University and Punting

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Geo: 52.2025, 0.131237

We travelled in a group of four friends and we took the train from Kings cross to Cambridge station. From the station we headed for the Fitzwilliam museum which is my favourite museum in Cambridge.

Fitzwilliam museum

Fitzwilliam museum has various Artefacts from Ancient Egypt and Sudan, Greece, Rome, Cyprus and the Ancient Near East, covering many aspects of ancient life; from the thirteenth century to the present day. The exhibits are housed on the two floors and they include armoury, ceramics, furniture and paintings. I liked the Egyptian sarcophagus collection and the ancient Greece rooms. The galleries are upstairs which have the collection of Rembrandt etchings and the works from artists like Picasso, Hogarth, Wright of Derby, Monet, Rodin and many more. The antiquities are of exceptional quality; the exhibits are well preserved and date back to 3000 BC, which is quite remarkable. I keep coming to the museum each time I am in Cambridge, my friends really enjoyed the museum and I would recommend this to any visitor to Cambridge for the wonderful example of British collections. If you need refreshments there is café and shop. The entry to the museum is free but there is a donation box just before you leave, which goes to maintaining the beautiful Artefacts.

We then strolled to the Market square which has open air stalls of flowers, fruit, clothes, sweets, records, souvenirs and arts & crafts, old bric a brac and few places which cater for cuisines from around the world. We passed some places where I had been on my previous visits so I will write about them as well; like the Round Church, the Round part of the church was built in about 1130 by the 'fraternity of the Holy Sepulchre". In England there are only four other round churches like this one. They were all built following the First Crusade in 1097, the round shape is thought to celebrate the resurrection. The Round Church is a simple but a beautiful quaint church which has a unique architecture, the round church is located in the centre of Cambridge.

Great St Mary's, the University Church

Great St Mary's is the University Church for the Cambridge; it has a minor role in the University's legislation. The church also hosts University Sermons, houses the University Organ and the University Clock. The church is located between the University Senate House and the Market Square at the north end of King's Parade. For a panoramic view of Cambridge; you can climb the 123 steps to the top of the tower for a very reasonable fee. The staircase is medieval; the stairs are narrow and steep with one way traffic so it should not be attempted by people with medical problems.

Punting at the "Backs”

On a glorious sunny day there is nothing like punting which is one of the best way to see the Backs. We went on one hour guided punt trip and it was awesome! It was so relaxing gliding on the water with a Punter who gives excellent commentary about the history of the Colleges. We went under the bridges, including the Mathematical Bridge; we saw the "The Backs" of the magnificent colleges with their amazing architecture, their lovely green grounds with willow trees swaying gently with the breeze. What a wonderful experience this is under such a beautiful setting, the punter telling us various stories in idyllic scenery. If you are fit then you can hire a boat and do the punting yourself but it is not that easy as it looks as I saw people on a passing boat struggling to keep balance and one girl fell into the river. Best way is to hire a Punter who is skilled in punting and he will be knowledgeable about the history; you can sit back, relax and enjoy floating in water peacefully and let him do the hard work. As it was summer time there were many punts on the crowded river and there can be a traffic jam but a good punter will steer you clear from the traffic. We all got off from the boat feeling very relaxed and we continued our journey toward the River Cam and walked on the first bridge, the King's Bridge, also walking by the side is also very good and we were able to see the backs of the Universities and their grounds. Then we all sat near the banks with the punts gliding by and the watching the world go by which was very peaceful. Later we walked to the park by the river and we saw the students having barbecue there.

The Bridge of sighs

The Bridge was designed by G.G.Scott in 1869, is a part of St. John's College. The bridge is a skyway joining two parts of Hertford College over New College Lane; its distinctive design makes it a city landmark. We saw the bridge while we were on a punt on the River Cam, on a sunny it gives beautiful views from both the sides; I think it looks better than the one in Venice.
The Botanic Gardens

The Botanic Garden has plant collections with beauty and diversity of colours, with ponds, large stepping stones, grounds with lovely landscape, beautiful trees and greenhouses. I liked the tropical rain forests and the orchids. The botanical centre is in centre of Cambridge near Trumping road. There is a café and bathroom facilities here.

The Kettles Yard

Kettles Yard is an interesting gallery which was the residence of Jim Ede, an ex-curator of the Tate Museum and his wife Helen. He collected the works of 20th century art and artefacts which were displayed in the house with number of cottages attached; Kettles Yard was donated to Cambridge University so students can enjoy the house and the artefacts on condition that the house and its artefacts should remain unchanged. It is unique and quaint house, the volunteers are very helpful; the exhibits are very interesting and it is only open in the afternoons.

The King's College

The King's College was founded in 1441 by Henry VI and is one of the 31 colleges in the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. King's College is formally named The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge. The King's College has an outstanding academic record and the college lies on the River Cam. The building has an example of gothic English architecture which is amazing and just its architectural grandeur is worth the visit. King's College is also world-famous for its Chapel and choir. The chapel is the most stunning part of the building. The college has well maintained gardens with the Willow trees and leads to the Kings Bridge.

The King's College's Chapel

The King's College's Chapel is a splendid example of late Gothic English architecture. It was started in 1446 by Henry VI and took over a century to build. It has the largest fan vault in the world and some of the finest medieval stained glass. It is also the venue for the Christmas Eve service. Every year on Christmas Eve the Festival is broadcast from the chapel to millions of listeners worldwide The Chapel plays a central role in College life. It was built as a place of daily worship for the College scholars and today the Choir still sings Evensong daily during term time. The chapel is the most stunning part of the Kings College and in the front court in the centre is the small statue of Henry VI, the founder of the King's College, situated in the fountain. The architecture is amazing and I really liked the ceiling and the stained glass windows.

Trinity College

Trinity College is the largest college in the university and was founded by Henry VIII in 1546. The great Gate where you enter is older than the college itself. There is £1 fee to enter the college. We walked around the courtyard which has impressive fountain and the beautiful chapel with the statues of Sir Isaac Newton and Lord Tennyson and the organ. The Wren library, which has an edited and corrected copy of Principia was closed and the Trinity College has impressive architecture and worth the tour.

The Magdalene College

Magdalene College is one of the smaller colleges within the University, numbering some 300 undergraduates and an expanding postgraduate community. It's Pepys Library is unique with a collection of 3,000 books and manuscripts put together by Samuel Pepys and bequeathed at his death to Magdalene College, where he had been a student. The admission to the college was free and we enjoyed walking through the gardens.

Clare College

Clare College is next to Kings College Chapel and is one of the smaller colleges which have less tourists then Trinity, Kings and St Johns. The Chapel here is nice but the gardens are beautiful with lovely views. The bridge over the river Cam is a nice place to overlook the gardens and the river.

The famous gardens at Clare College

The Clare gardens are the most beautiful of all the colleges with flower beds bursting with different vibrant colours, neatly trimmed hedges, green lawns and mature trees; which are all immaculately tended by the gardeners. There are benches there if you want to sit there and enjoy the tranquillity of the beautiful gardens in the middle of the bustling city. We took a stroll around the gardens observing all the different species and just walking across the bridge past the Garden is a great way to see the river and central Cambridge without some of the crowds. The gardens are however closed during the winter.

Queens' college is amongst the oldest and largest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou, the Queen of Henry VI, who founded King's College, The college spans both sides of the river Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light side" and the "dark side", with the world famous Mathematical Bridge connecting the two. It combines medieval and modern architecture in extensive gardens. It is also one of only the two colleges which buildings straddle both sides of the River Cam. Architecture of the College is really beautiful with a mix of old and new though the new is not as pretty as old. The Mathematical Bridge which is officially named the Wooden Bridge crosses the River Cam and the best photo is taken from the nearby Silver Street Bridge.

The Cambridge University is more compact than Oxford and is one of the hardest academic institutions to get into, but then the fortunate student gets to study in the stunning medieval colleges with beautiful garden grounds and views of river cam. Most tourists choose to go to Oxford due to shortage of time but Cambridge remains my favourite as the river runs right through the colleges with the beautiful Backs and it is relaxing watching the punts go by. We all enjoyed our day in Cambridge and I will be back soon as I love the atmosphere here.

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