~Cambridge~
19th September 2012
Every now and again, Karen and I take a few days holiday. This one was booked very close to the dates in order to give us a good chance of some fine weather. Day 1 of the holiday was spent looking at the City of Cambridge. Opportunities for fellwalking are limited in this part of the UK.
The Mathematical Bridge
Scroll down for photos and a description of the visit....
The Duxford Lodge Hotel
I cannot remember the search criteria, but this one came up. Good ratings on TripAdvisor and elsewhere. It is, unsurprisingly, in Duxford a little village comfortably south of Cambridge and famous for its Air Museum, or maybe more accurately for its role in WW2 and one Douglas Bader. We can recommend this hotel; attentive service, clean rooms and excellent food.
We tend to use Park & Ride services when offered and that's exactly what we did.
Great St.Mary's Church
Karen visited a few shops and I headed straight for Tourist Information, looking for a leaflet showing a walk route around Cambridge. Better than that, they offer guided tours, so I booked us in on the 1pm tour. The tour guide thus determined the route taken and the places visited, there is so much more to see, if you have the time. Our first port of call was The Eagle Pub and outside is this "Blue Plaque".
The Double Helix as per Crick & Watson
Across the road is St.Bene't's Church....
St.Bene't's Church
Apostrophes in the right places. A feature of Cambridge, maybe many places where hills are hard to find, are the very high numbers of bicycles. Coincidentally, a matching number of railings. The tower is the oldest building in Cambridge, dating from 1020AD. There was little choice but to bury the recently deceased Thomas Hobson in the chancel (1631).
 |
 |
Whipple Museum Benefactor |
Susan The Guide |
A Starter For Ten
Many buildings have sculptures depicting the benefactors. If I'd been paying attention, I'd know who that is on the left. He paid for the building and hence he holds it in his left hand. Our party included five Japanese, a few Americans and a couple of oddballs from Lancashire.
Queens' College, Cambridge
The ticket (£16 per head) included entry into two colleges, the first of which was Queens' College. Wikipedia says: "It is amongst the oldest and largest colleges of the University, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou (the Queen of Henry VI, who founded nearby King's College) and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville (the Queen of Edward IV), and has some of the most recognisable buildings in Cambridge."
Queens' College Cloister Court
It is impossible to take photos without someone else with a camera getting in the way! Don't Walk On The Grass!!
 |
 |
The Sun & Moon Dial |
The Great Hall, Queens' College |
A Bonus For Five
Go on, how does the Sun & Moon Dial work? Stephen Fry attended this college.
The Long Room and President's Lodge
The Mathematical Bridge
The Mathematical Bridge is so named as it was designed using maths principles. It spans the River Cam and joins both sections of Queens' College. The University is comprised of 31 colleges, the oldest of which is Peterhouse, founded in 1284.
 |
 |
Punting on The Cam |
Corpus Christi |
~~~~~~~
 |
 |
St.Botolph's Church |
The Corpus Clock |
If you ever find yourself in Cambridge, spend some time looking at The Chronophage ~ The Corpus Clock. Amazing!
King's College, Cambridge
No conferring, which King? Have you been paying attention?
The Senate House
The Senate House is a University building, most of the others are College buildings. Gonville & Caius College is to the right.
 |
 |
Trinity College, Cambridge |
Henry VIII, Trinity Founder (1546) |
Trinity College
Bowler-hatted men protect entrances to Trinity College. Henry has a chair leg in his right hand, so it has been for many years after the original sceptre disappeared. Did you know that Trinity College owns the O2 Arena in London?
Trinity Great Court
Which film featured two athletes running around the court, attempting to beat the chimes of the bells at 12 o'clock?
King's College Chapel
Inside the fantastic building that is the King's College Chapel. Our ticket price allowed for entry into here.
King's College Court
And as we left this court, so the tour was over. A very interesting two hours. Not something you could do off your own bat if it's your first time to Cambridge.
Punts
Tourists: Karen and me.
Weather and Conditions: Sunny and warm.
Richard's Refreshment Review: Tea and Scones in Auntie's Tea Shop, Cambridge. Well worth a visit, but we wouldn't have taken a table in the back room. As it was, we were close to the window with plenty of light.
~~~~~
and the night before ....
John Barleycorn, Duxford - Great Pub!
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2012 ©
Contact Me via email - comments can then be added to this page, unless it is clear to me that you wouldn't want me to do that.
Take me back to the start ....