Cambridge, could you imagine a more idyllic
university town?
With its narrow medieval passageways and 801-year-old
university
this small English city it packed with history.
But Cambridge is embracing the new, its restaurant
scene has moving on from pub grub
And has something exciting, yet still traditional,
to offer.
Welcome to Cambridge.
Cambridge is less than an hour from London
by train.
And once you’ve arrived, you’re going
to want to do what the locals do and get yourself
a bike.
Cambridge is considered the cycling capital
of the UK - they're everywhere.
Bike hire shops are peppered around and parking
is easy but be warned.
In 2017 the Cambridge district had one of
the highest rates of bike theft in England
and Wales - so lock it up.
In the centre of Cambridge is one of the world’s
most well known and respected Universities.
Founded in 1208, it's
the fourth oldest university in the world
still teaching.
One of the jewels in the university’s crown
is its libraries and this is the big one.
Cambridge University Library holds around
8 million books, manuscripts, maps and journals
and it was thought some more salacious material.
For a long time it was undergraduate folklore
that the library tower held a vast stockpile
of Victorian age pornography.
But no…
This year the tower’s opened up its secrets
and revealed its was used to store books
and other items thought not good enough for
the main building.
This material is now regarded as an important
resource
One of the best ways to see Cambridge’s
hidden spots is by boat, or punt, to be exact.
Punting began in the early 20th century
And remains the best way to explore the River
Cam and it’s many bridges - 25 in all.
This is the Mathematical Bridge. Despite looking
curved it’s made entirely of straight timber.
Safely on dry land it’s time of a pint.
This is The Eagle
It was there 1953 Francis Crick charged in,
interrupting lunchtime service, to announce
that he and James Watson
had "discovered the secret
of life". How DNA carries genetic information.
I hope someone offered him a drink.
Keeping with tradition, just a few meters
down the road is Chop House.
This no-nonsense steak restaurant has a classic
English menu.
Try the Sticky Toffee Pudding - if you have
room.
But it not all old England, this is Pint Shop,
offering 23-tap craft beer and 100 gin options.
There are plenty of places to stay in the
city but if you want to get some country air,
just a short drive out of town is Clopton
Courtyard
Here you can rent your own barn, there are
six to choose from , and enjoy the quintessentially
English countryside surrounding.
Not a bad spot to finish off your day…
