We travelled to Cambridge with our 12-year-old Kidsetter. I had never been before and everything I’d ever heard about Cambridge was true, it is breathtakingly beautiful. I instantly feel inlove with this city.
Cambridge was a prosperous market town situated 80 kilometres north of London and didn’t officially become a city until 1951.
A web of cobbled streets winds through the city, hosting a great selection of traditional stores and eateries.
Cambridge has often been called Britain’s Cycle City as the bicycle remains the favoured method of getting around. One in four city residents cycle to work, the highest level of cycling in the country. A very high proportion of the city’s 43,000 students hop into the saddle to get to their lectures and tutorials.
Cambridge University contains 31 colleges, impressive in its own right even before you consider some of the world-renowned scholars who have walked it’s grounds. Many of the colleges were founded by famous faces. The most notable is arguably Henry VIII, who founded Trinity College in 1546.
I had always wanted to experience ‘Punting’. Our Kidsetter constantly asked ‘What is Punting?’ I kept it a surprise until we arrived on location. There are several punting spots in the UK, but the most renowned among them is the punting in Cambridge. The reasons include the numerous scenic locations at every corner of the journey.
The sheer beauty and vibrant ecosystem that you experience through this trip are truly amazing.
There is more to punting in Cambridge while admiring the breath-taking greenery. Punting is a storytelling experience, our chauffeur was very knowledgeable about the history of Cambridge. Our Kidsetter was enthralled.
The River Cam is the main river flowing through Cambridge in eastern England. In total, the Cam runs for around 69 kilometres.
The little boats or ‘Punts’, were built in medieval times to row in shallow water. Cambridge has marshy flatlands that the locals lived near to take advantage of hunting ducks, eel fishing, and transporting cargo until the nineteenth century.
In the 14th century it was recorded as a full day’s journey between Cambridge and London, which suggests that traffic and trade was frequent and abundant.
Punts became a recreational mode of transport in Cambridge at the beginning of the 20th century as it is a wonderful way to do sightseeing from the waterways around Cambridge.
Travelling upstream we were able to see some of the world-famous wonders along the Cam such as;
King College Chapel – The largest stone vaulted chapel in the world.
Mathematical Bridge – An epic geometrical marvel built by James Essex in the shape of an arc. But interestingly, the timbers used to construct the bridge consist only of straight timbers.
Bridge of Sighs – Officially known as the Hertford Bridge.
After a wonderfully relaxing punting tour we had worked up an appetite. We meet up with family friends at the Cambridge Chop House which is in the heart of Cambridge. A building packed with history and charm, The Cambridge Chop House is spread over 2 floors with atmospheric cellars and a large glass fronted corner location. The meal was delicious and the company was even better !
In a city crammed with showstopping buildings, King’s College is a scene-stealer. Grandiose 16th-century King’s College Chapel is one of England’s most extraordinary examples of Gothic architecture.
It’s inspirational, intricate 80m-long fan-vaulted ceiling is the world’s largest and soars upwards before exploding into a series of stone fireworks.
This hugely atmospheric space is a fitting stage for the chapel’s world-famous choir, which we heard at a magnificent evensong.
Afterwards, our Kidsetter had fun making videos pretending he was off to college here.
After a pleasurable day it was time dinner at the historic pub ‘The Eagle’. We met two wonderful American pilots named Andrew and Stephen, fitting given the pubs history with WW2 RAF pilots who drank here leaving behind hundreds of wall messages in the hope they were never forgotten. Andrew and Stephen were great company and had us in fits of laughter.
Cambridge is a bustling city with history and beauty at every turn, Kidsetters alike will adore this iconic city.
