Cambridge info
There has always been much to do for the Cambridge tourist. Most big bands find time to perform here, there is a vibrant local music singer songwriter scene that also attracts well known acts from abroad. Then there are the numerous university societies, many open to non-student. You can also get a copy of the Reporter, which lists the time and location of all University lectures, there are public lectures that anyone can attend. Given Cambridge’s unrivalled reputation as a centre of learning excellence, thousands of foreign language students come to take English language courses, from which spring numerous clubs, like the Italian and Spanish society. There are poetry reading societies, dance clubs, from Salsa to flamenco dance, and the ramblers society. Then of course there is punting along the river Camb, taking a cruise up river to the beautiful cathedral town of Ely, summer events like the internationally renowned folk music festival, the folk festival, Strawberry fair, midsummer fair, pop on the park concerts, mill rd open days, the list goes on and I will try to list some with dates for you.
What to do and when is often a seasonal consideration. Surviving an English winter will necessitate indoor activity, but come the spring owards when Cambridge is at its best, the only thing one wants to do is to take a bike ride, cross a park, eat an ice cream or simply watch others doing exactly the same.
Attractions of cambridge
Summer is when the parks are full with people, days are long and people sit out down by the Mill pond, all across Parker's Piece , Midsummer Common or indead any square inch of neatly cut green grass that can be found. To fully appreciate Cambridge, it needs to savoured, so I would suggest a stay of at least a week to truely take in the city and all it has to offer.
I try to cover some bare essential "things to do" activities that you can do all year round, and I am sure that even if you are able to only do a few of them you will be rewarded with a memorable experience. I do not work for the Tourist board or have any invested interest in promoting Cambridge as a destination, of course it will speak for itself, I simply live here and hope that I can share some of its riches with you.
Ely England
A day trip to the historic cathedral town of Ely should certainly be pencilled into any agenda if time permits. The easiest way to get there is by train and its only 12 minutes away. Trains run often and punctual so you just need to turn up. The centre of Ely is small and dominated by its Cathedral. The Cathedral has a tea room where the delights of and English afternoon tea can be savoured. Saturdays there's a small market where you can catch the feel of the locals. Ely (once an island) hence its name, The Isle of Ely sits in the middle of an area called The Fens a mysterious and very flat area of land that stretches from Cambridge to Lincoln and from King’s Lynn to Peterborough and is in most part land re-claimed from the sea. The people are open and friendly. From the Train station to the market, I would take a small detour and walk along the river. Just walk down from the station, cross the rd and a few metres up towards the centre Annesdale rd will take you right there. In the summer there are river boat cruises from Cambridge to Ely. The river and moored boat area has been re-developed and improved recently and is very delightful, with several historic drinking holes.
Walk to Granchester
A walk or bicycle ride to Granchester is a must, especially from Spring onwards. You could take the main rd there but most choose to follow a country path through Newnham, (a delightful superb) From the town centre you could start from the Mill pond, from there its across green fields all the way. Once at Granchester there are an assortment of pubs with outdoor seating and all serving food. The well know Orchard Tea Rooms, the poet Rupert Brooke lived for a while in the Orchard house.(The website is on the resource page) serves Freshly made Scones, with Jam and Clotted Cream most of the year.
Walk along Mill rd
Cambridge has two universities, it's least famous cousin is called Anglia Ruskin University and located just around the corner to Mill road on East rd. With this large student population on its doorstep Mill rd certainly does have a buzz about it. The area is full of shared houses and bedsits is brimming full of restaurants and coffee shops and alternative book shops. An afternoon can easily be spent here. If starting at the town end, you pass the recently built indoor swimming pool (1999) which overlooks Parkers piece. If you are a vegetarian you will be very well catered for by one of the first shops you come across. Arjuna founded in the 70s offers all sorts of culinary delights if you can afford them. I personally find them too pricey, but certainly an enjoyable, if not mouth watering browse. A bit further along you will find CB1, where you can read a book over a coffee and even send an e-mail. There are numerous eating houses along this stretch of Mill rd, from Indian restaurants, Italian and Middle eastern cuisine, take away sandwich shops and fast food restaurants. If you turn your head into the top of Gwydir street you will find some antique shops and an art gallery.
Mill rd really is divided by the railway into two parts and so a look over the bridge is worth it. My favourite coffee shop called The Black Cat is just on the left where they serve some of the best homemade cakes around. Just before there is a picture framing shop behind a house, which you could easily miss, that is if you want to have frame cut for a picture. They are the cheapest in town by far. Not only is there a post office at the back of a chemist shop next to CB1 before the bridge, there is also one further along from the Black Cat on the other side of the rd.
This side of the bridge has plenty of cheap bike shops where you can buy a new or second-hand bike. There is also another antiques shop on the right, and an antiques yard if you follow the passage down its side. An alternative book shop and a few charity shops complete this side of the bridge and there is not much more to see after the Post office so I would head back to town.
One of the joys of Mill rd is the charity shops dotted along it, and its amazing what you can find. The street where you will find the most charity shops is Burleigh Street, off East Rd. Its not five min walk from the swimming pool and well worth a look too, so you could head there. A short cut and one that takes you past some traditional pubs is to turn into Gwydir street once more and that should lead you straight to East Rd and Burleigh Street. Follow Burleigh street into Fitzroy street and you will be almost back to the city centre.
