Is Cambridge a nice place to live? Discover Cambridge
Discover Cambridge- Cambridge is rich in history - its famous Colleges and University buildings have been founded by kings, queens bishops, nobles, guilds and rich widows and have attracted The cities affluent connections allowed the colleges to use the best architects. Find out what you can do and see in Cambridge with airGads.com and then book flights, car rental and hotels in England using our site's easy system.
The University of Cambridge, after London is arguably the most famous of English cities, notably for its prestigious university, which has drawn visitors for from far and wide for hundreds of years. Though brimming with antiquity Cambridge is a forward thinking, thriving city with a bustling market at its centre and a vibrant community, attracting many academic and artistic figures.
In summer, there is a lively student vibe with many gathering around the Mill Pond overlooked by Darwin College and Silver Street Bridge. It has been described as one of the most beautiful cities in Britain although there is an ongoing debate over which of the two university cities is best and most beautiful. There is a fierce rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge and their universities and it is a sentiment which is cemented by the annual Boat Race, held between the two cities university rowers in spring.
King's College Chapel has become an architectural landmark and symbol of such heritage with its soaring windows and fan vaults. Peterhouse is Cambridge's oldest college founded by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely, in 1284. Trinity Hall, Corpus, Christi Clare, Pembroke and Gonville, were established in the first half of the fourteenth century. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries King's, Queens', Christ's, Jesus, St. John's, and Emmanuel were founded.
The colleges and university buildings comprise the centre of the city - Cambridge does not have a campus. The best known section of the Cam is the Backs, which combines lush grass-covered banks and river scenery with superb views of six colleges, including King's College Chapel. Cambridge is a city of prominent academics, drawing scholars from around the world to its University libraries. It owns a prestigious publishing firm; it is the leading centre for astronomy and also has a world-renowned examination syndicat.
Rupert Brooke, English Poet, 1913
In 1906, Rupert Brooke gained entry to King's College as a scholar, where he grew his reputation as an academic, campaigner and aesthete and subsequently became an eminent poet. During his time at King's College, he became enormously popular in literary circles; W. B. Yeats remarked that he was "The most handsome man in England".
He was enlisted in 1915 to serve in World War One and died from a blood infection, but his literary friends were quick to establish him as one of the great poet-soldiers, hailing him as the fallen "golden warrior". Rupert Brooke, is perhaps best known for his war poetry, in particular for WW1 poem 'The Soldier' which starts:-
"If I should die, think only this of me: That there's some corner of a foreign field That is for ever England"...
Many literary pieces have been uncovered describing his fondness for Cambridge, one quoting him as having said: "My address will always be King's College, Cambridge".
5 Best Places to Visit in Cambridge (England):
Cambridge is a very activity/ fitness conscious city with a wealth of sporting and leisure facilities on offer. A prodominent symbol of Cambridge is the humble bicycle, hundreds of which you will see tethered to every available railing! Cambridge is a cyclist's haven and its hundreds of cyclists are a defining element and are as much a part of the tradition as the university itself!
There are excellent cycling routes and the surrounding countryside is also more varied in terms of the flat topography which is so typical of Cambridge. You will find that you are spoilt for choice when it comes to cycle shops, so many of which offer cycles for hire.
It is easy to see why it is so popular, not just as a spectator watching the many who lose the balance and fall into the water, but it is also wonderful way to explore the waterway as it meanders upstream through open meadows to the beautiful village of Grantchester.
1. The King's College Choir
2. tennis courts
There is also a number of tennis courts open to the public, many free of charge most located on the many wide and open green parks scattered across the city. Parkers Piece, Midsummer Common and Jesus Green are the parks most worth a visit.
If the thought of manoeuvring a punt brings on thoughts of trepidation, then let an expert do all the hard work on a chauffeur punt - just sit back and watch the awe-inspiring college architecture glide by.
3. Cozy tea shops
If after all this exertion you need to recharge there are also numerous cosy teashops serving cream teas adding to the wonderful olde worlde atmosphere which permeates this special city.
4. Kettle's Yard
Kettle's Yard is a gallery with a house attached to it, offering frequently changing contemporary art exhibitions. The house was founded by Jim Ede, a former curator at the Tate Gallery in London as a place where visitors would 'find a home and a welcome, a refuge of peace and order, of the visual arts and of music.' The period house has been modernised and is bright and spacious with a library and carefully obscure art sculptures and paintings placed amid ceramics, glass and furnishings. Kettles Yard House is a special place and its tranquil surroundings make it somewhat of a sanctuary for relaxation.
5. The Fitzwilliam Museum
The Fitzwilliam Museum is part of the University of Cambridge and is definitely worth a visit. It houses an outstanding range of art and artefacts with collection from all around the world, many of great national and international importance.