Hidden Histories and Remarkable Rivalries: A Cambridge Walking Tour

Embark on an enchanting journey through the charming cobbled streets of Cambridge. On this walking tour, you‘ll see the university‘s iconic colleges and hear its rich history. Led by a Cambridge University graduate and expert tour guide brimming with historical anecdotes, you‘ll be immersed in the captivating tales of rivalry and discovery that has shaped this world-famous institution.

Starting on King‘s Parade, in front of King‘s College gate, you‘ll traverse the university‘s storied grounds, past Corpus Christi College, Queen‘s College, St John‘s College and Sidney Sussex College to name a few. Along the way, you‘ll hear about past scholars and visionaries and get a glimpse into the academic fervour that defines Cambridge. You‘ll see Mill Pond, walk along the Backs and King‘s Park, and promenade along Jesus Green at Michaelhouse Cafe where our tour ends. Along the way, you‘ll hear of the most lied-about bridge in Cambridge, the Mathematical Bridge, and about rivalries that fuel the university‘s competitive spirit. I‘ll tell you about the rivalry between St John‘s and Trinity College, the local upper and lower class, and between Cambridge and Oxford. From the grandeur of King‘s College Chapel‘s soaring spires to the characterful passageways past Trinity College, each stop unveils a different side of the esteemed institution.

On this Cambridge walking tour, you‘ll have a chance to:

• Marvel at the 1,000 year-old St Bene‘t‘s Church
• Stroll along the picturesque river by Magdalene College, where scholars have sought inspiration for generations
• Find out why another name has been scratched into the plaque commemorating Crick and Watson‘s discovery of the double helix, the two threads of DNA
• Take in Newton‘s Apple Tree which was grafted from the tree that inspired the discovery of gravity in 1665
• See some of the 600 decorative flowers in the pavement along Bridge Street
• Discover why Trinity College is so much richer than the other colleges
• Learn how to read the Corpus Clock that‘s only correct every five minutes
• Spot the gargoyle under Magdalene Bridge that was commissioned in the likeness of Elizabethan banker, Benedict Spinola, as revenge
• Pop into Eagle pub, Jack‘s Gelato, or Michaelhouse Cafe for some refreshments
• Walk past the over 900-year-old Round Church which was built by the Normans who arrived in Britain with William the Conqueror

Join me in tracing paths that have witnessed centuries of unrelenting rivalry, and bring the essence of Cambridge‘s colleges to life.