fleet of street-food vans. The offering remains the same: a brioche bun with lettuce, onions, gherkins, mustard, ketchup and a thick, juicy Riverside Beef patty, made from cattle that graze by East Anglian waterways.

Old Bicycle Shop

Old Bicycle Shop

On the site of what claimed to be the first bike shop in Britain (Howes Cycles, which is said to have counted Charles Darwin among its customers), the Old Bicycle Shop is open all day for brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks. There’s a varied menu, from wild mushroom ramen to fillet steak and chips, and the cocktail list has plenty of tempting options.

SmokeWorks

SmokeWorks 

This is a haven of barbecue, beer and bourbon, offering finger-licking buns, wings and ribs. Try the deep-cut St Louis pork ribs, cooked low and slow and slathered in a sticky BBQ sauce. There are two SmokeWorks joints – one in the centre of Cambridge and one towards the south-east of the city.

Fitzbillies

Fitzbillies

This iconic tearoom down the road from the Fitzwilliam Museum was rescued from closure in 2011 by food writer Tim Hayward. Its sticky Chelsea buns are a local institution. As well as being a great spot for afternoon tea, it also offers a bespoke hamper service of finger sandwiches, scones and cakes, perfect for a picnic on The Backs (the grassy banks of the Cam behind King’s College) or on a punt down the river.

The Clarendon Arms

The Clarendon Arms 

This is an independent real-ale pub just off Parker’s Piece. Try the glazed, smoked shoulder gammon with poached eggs and chips, or check out the ever-changing specials list for more creative dishes, like roast garlic, white bean & macaroni pie or crisp fried panko pork belly dumplings. On Sundays, the menu is limited to classic roasts. It’s a small, popular neighbourhood pub, so booking ahead is advised.

Blue Ball Inn

Blue Ball Inn

This small, cosy pub is believed to have been named after a hot-air balloon that once landed in the nearby meadows. The beers are all East Anglian (with at least one ale from Adnams always on tap) and the menu features simple, hearty home-cooked dishes such as roast beef, chilli con carne and sausage casserole, all for around £9. Soups and filled rolls are also available. There are a couple of B&B rooms available, and there’s often live music on Thursday evenings. You may recognise the landlord and pub from ITV drama Grantchester.

Espresso Library

Espresso Library

This unique hangout spot opened in the city’s east in 2015. Start your day in a multi-format space centred around a love of road cycling, healthy food, local art and great coffee. Try the mashed avocado and smoky chickpeas on toasted sourdough for a filling breakfast, washed down with a cup of coffee made from the ever-changing roster of beans.

foodPark

FoodPark

This colourful collective of street-food trader’s pops up at various locations around the city and is where you’ll find the next generation of food businesses in Cambridge. Traders include Guerilla Kitchen, which serves up delicious steamed bao buns and Kura Kura, which concentrates on Sri Lankan and south Indian curries.

Jack's Gelato

Jack’s Gelato

After a few summers selling from his tricycle, ex-chef Jack van Praag opened a shop on Bene’t Street. The menu of freshly made ice cream and gelato changes daily, and features incredible flavours like raspberry and red wine or goat’s milk and wild honey. It’s open late, so you can enjoy a postprandial evening stroll with a cone and pretend you’re in Italy

Cambridge
[ January 2, 2022 by admch 0 Comments ]

Cambridge Attraction

Famous the world over for its university, Cambridge lays claim to having one of the highest concentrations of preserved historic buildings anywhere in England

kings-college

King’s College and King’s College Chapel

Founded in 1441 by Henry VI and the earliest of the royal foundations, King’s College is worth visiting for the huge expanse of lawn extending down to the river and King’s Bridge. Here, you’ll enjoy lovely views of the Backs, the various college grounds along the riverside. Distinguished alumni include writer Horace Walpole, poet Rupert Brooke, and economist Lord Keynes.
A must-see here is King’s College Chapel. Renowned for its 12-bay perpendicular-style interior, as well as its breathtaking fan vaulting by John Wastell (1515), it’s a must-see in Cambridge.
Also worth checking out: the lovely tracery on the windows and walls; the spectacular 16th-century stained-glass windows; the lavishly carved 16th-century wooden organ screen and choir stalls; and the altarpiece, Rubens’ Adoration of the Magi (1634).
Address: King’s Parade, Cambridge

queens-college

Queens’ College and the Mathematical Bridge

Founded in 1448 by Andrew Dockett under the patronage of Margaret of Anjou, wife of Henry VI, Queens’ College was refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV. It has the most complete medieval buildings of all Cambridge’s colleges, including the magnificent gateway leading to the red brick First Court, dating from the period of foundation.

Other Queens’ College sites to visit include the wooden Mathematical Bridge. This 1902 reconstruction leads over the Cam to the lovely college gardens, and is so called because it was built without nails, relying for its strength on meticulous calculation.

Also worth seeing are Cloister Court (1460) with the President’s Lodge — a handsome half-timbered building — and Pump Court with the Erasmus Tower above the rooms, occupied by Erasmus when he taught Greek here (1511-1514).

Walnut Tree Court (1618) and Friars Court with the Erasmus Building (1961) and Victorian chapel (1891) are also worth seeing.

Address: Silver Street, Cambridge

Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Covering an area of some 40 acres, a visit to Cambridge University Botanic Garden is a must-do for gardening enthusiasts. Established in 1831, the garden showcases an impressive collection of more than 8,000 species of plants from across the globe.

Be sure to spend time wandering through the garden’s many glasshouses and trails, something that can be done as part of a guided tour (free on Sundays). Afterwards, visit the Garden Café and Botanic Garden Shop.

Be sure to check out their website for news of upcoming events and festivals.

Address: 1 Brookside, Cambridge

Great St. Mary's Church and the Round Church

Great St. Mary’s Church and the Round Church

Great St. Mary’s Church is both a parish and university church. Built in the 15th century, it has a fine interior, its galleries being added in 1739 at a time when university sermons, given by great scholars, attracted huge congregations. The tower, erected in 1608, is famous for its views over Cambridge.

Also worth a visit is Little St. Mary’s. Known as St. Mary the Less, this Anglican parish church is famous for its many fine stained-glass windows.

Better known as the Round Church, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is one of only four Norman round churches left in England. Built in 1131, its rectangular chancel was added in the 15th century.

Another important church, the Gothic Revival Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs — one of the largest Roman Catholic churches in Britain — was built in 1885 and houses a rare statue of the Virgin Mary.

Address: Senate House Hill, Cambridge

Trinity College

Trinity College

Established in 1546 by Henry VIII, Trinity College was created by the merger of several older colleges, including Michaelhouse and King’s Hall. Beyond King Edward’s Gate (1418), parts of the old King’s Hall buildings are still identifiable.

Trinity Great Court is the largest court in Cambridge and was laid out around 1600. A passage leads into Nevile’s Court (1614), with its chapel and statues of distinguished scholars. Wren’s Library, designed by famed architect Sir Christopher Wren and added later, is notable for its old oak bookcases and fine lime woodcarvings.

Trinity has more distinguished former members than any other college. These include statesmen Austen Chamberlain, Stanley Baldwin, and Nehru; poets and writers such as George Herbert and Edward Fitzgerald; philosopher Bertrand Russell; and scientist Isaac Newton. Edward VII and George VI also attended Trinity.

From New Court, or King’s Court, take the bridge over the Cam for its beautiful view of the Backs. A magnificent avenue of limes leads to the College Grounds.

Address: Trinity College, Cambridge

The Fitzwilliam Museum

The Fitzwilliam Museum

The most famous museum in Cambridge, The Fitzwilliam should be included on everyone’s must-see list of tourist attractions. This masterpiece of architecture contains a magnificent collection of English pottery and china, as well as Greek, Roman, and Egyptian antiquities, and illuminated manuscripts.

The exceptionally fine gallery has works by Hogarth, Gainsborough, and Turner, as well as Impressionists and Dutch Masters of the Baroque including Rembrandt, Van Dyck, and Rubens. There’s also a great café on-site, along with a gift shop.

Address: Trumpington Street, Cambridge

Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill

Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill

Although built in the 12th century, Anglesey Abbey was refurbished in 1926 and came to be known as a house of fine art and furnishings. Now a National Trust property, this spectacular home contains numerous tapestries by the likes of Gobelin, Soho, and Anglesey. There’s also an art collection featuring Constable’s The Opening of Waterloo Bridge.

Be sure to spend time enjoying the surrounding gardens and 114 acres of parkland. These impressive grounds include the Wildlife Discovery Area, where younger visitors can watch birds and bugs in their natural habitats, and the Lime Tree Lookout. Afterwards, visit the historic water mill — the Lode Mill — to watch the grindstones do their job. Be sure to check this attraction’s website for news of special events.

Address: Quy Road, Lode, Cambridge

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Developed by Cambridge University in 1884, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology holds an important collection of prehistoric material and artifacts dealing with social anthropology. Collections have been gathered from around the world and include pieces from Africa and the Orient, with a focus on the visual and classical arts.

Of particular note is the Pacific collection, taken mainly from Cook’s explorations, and other research projects made by notable British anthropologists. Regular educational programs for kids and adults are held throughout the year (check their website for details).

Be sure to also visit the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, too. This fascinating museum houses the university’s geology collection, including some two million minerals, rocks, and fossils. Highlights include numerous meteorite specimens, as well as the Beagle Collection consisting of fossils and rocks gathered by Charles Darwin between 1831 and 1836. The museum also offers a wide variety of family activities and kids’ programs.

Also of interest is the newly refurbished University Museum of Zoology. Highlights of this recently renovated Cambridge attraction include a large collection of scientifically important zoological material.

Address: Downing Street, Cambridge

Peterhouse College

Peterhouse College

The oldest (and also one of the smallest) of Cambridge’s colleges, Peterhouse was founded in 1284. Its historic hall and storeroom on the south side of Old Court are the earliest of the original 13th-century buildings. Among those who studied here were Cardinal Beaufort, chemist Henry Cavendish, and poet Thomas Gray.

Be sure to also check out the Peterhouse Chapel, a focal point of the college for more than 700 years. Worth seeing are the stained-glass windows (imported from Munich in the 1850s) and the 17th-century altar window. For a truly memorable experience, enquire about Peterhouse’s summer accommodation rentals.

Address: Trumpington Street, Cambridge

Corpus Christi College

Corpus Christi College

Corpus Christi College was founded in 1352 “by the townspeople for the townspeople.” Its oldest section, Old Court, dates back to 1377, although it has since been restored.Notable features include the library, which contains many valuable manuscripts collected by Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury (1550).

Also worth noting is the adjoining St. Benet’s Church, which was the original college chapel and is notable for its late Saxon tower.

Dramatists Christopher Marlowe (1564-93) and John Fletcher (1579-1625)are among the best-known alumni of the college. The college is available for summer accommodations and has become popular for events such as weddings.

Address: King’s Parade, Cambridge