Oxford and Cambridge were the only universities in England up to Victorian times. That is why so much of the nation’s discovery and innovation happened here. Cambridge is a quaint market town in the Fens. It is small, and best explored on foot or by bicycle.
Don’t walk past the Norman church at the top of Sidney Street. A short film Saints and Scholars swoops over 800 years of history, on a continuous loop. Walking tours are run daily.
The ‘backs’ of the colleges are beautiful any time of year. Walk its paths and enjoy the flowers, or punt along the river. This is a unique Cambridge experience.
Sister College to Christ Church, Oxford, and equally stunning. Prince
Charles studied here, as did Isaac Newton, and poets George Herbert, Andrew Marvell and John Dryden. Includes the Wren Library, which houses the Winnie-the-Pooh manuscripts.
The first Protestant sermon in England was preached at St Edward, King and Martyr in 1514. The same pulpit is still used. You will also find the famous second-hand bookshop, G David, with its marvellous range.
First made famous by Rupert Brooke, writing from Berlin, May 1912. More recently, Grantchester Vicarage became the home of Jeffrey and Mary Archer. The ITV drama Grantchester is filmed here on location. The village lies two miles south of Cambridge along the Granta (or River Cam).
It is moving to see the serried graves of 3,811 servicemen, with carved names of 5,127 others who were missing. A Visitor Centre draws together personal stories, photographs, films, and interactive displays. Allow good time to look at these.