Cambridge Tourist Attractions

Oxford and Cambridge are the best known English universities in Europe. Both were founded in the mid 13th century - Oxford slightly earlier than Cambridge, for which reason it is always referred to first and both today have some 10,000 students. In the Middle Ages students went up to the two universities at the age of 14 or 15, earning the title of Master of Grammar after three years (the "trivium" of Latin grammar, rhetoric and logic) and Master of Arts after another four years (the "quadrivium" of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music). A doctorate in theology, law or medicine required additional years of study.The colleges were laid out according to monastic tradition, with cloister like courts, a large dining hall and a chapel. Access is usually through a gatehouse or "Porter's Lodge". Because the colleges are first and foremost academic institutions, rather than museums, visitors may find themselves turned away at exam time or on other such occasions.

Punting on the river is one of summer's delights.The River Cam is 40 miles long and runs through the city of Cambridge. The water level is controlled by weirs and locks.

The oldest college in Cambridge, Peterhouse, was founded by Hugh de Balsam, Bishop of Ely, in 1284. It is one of the smallest colleges. The Hall and storeroom on the south side of Old Court are the earliest of the original 13th century buildings. Among those who studied here were Cardinal Beaufort, the chemist Henry Cavendish, the physicist Lord Kelvin and the poet Thomas Gray (1716-71).There are stained glass windows in the chapel imported from Munich in the 1850s; the altar window is 17th century.

The 13th-14th century church of St Mary the Less (Little St Mary) was originally dedicated to St Peter and was the college chapel for over 300 years. Inside the church, a memorial tablet to Godfrey Washington, priest and member of Peterhouse, bears the arms of the Washington family (on which the flag of the United States was based).

Across Trumpington Street from Peterhouse stands Pembroke College, founded in 1347 by the Countess of Pembroke but greatly altered since. The chapel (1663-65) was Wren's first work, later extended by George Gilbert Scott in 1881. Pembroke has produced many bishops and poets, the most celebrated being Edmund Spenser (ca. 1552-99). The reformist bishop Nicholas Ridley, burned at the stake in Oxford, and the statesman William Pitt also took their degrees here.

Queens' College, in Silver Street, founded in 1448 by Andrew Dockett under the patronage of Margaret of Anjou, wife of Henry VI, and then refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV, has the most complete medieval buildings of all the colleges. A magnificent crenellated gateway leads to the red brick First Court dating from the period of foundation, with the Hall (decorated by William Morris), Library and Old Chapel. On the wall is a sundial of 1733.

Corpus Christi College in Trumpington Street was founded in 1352 "by the townspeople for the townspeople". Old Court dates back to 1377, although since restored. The library contains valuable manuscripts and incunabula collected by Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury ca. 1550. The adjoining St Benet's Church was the original college chapel and has a late Saxon tower. The dramatists Christopher Marlowe (1564-93) and John Fletcher (1579-1625) were notable members of the college.

Trumpington Street runs into King's Parade, on the left hand side of which stands King's College, founded in 1441 by Henry VI and the earliest of the royal foundations.

King's College Chapel, a hall church 290ft/88m long, 45ft/13.6m wide and 80ft/24.4m high, is renowned for its 12-bay interior in the Perpendicular style. It has breathtaking fan vaulting by John Wastell (1512-15), and lovely Perpendicular tracery in the windows and on the walls. The stained glass windows (1515-31; west window 19th century), embellished with Tudor coats of arms, are noted particularly for the cycle on the life of Mary, Jesus and the Apostles. The wooden organ screen (1533-36), organ case (1686) and choir stalls (16th-17th century) are lavishly carved. The altarpiece is a painting by Rubens, the "Adoration of the Magi" (1634), presented to the college by A. E. Allnatt in 1961. Visitors are recommended to attend Evensong, when the famous King's College Choir sings.

Beyond King's College stands the Senate House, a Palladian building by James Gibbs (1722-30), with delicate plaster and woodwork and numerous statues. It is used for important academic occasions and ceremonies such as the conferment of degrees. Other buildings in the court, among them the Old Schools (14th-15th and 18th-19th century), are occupied by university offices.

St Mary the Great (Great St Mary's), opposite the Senate House, is both parish and University church. Built in the 15th century it has a very fine interior. The galleries were added in 1739 at a time when university sermons, given by great scholars, attracted huge congregations. The gallery used by masters and fellows of colleges was ironically referred to as "Golgotha". The tower (erected in 1608) is famous for its view.

Trinity Hall in Trinity Lane was founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich. It has an old Elizabethan library preserved in its original condition, with books chained to shelves.

Clare College, next to Trinity Hall, was first founded in 1326 as University Hall. Bad management necessitated its refounding by Lady Elizabeth de Clare in 1338. In 1638, following a fire, work started on rebuilding the college in its present Renaissance style, seen at its loveliest in First Court. Distinguished past members include the reformer Hugh Latimer, who was burned at the stake at Oxford, and the Elizabethan dramatist Robert Greene.

Facing Trinity Street, Caius College (pronounced "Keys"), or Gonville and Caius College to give it its full name, was founded in 1348 by Edmund Gonville, vicar general of the diocese of Ely, and enlarged after 1558 by Dr. John Caius, physician to Edward VI and Queen Mary. It still has a strong medical tradition today.Caius has three gates which together symbolize the student's academic "path". The college is entered from Trinity Street through the Gate of Humility, leading into Tree Court (1868-70). From there the Gate of Virtue gives access to Caius Court (completed in 1567), from which, finally, the Gate of Honor (1575) opens onto the Senate House opposite where degrees are conferred.

St John's College, in St John's Street, was erected on the site of an old monastery hospital. The college was founded in 1511 by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII.A richly ornamented gateway opens into First Court, a fine example of Tudor architecture.The Chapel, built by Sir George Gilbert (1836-39), contains stalls and monuments from its predecessor.The dining hall of 1519, known simply as "The Hall", was enlarged in sympathy with later buildings in 1826. It has a fine hammerbeam roof, beautiful paneling and some good portraits.The Combination Room has a splendid plaster ceiling with festoons of vines. Second Court, built by Ralph Symons between 1598 and 1602, is exceptionally attractive with its mellow brickwork.Third Court dates from 1669-71 and includes the Library (1623-24) on its north side.Among the many notable members of St John's were the dramatist Ben Jonson (1573-1637) and the Lakeland poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850) in whose famous "Prelude" there occurs a description of his college rooms.

Better known as the Round Church, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Bridge Street is one of the few Norman round churches in England (ca. 1131, the rectangular chancel being 15th century). It was drastically restored in 1841.

Bridge Street leads to the Great Bridge, an iron structure of 1823. From the far side of the Cam there is a good view of the picturesque Fisher's Lane.

Magdalene College (pronounced "Maudlen") is the only one of the old colleges to be built on the west side of the Cam. Originally established as a Benedictine college in 1428 it was refounded during the dissolution by Lord Audley in 1542.First Court retains its charming 15th century character.

The foundation stone of Jesus College was laid in 1496 by John Alcock, on a site which at that time was outside the city walls. The college, situated east of the Round Church, in Jesus Lane, incorporates parts of the old Benedictine nunnery of St Radegund, founded in the early 12th century. The entrance is by a fine gateway built by Alcock.The Chapel, formerly the conventual church, is Early English (mid 13th century) The stained glass windows (19th century) are by Ford Madox Brown and Burne-Jones and A.W.N. Pugin.On the east side of the court is the facade of the old chapter house (ca. 1230).Among famous alumni were Archbishop Cranmer, the writer Laurence Sterne, the economist Thomas Robert Malthus and the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Facing St Andrew's Street, some little way south of Jesus College, Christ's College, like St John's, was founded by Lady Margaret Beaufort (1505). Its foundation marked a step on the way towards the modern university, for students were allowed to attend lectures at Christ's without being members of the college. The buildings have been drastically modernized. The Chapel (dedicated in 1510) has paneling of 1703 and old stained glass.Notable members of Christ's include Milton (who is supposed to have planted the mulberry tree which still grows in the garden) and the naturalist Charles Robert Darwin.

Emmanuel College, further along St Andrew's Street, was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay and incorporates parts of a former Dominican priory.The college produced a number of Protestant ministers, many of whom emigrated to America, including some of the Pilgrim Fathers.The Chapel and cloister are by Wren (1668-74). A window in the Chapel commemorates John Harvard, the principal founder of Harvard University in Massachusetts.

The most famous museum in Cambridge, which no visitor should miss, is the Fitzwilliam Museum in Trumpington Street, a neo-Classical building in Portland stone (1837-48), the masterpiece of its architect George Basevi.The original collection was bequeathed to the University by the seventh Viscount Fitzwilliam (died 1816).The Museum contains a magnificent collection of English pottery and china, Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities, and illuminated manuscripts.The exceptionally fine gallery has works by Hogarth, Gainsborough and Turner as well as the Impressionists and Dutch Masters of the Baroque (Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Rubens, Frans Hals and others).

The University Library with its collection of more than 1.5 million volumes can also be visited. Situated on the far side of the Cam in Burrell's Walk, it occupies a modern building by Sir Giles Scott, completed in 1934.

The Folk Museum has a wide ranging collection of everyday items - domestic equipment, commercial paraphernalia, tools and implements of various trades - reflecting Cambridgeshire life in centuries past.

The Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences (historic collections of fossils, minerals etc.) belongs to the science faculties of the University.

The University Museum of Zoology (birds, insects, marine animals) belongs to the science faculties of the University.

The Whipple Science Museum (history of science, including numerous scientific instruments) belongs to the science faculties of the University.Many of the items on display are from the 17th to 19th century. Instruments of astronomy, navigation, surveying, drawing, sundials, mathematical instruments and early electrical apparatus are included.

On display in the Institute are relics and memorabilia from various Polar expeditions, including letters, diaries and photos of Scott's ill fated journey to the South Pole.

Developed by Cambridge University in 1884, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology holds an important collection of prehistory material and artifacts dealing with social anthropology. The main division of the museum is by floor, with the top floor being used for special exhibits, lasting two years in length and based on current research projects; the first floor gallery being used for the social anthropology collection; and the ground floor gallery being used to display prehistory and local archeology collections.Materials in the collections have been gathered from around the world and include pieces from Africa and the Orient, with a particular focus on the visual and classical arts. In addition, a very broad collection of photographs and documents places the museum on par to the impressive collection of Oxford's Pitt Rivers.Of particular note for the museum though is its Pacific collection, taken mainly from Cook's explorations and other research projects made by notable British anthropologists, which includes material from the Torres Strait, the American Northwest and the Canadian Arctic. This broad range of artifacts forms a key piece in the development of the social anthropology disciplines.In all, works come from all corners of the world, giving insights into life from prehistoric days, through the Greek and Roman periods, and up into the modern day.

Originally built in the 12th C, Anglesey Abbey was refurbished in 1926 by the first Lord Fairhaven. Under his direction it quickly came to be known as a house of fine art and furnishings. Numerous tapestries of importance, including Gobelin, Soho and Anglesey, accompany the collection of very high quality furniture.Amongst the art collection, the most notable piece is Constable's 'The Opening of Waterloo Bridge'.The Anglesey Abbey dates from 1600 and is built on the site of an Augustinian abbey. It houses the Fairhaven painting and furniture collections. Surrounding gardens and parkland cover 100 acres. There is a large display of hyacinths, dahlias and herbaceous borders.The watermill grinds corn on the first Sunday in each month.

This annual two-week festival runs from mid to late July and includes a wide variety of daily events.Since 1962, the festival has chosen a different theme every year. Events include operas, orchestral, choral, chamber and organ concerts, recitals, dance and theatrical performances, cabarets, art and photography exhibitions, film screenings, fringe events and children's activities. A fireworks display is also produced every year.The repertoire is equally diversified and ranges from classical to contemporary to modern.The venues are also impressive and include the Cambridge Corn Exchange, King's College Chapel, the University Music School and the Ely Cathedral.

The original Royal Observatory founded in 1675 in Greenwich, London, moved to Herstmonceux Castle. In 1990 it moved to its present location in Cambridge where it serves as the research and administrative center for British astronomical activities. The site also contains a museum chronicling the history of Britain and the sea as well as a royal palace.

The Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory, one of the largest of its kind in the world, uses an array of telescopes which are linked as an interferometer to produce a radio telescope with an effective diameter of several kilometers in size.Another comparable configuration of telescopes is located in the Netherlands.

A small museum at Cavendish Laboratory holds a variety of photographs and documents detailing the history of this famous physics and biological laboratory.

The Priory Church in Isleham is an early Norman church, later converted to a barn that has survived in an unaltered state.

Denny Abbey is an English Heritage property located near Waterbeach. The site includes the remains of a 12th century Benedictine abbey.

Small chapel in Whittlesford which was once part of the Hospital of St John.