So Cambridge I was with Alex in 2014, just before I left the UK. Cambridge II was the second trip with Alex when I went back in 2016. Cambridge III was the same trip with my dad, but it felt very much more behind the scenes. Being a Cambridge Alumni, we planned to check out the universities, and honestly, I’m a little ashamed of how much I saw that I hadn’t in the years when I lived there – Plus the narrative my father provided made for a bloody good day.
The mandatory Cafe Nero breakfast set the day in motion and first stop was St Johns College and the bridge of Sighs. Weirdly they didn’t want to let us in to begin with, it being 8am, told us that they weren’t open to the public until later. My father agreed and then walked in anyway. Porter never stood a chance.
We walked over the Bridge of Sighs and onto St John’s Meadow
We transitioned into Trinity College land, onto the North Paddock, which afforded a morning view of the Wren Library. After that we started walking towards the river, via the iconic chimneys down Trinity Lane, past Kings College on Kings Parade and down Silver Street towards Queen’s College, home of the Mathematical Bridge. Unfortunately the old tale that suggests the Mathematical bridge has no bolts or screws is untrue. It doesn’t matter that I took the story at face value for a decade!
We entered Queen’s College, crossed the Mathematical Bridge and then entered a whole different world in the way of Cloisters Court.
The only downside was that it was a bit of a cul-de-sac for our walk, so we turned and walked back over the Mathematical Bridge and then walked north along the backs and then back into King’s College. There we got a few great shots of King’s College Chapel.
A quick stop at Trinity College and the Trinity College Great Court,
…then back to the Backs (it was not a linear day, lots of back-and-forths), across Queen’s Road, past the Forbes Mellon Library, finally arriving at the Cambridge University Library, the largest of the 114 Cambridge University libraries. There was some sort of exhibition going on, but I didn’t find it very riveting.
U-turn, back across the Backs then into the rear gate of Clare’s College, left turn into Fellow’s Garden. Another secret I had no idea about. A hid botanical garden, shielded from most people, best described through photos. We crossed the Clare College bridge, giving us a view of Garret Hostel Bridge. We left Clare College and walked up Senate House Passage.
It all brought us back to King’s Parade, where we passed the rabble of tourists at The Corpus Clock on Bene’t Street, then walked down…up Downing Street and split our time between the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences. Both free museums filled with stuff.
Last stop was Downing College on Regent Street. There was a Cubes and Trees exhibition there, comprising some fake trees and a lot of grand buildings. some old, some new.
There was a lunch in between all of these University sights at the Cambridge Chop House. Unsurprisingly I had the lamb chops. It was good, if a little minimalist. Great day. Lots of walking done. Lots learned, with great company.
