Cambridge

[Updated with photos]

After two previous plans we finally decided to visit Cambridge. Its a town I am fond of - having spent many weeks there on business. I find Cambridge more vibrant than its cousin (probably more accurately described as rival) Oxford.

We'd variously heard that the journey would take upwards of three hours. Google maps suggested two hours but we were relying on the M25 which can be very slow if there is any problem. What the heck - we decided to take a punt (sorry for the pun!)

Departing about 9:30am we headed east on the M4 to the M25; then north on the orbital until we hit the M11. From there its pretty well north until Cambridge. Based on our experience in Bath we decided to use the Park & Ride. The signage is execellent and we parked at Trumpington. The facility is wonderful with plenty of free parking and a bus service that makes the trip into town every 10 minutes. All up travel time was about 2 hours.

It rained on the way up but fortunately cleared as we boarded the bus. Regardless we came reasonably prepared; with coats and umbrellas.

We were dropped off at the Cambridge bus station and made our way towards the Tourist Information Centre. Despite have printed some maps I found I was completely disoriented. I think from time to time my southern hemisphere navigation kicks in and I swear everything is back to front. Fortunately Merrilyn was clued in and she lead the way. We passed through a market that we were to later learn has been at that spot in Cambridge for the past 700 years.

We booked ourselves in to a two hour walking tour due to leave at 1:30pm. With a little over an hour to kill, and with the weather still inclement, we headed to a Starbucks for coffee and sandwiches. We found a table and it was pleasant to not feel in a rush to do some sight seeing. One of the benefits of visiting such places when you're actually not on holiday.

After a feed I took Merrilyn to a few of the places I'd been when on business. Particularly a lovely open field called Parker's Piece and the Gonville Hotel opposite.

At 1:30pm we joined our walking tour that focused on a few of the historic colleges and a visit to Kings Chapel.

One of the first stops was the Eagle hotel. Apparently this is one of the oldest watering holes having been a medieval pub. It has a rich history, with some notable points in the recent past. One being a popular place for American pilots during the Second World War. And another as the establishment (actually the smoking bar) where on February 28th 1953 Francis Crick and James Watson first announced their discovery of how DNA carries genetic information.

The pub is located very near to the Cavendish Laboratory. We visit this famed physics lab where we learnt that it was founded in 1871 with the appointment of James Clerk Maxwell as the first Cavendish Professor. [Maxwell developed the relationship between electricity and magnetism that - arguably - was a major precursor to Einstein's E=mc2]. Its also been the home of 29 Nobel Prize winners and J.J. Thomson who discovered the electron.

Anyway - I found it interesting. From the Cavendish Lab we moved on to a number of churches and some interesting landmarks delineating the medieval boundary of the Cambridge. Towards the end of the tour we arrived at King's College. I've always wanted to visit the Chapel. This time I got my chance. It took over a century to construct with work occurring in the 15th century. It was interrupted by the War of the Roses and inside there are many references to the Tudors. Inside there is a wonderful vaulted ceiling and a oak screen that divide the space in two. This screen, which houses the organ, was a gift of Henry VIII and bears his initials together with those of Anne Boleyn. This dates the screen to between 1533 and 1536.

The magnificent stained glass windows combine scenes from both the old and new testaments. At the alter is the painting on oak of "the Adoration of the Magi" painted by Rubens in 1634. There are even traces of graffiti on the walls dating back to the English Civil Wars (circa 1650). These include a horse with large plumage and a knight.

After the walking tour concluded we made our way to the Cam river and watched the punts drift by. We finished off the day with a coffee and another bus ride back to the car. James was exhausted and slept all the way home.

Our Cambridge photos are here.