Cambridge is Cute: Best Itinerary for Day Trip from London

garden at Great St. Mary’s Church on the Cambridge campus

The core of Cambridge is the University, a renowned institution, with rich history and a wild origin story.

Cambridge is one of the oldest (3rd behind Bologna and Oxford) and most distinguished (5th behind Oxford, Stanford, MIT and Harvard).

The university itself is composed of 31 colleges (similar to the 4 Houses of Hogwarts in Harry Potter) that are spread throughout the city. Many of the colleges line the banks of the river Cam. The abundance of courtyards, gardens, and lush green area give the feeling of a palatial estate.

The architecture of the city and the campus range from “medieval monasteries to jeweled Elizabethan colleges to grand Neo-Classical structures” - the perfect surroundings if you’re pursuing the Masters in Building History offered.

Notable graduates include some of the greatest minds in science including: Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking, Robert Oppenheimer, and Charles Darwin who have all been pivotal in the way that we understand the world today.

tree at Trinity College Great Gate

Lucky for those of us who are not on the cutting edge of scientific development, there is still an opportunity to visit both the city and the University to take in the sites and learn a few lessons along the way.

The City of Cambridge:

Outside of the University itself, the city offers a wide variety of activities that appeal to the student population, locals and many tourists who are in town.

Top Recommendations off campus:

• Cambridge Botanic Gardens
  The Botanic Gardens are one of the first attractions you’ll find when navigating from the train station to the city center. Visit their expansive garden scapes with a collection of over 8000 species, greenhouse and fountains to ground yourself in natural beauty.
  

• Fitzwilliam Museum -
  With a collection of 500,000 artworks spanning the ancient world to the 20th century, stop into the Fitzwilliam to discover fantastic works in their permanent collection and rotating exhibitions
  

• Walk through Grantchester Meadows
  Head south along the river Cam from the University itself to discover a country meadow walk down to the little village of Grantchester.
  
  Take in the natural views and sounds which may include a visit from the cows in the pasture. Do you recognize the name (or perhaps the actual sounds if you do visit!) from the Pink Floyd song of the same name? Check out their 1969 song Grantchester Meadows.
  

• Orchard Tea Garden
  Stop over at the Orchard Tea Garden to relax and have a cup of your favorite tea as the halfway point of your walk before heading onward or back to Cambridge

On Campus

• University Walking Tour
  If you’ve applied to Cambridge and found that your academic merit is not up to scratch, might I suggest participating in one of the walking tours? The campus does not have open access to the general public but you can gain entry to view some of the grounds and architecture through one of the tours offered either online or on campus. I would recommend booking ahead to ensure you have a spot reserved!
  

• University Punting Tour
  Punting is essentially the British equivalent of a gondola ride in Venice. You rent a small river borne raft and are paddled up and down for an architectural tour of the university. You’ll learn about the various colleges as you cruise up and down the river for 45 minutes. Visitors can choose from several different tour operators - we chose Scudamore’s and had a positive experience!

punting on the river Cam

Where to eat:

• Galleria
  Galleria is situated on the edge of the river Cam on the south side of the Magdalene Bridge. Highlights include not only great food but a view of the river and all of the students and visitors enjoying themselves punting.
  

• The Eagle Pub
  The discovery of DNA has a bit of a murky provenance across several decades, but it was Drs. James Watson and Francis Crick use data discovered by (and not credited to) previous scientists to propose a detailed physical model of the DNA structure. Where did they go to celebrate the discovery? Their local watering hole, The Eagle, of course!

Churches to check out:

• The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs
  A Roman Catholic Church opened in 1890 greets you on your walk from the station to the city center. Inside you’ll find gorgeous stained glass and many relief carvings of different stories from the bible, which were well done and not something I often see. It’s worth a stop and look around.
  

• King’s College Chapel
  An iconic building and hub of key student activities including: matriculation ceremonies, where fellows are admitted and where both choir performances and daily worship is held during term. They offer both guided and self-guided tours for a fee but entry is free if you visit to attend one of their services.
  

• St. Edward King and Martyr

  It is said that St. Edwards church was the cradle of the English reformation (when the Church of England broke away from the Pope and the Catholic Church) and it was here in 1525 the first “openly evangelical” sermon of the reformation was delivered.
  

• Great St. Mary’s Church

  The foundations date back to 1010 which burned and were rebuilt around 1290 with the current building erected in the late 1400 - early 1500s. It is considered the University Church which dictates the distance from which university officers and students can live.
  

• Gonville & Caius Church
  Visit for exquisite wood carvings throughout the interior

interior of The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs

Are you ready to apply to study at Cambridge? Or maybe just to visit for the day?