The Ancient University City of Cambridge
Cambridge is arguably a ‘prettier city’ than Oxford, although both are known for their ancient universities. Cambridge is situated on the River Cam, and is home to 31 colleges, a few hidden behind old walls.
The 33 acres of land at Jesus College alone, is home to muntjac deer, sparrowhawks and endangered water voles.
Read our post on the beautiful bridges of Cambridge City.
Some of the best known are King’s College (known for its beautiful chapel and choir who perform Christmas carols on TV each year) and Trinity College (this is like a small town with huge courtyards, and holds the personal notebooks of Isaac Newton, a studied who discovered the laws of gravitation).
Other well-known Cambridge University graduates include A.A. Milne (creator of Winnie the Pooh), Bill Oddie (former Goodie and lover of wild birds) and national treasure Sir David Attenborough.
Uh-oh! The Most Cloned City in England
One sad note of modern times is that due to high rents (only affordable to big chain stores), Cambridge has taken on the title of being the most cloned city in England. Now that many businesses have folded after the pandemic, this is now ’empty shop city’, or full of vape shops and mobile phone stores.
Maybe the town planners of both Cambridge (and Exeter, the next most-cloned city) need to take a not-too-far-away trip to the Kent coastal town of Whitstable, which is the least-cloned town in England, full of independent shopkeepers who know their customers by name.
It’s a shame, because Cambridge has a lot going for it, in terms of uniqueness. This is the city where the annual Cambridge Folk Festival has been held since 1965, one of the longest to stick around.
And indie shopkeepers have banded together to create Indie Cambridge, a website where you can read about and support the many small businesses in the city. There is even a regular magazine distributes free to local shops (and for techy peeps, everything is in app form).
Grantchester: Pastoral Charm Close to Cambridge
If you’ve ever watched the TV series Grantchester, it’s based in this village just outside Cambridge, a sleepy quiet place, if you don’t like the bustle of the city.
Home to Byron’s Pool (a nature reserved named after Lord Byron who liked to go wild swimming there), the village has inspired many poets and academics alike.
Linton (on the border with Essex)
Linton is a pretty village just 8 miles from the city of Cambridge, not far from the Essex border.
