15 Gems Of Cambridge, UK, Not To Miss

15 gems of Cambridge, UK, not to miss

By Anna Purpurpurpur

Cambridge is one of the best destinations for a day trip from London, as you’ll be there in a short trip from King’s Cross station. Or it’s even better if you decide to stay overnight and explore more of the city.

Of course, now Cambridge is all about the University of Cambridge, consisting of 31 autonomous colleges (see below). It’s the third oldest university in operation after Bologna and Oxford.

Founded in 1209 by scholars from Oxford after a deadly disagreement (yes, their rivalry is quite a few centuries long!), Cambridge established a reputation of its own.

Some of the most important discoveries and philosophical concepts emerged here, such as the discoveries of laws of motion, theory of gravity, electron and neutron, double helix structure of the DNA (see below), IVF, studies of optics, splitting the atom, iris recognition technique, expanding universe theory – and even the football rules and thermos container technology!

Just to name a few luminaries and people closely linked to Cambridge, here’s an impressive list: Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon, Lord Byron, John Milton, Charles Darwin, Bertrand Russell, Niels Bohr, C. S. Lewis, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Vladimir Nabokov, Francis Crick, James Watson, Alan Turing, Stephen Hawking, David Attenborough, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson – 126 Nobel prizes were awarded to its alumni.

Scroll down to see my list of activities for this outstanding cultural destination!

1. Admire King’s College Chapel

King’s College Chapel is the most iconic landmark of Cambridge. It belongs to King’s College, as the name suggests, and its construction was initiated in the middle of the 15th century, only a few years after the college was founded by King Henry VI in 1441.

For a few centuries after its opening, King’s College accepted only students from Eton, but in the late 19th century it officially opened its doors for everyone.

This chapel is the largest and the most impressive religious building in Cambridge. It has seen a lot: Wars of the Roses, Tudor kings’ rule under whom eventually the chapel was finished, the Civil War and WWII. Check the opening times in advance and I would suggest you buy tickets before your visit as well, to avoid disappointment.

2. Go Punting

Do you know about the most well-known activity in Cambridge – it’s punting along the River Cam? Punting is a special way to ride a boat by pushing a pole. And in Cambridge, this tradition of riding flat-bottomed boats along the River Cam was mastered to perfection!

There are two main options for how you can participate in this activity. First, you hire a professional punter who knows how to use the pole correctly, and you have your trip leisurely for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. You can opt for the individual tour or share the boat with other people. If you ask me, individual tours are much more pleasant, but of course they come at a cost, as a tour itself is not cheap.

Secondly, you could try to do punting by yourself, and there are tours where, after a short guidance and demonstration on how to control the boat, you go off exploring by yourself. Although punting does seem quite easy, I definitely noticed some people struggling with it on the river, so just choose whatever would be better for you.

There are numerous stalls selling tickets for punting throughout the city. Alternatively, you can book your tour in advance, as we did, then you just arrive at the precise point where your boat departs. We had our tour with students from Lets go punting and had the best time.

The best part of the tour is that you not only enjoy your time on the water, but you also see the ‘backs’ of the colleges you can’t see from the streets and explore the most magnificent bridges of Cambridge. The whole city is all about the bridges on the River Cam – that’s why it’s called Cambridge; so it’s essential to explore these structures (see below).

3. Don’t miss the Corpus Clock

Do you know about the most famous modern landmark of Cambridge? The Corpus Clock, nicknamed the Grasshopper clock because of a huge mechanical insect on the top of the clock face with blue LED lights, is located outside the Taylor Library, Corpus Christi College.

The clock was created by an alumnus of Cambridge, the inventor John Crawshaw Taylor – he called this mechanism the Chronophage, as if the grasshopper eats time! By the way, the clock is not really useful, and that’s not its primary objective, as it shows the correct time only once every five minutes. This installation was officially unveiled by Stephen Hawking in 2008.

4. Walk around the Cambridge Botanic Garden

Cambridge Botanic Garden is a must-visit spot for every tourist in Cambridge: it’s such a blissful place! It’s located a short walk from the city centre.

It was established in 1831 for the needs of the University of Cambridge by priest and botanist John Stevens Henslow, Charles Darwin’s tutor whose place Darwin took on the ship HMS Beagle.

The garden opened to the public in 1846. The garden features 8,000 plant species and various landscapes. Enjoy the tropical plant displays in the greenhouses, water plants by the lake and an English wild meadow all over! There’s also a café and two shops there too.

5. Climb the Great St Mary’s Church

When you first arrive in Cambridge, why not see it from above? And the best place to do so is Great St Mary’s Church (and before you ask, there’s a little St Mary’s Church in Cambridge too)!

After buying a ticket and managing 123 pretty narrow steps, you will admire this view: Market Square, King’s College Chapel and other university buildings are seen perfectly from there!

Besides that, the church itself is quite a remarkable landmark as well. The first church on this site dates to at least 1205 – it was mentioned in the documents for the first time around that period (unfortunately, it was lost to fire). The current church dates to the 15th–16th centuries, with the tower being finished in 1708. The private funeral of Stephen Hawking, whose life was closely connected to Cambridge, was also held here – before he was buried in Westminster Abbey.

6. Pop inside the Museum of Zoology

The Museum of Zoology is one of the most interesting museums of Cambridge.

It belongs to the university and showcases numerous skeletons, stuffed animals, representative living and extinct organisms, including specimens gathered by Charles Darwin and his rival Alfred Russel Wallace. The collection of specimens there is really extraordinary! The entrance to the museum is nestled under a 21-metre-long fin whale skeleton – there’s also the Whale Café and the shop there! The entry is free, as is entry to other Cambridge museums.

7. Explore Fitzwilliam Museum

Fitzwilliam Museum is considered a must-visit landmark of Cambridge for a reason – it’s one of the best museums in the country!

Make sure to pop inside even if you have limited time, it’s located in the centre of the city.

The museum was established in 1816 by Richard FitzWilliam, 7th Viscount FitzWilliam.

They have a great collection of antiques, armoury, ceramics, coins, and one of the finest collections of fine arts: it includes pre-Raphaelites, medieval Italian art, and pieces by Renoir, Degas, Modigliani, Cézanne, Picasso, J. M. W. Turner, Constable and Monet, to name just a few famous names.

8. Spot St Bene’t’s Church

While you walk around Cambridge, don’t miss this building: it’s St Bene’t’s Church! You can spot the famous Anglo-Saxon Tower from far away.

The church was built in the 11th century. It’s not only the oldest church in the whole of Cambridge – it’s the oldest church in Cambridgeshire!

9. Learn about the bridges of Cambridge

As I’ve already mentioned, bridges are an essential part of Cambridge’s identity. See what are the most famous bridges in Cambridge!

Clare College Bridge (belongs to Clare College) is the oldest surviving bridge of Cambridge, dating to 1640. Kitchen Bridge, belonging to St John’s College, is the second oldest bridge of Cambridge, dating to 1709 – 1711. Trinity College Bridge is – surprise – from Trinity College. Its previous version was demolished by Oliver Cromwell during the Civil War, and the current one dates to 1764.

The Mathematical Bridge is Queens’ College’s; the first one was built in the mid-18th century, but the current one dates to 1902; it can be seen just by browsing around the area, not only from the water.

And the most photographed of them all is the covered and arched Bridge of Sighs, from St John’s College again; it was built in 1831, after a design by Henry Hutchinson. Did you know that both Venice and Oxford share the same name, but actually all three bridges are pretty different in structure?

10. Stroll around the Market Square

Market Square, or Market Hill, of Cambridge is a nice old open-air venue operating since Saxon times.

Come here to explore the stalls of Cambridge market selling fresh local produce, souvenirs, jewellery and other goods. It’s located right at the back of Great St Mary’s Church – and if you climb it, you’ll get the best view of the market too.

11. Visit the Eagle pub

As you probably know, I have a scientific background, so of course I couldn’t miss spotting the Eagle pub! It’s not only one of the oldest pubs in Cambridge, opened in the 17th century – it was actually the site where, after studying the images taken by Rosalind Franklin, Francis Crick and James Watson announced that they ‘discovered the secret of life,’ aka the double helix structure of DNA, in February 1953 – one of the most significant discoveries in the natural sciences!

Besides that, the Eagle was a spot where the RAF pilots gathered during the WWII (check the ceiling for their signatures as they burnt them out before heading on a mission).

12. Shop at Great Arcade

If you want to go shopping for British and international brands in Cambridge, the Great Arcade, located just a few minutes away from King’s College Chapel, is a destination for you! Electric appliances, fashion brands, skin care – you can find everything here scattered among a few floors. Besides that, you can go and explore small businesses and more British brands around King’s Parade and Trinity Street.

13. Hunt for the Memorial Plaques

Cambridge is a place where the brightest minds of humanity have made their breakthroughs, and some of these locations are marked with memorial plaques. This means you can go on a hunt to see as many as you can!

For instance, I’ve already mentioned the one at the Eagle pub commemorating Francis Crick and James Watson’s achievements, but there are others, of course, for instance dedicated to J. J. Thomson and his discovery of the electron particle.

14. Take a photo of Newton’s Apple Tree

I’m sure everyone knows the legend about Isaac Newton discovering laws of motion and gravitation, sitting under the apple tree in Cambridge? Well, let me say it straight: this is not the same tree, and Newton never sat under it. However, the tree by Trinity College is a descendant of an apple tree from Newton’s garden, and is kept as a memorial to his fundamental achievement. It’s worth seeing anyway!

15. Learn the history behind the Colleges

Cambridge of today is all about university life, and of course, it’s really inspiring to recognize some of the 31 colleges’ locations and to learn the history behind them and the people linked to them!

The ‘old’ colleges’ foundation dates back to the period from the 13th century till the 16th century (with the first ever college – Peterhouse – being opened in 1284), while there are new ones established in the 19th–20th century.

The most prominent colleges located in the city centre are St John’s College, Trinity College, King’s College, Queens’ College, Clare College, Corpus Christi College, and Pembroke College!

Although the majority of them are usually not open to visitors, you can at least see them from the outside or peek inside!

Where to eat

Lunch at the Kobe Steakhouse Cambridge, sister restaurant to the Mayfair one, is a must for your stay. The food was mouthwatering, and the service was really quick.

We also visited Market House, located on Market Square. They serve a fusion of Asian and British cuisines, but if we had to choose, we loved Kobe much more.

Besides that, the bet is high that you’ll notice a queue around Bene’t Street, especially on a sunny day – that’s the people wanting to try Jack’s Gelato! Use their electronic order code to get your desired flavours faster, and yes, that ice cream is really worth trying.

Where to stay in Cambridge: University Arms

We stayed in one of the best hotels in Cambridge, University Arms. It’s located in the city centre, a short walk from the train station.

University Arms is the oldest hotel in Cambridge: originally a coaching inn opened here in 1834. Now it’s an old-fashioned hotel for those who’d like to experience the essence of old Cambridge style with modern twists such as turquoise accents and contemporary pieces of art.