A day in the City of Cambridge is one lovely day out!

Cambridge is a beautiful city, located on the River Cam, in eastern England. The city is home to the prestigious University of Cambridge, dating all the way back to, 1209.

Cambridge is not a cheap city to visit. We stopped by, on our journey home from Stansted Airport. We had an afternoon exploring the city. It was enough time for us but it was rushed. However, if you like to visit sights at a slower, more relaxed pace, I would recommend a day to see everything.

Car Parking

We parked in the Grand Arcade Car Park, located in the centre of Cambridge, next to the Grand Arcade Shopping Centre. Parking costs £3 an hour on a Sunday. It was not cheap! There are plenty of other car parks dotted around the city. Where ever or not, they are cheaper, I do not know.

Eating Places

As we were there only for one afternoon, we only had the opportunity to enjoy one meal. We ate at a place called, All Bar One. The food was fantastic! I enjoyed their vegan menu and had Jackfruit Quesadilla for mains and a delicious Biscoff Cheesecake for dessert. Alex enjoyed a burger and he said, it tasted fantastic!

Sights To See

Here are my recommendations on what to see and do in the beautiful, university city:

Mathematical Bridge

The Mathematical Bridge or the Wooden Bridge is possibly one of the most famous bridges in southern England. The bridge was designed in 1748, by William Etheridge, and was built in 1749, by James Essex the Younger. The interesting Wooden Bridge, bridges over the River Cam. The name ‘Mathematical Bridge’, comes from its so-called ‘geometrical construction’.

Corpus Clock

The Corpus Clock, also known as the Grasshopper clock, is a large sculptural clock, located outside of the Taylor Library at Corpus Christi College. Since its inauguration in 2008, it has become of the most distinctive public monuments in Cambridge. The clock speeds up and slows down on a regular schedule, in a nod to a physicist whose theory of relativity laid a foundation for some of Steven Hawking’s work: Albert Einstein. A guy called John Taylor, who made his fortune as an inventor of electric kettles, spent a million British pounds creating this Corpus Clock. To ensure that it would stand the test of time, he built it from 3 different metals: stainless steel, gold, and enamel.

Wren Library

Wren Library is the college library, designed by Christopher Wren, and completed in 1690. It is open to the public every weekday, between 12-2 pm. The library holds Newton’s Principia Mathematica, along with a lock of his hair. There is also on display, the modern manuscript of Winnie the Pooh, written by A. A Milne, along with his son, Christopher Robin. Both Alan Alexander Milne and Christopher Robin Milne had studied at the college.

Kings College

King’s College is a beautiful constituent college, of the University of Cambridge. On our visit, we only got to see the outside of the college as we were short of time. However, just being able to see the outside, was spectacular! Visitors are welcome onto the grounds of the college and into the Chapel. You can also attend a choral service in the Chapel. Tickets cost £9 for adults and £6 for children. Your ticket price includes a visit to the Chapel, the exhibition of the history of the College, the world’s largest fan-vaulted ceiling, and the Adoration of the Magi by Rubens. You will also have access to the College grounds on opening days.

St Mary’s Church

St Mary’s Church is the Church of England parish and university church. It is located opposite King’s College and Cambridge Market Square. I’ve read; for one of the best views of the city, head up the church tower. Unfortunately, we did not have time to do this. Tickets to go up the tower will cost up to £5 each. The tower is open from 10 am to 5.30 pm, Monday to Saturday, including bank holidays. On a Sunday, it’s open from 12.30 pm till 5.30 pm. The last entry is at 5 pm, every night.

Cambridge Market Square

Cambridge Market Square is home to an outdoor market, showcasing gourmet food stalls, Cambridge University clothing, and souvenirs. It is open every day, from 10 am to 4 pm. Market stalls have been selling here, dating back as far back as the middle ages. The one thing which really attracted my attention was the rainbow colours on the market stall roofs. I thought it was such a great little touch to the market, making it stand out from the rest I have visited over the years.

Punting

Wondering what Punting is? A punt is a narrow flat-bottomed boat, that somewhat resembles a Venetian gondola, with the curve removed. In Cambridge, Punting along the River Cam is one of the most traditional things you can do, when visiting the city. Sadly to say, we did not do it on our visit. We were very short of time. However, it is something I definitely would like to go back and do. There are a few different companies to choose from, which offer different prices and routes. I cannot tell you which one is best to go with since we did not do it.

For more information on Cambridge, what else the city has to offer, please visit their website: https://www.visitcambridge.org/

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Further Reading

My book, How I Tamed the Wolf, Living with Lupus is available on Amazon via this link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09M73X2JQ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MWAF58981F0VVMNRV1WN

Other travel guides you may like:

Miami – https://livingwiththewolf.co.uk/miami/

New York – https://livingwiththewolf.co.uk/new-york/