Scotland

When people visit England they usually want to see and experience something typically “English”. This may be a visit to Buckingham Palace or the Tower of London but besides the city of London there are few cities which ooze English character more than Cambridge. Visions of wigged judges and barristers walking in strange parades and students riding bicycles along cobbled streets is what springs to many a mind when thinking of English towns and when we look at Cambridge it isn’t too far from the truth.

The most striking thing about Cambridge is the abundance of spectacular architecture, tall spires and churches. In fact between the college buildings (31 of them) of the University of Cambridge and the thirteen superb churches there are such numbers of superb architecture that many ancient buildings which would stand out in other towns across England, simply face into the background. I could go on mentioning superlatives about the quality of the buildings such is the scale of the numbers.

Most well known of all the buildings in Cambridge it is those of the various colleges, such as King’s College, that stand out the most. It is important to note that each college does not consist of merely one fine building as many have several. King’s College has the magnificent King’s College Chapel to be proud of with it’s beautiful Gothic architecture appealing to most visitors. This neo-Gothic masterpiece was designed by William Wilkins in the 1820s having been commissioned by King Henry VI of England. If you are visiting Cambridge you will be pleased to learn that it is possible to visit King’s College and a few others but they now charge a small admission fee.

Besides the wonderful colleges there are a few other places well worth visiting in Cambridge. There are a number of fine museums and galleries. Out of them all I would suggest that The Fitzwilliam Museum should be top of any visitor’s list of places to visit in Cambridge.  Home to the vast collection of Viscount Fitzwilliam which was bequeathed in 1816. The museum has benefited greatly by numerous donations over the years and it now incorporates a surprising number of private collections. My most favorite bit of the museum is in the Lower Galleries which is home to spectacular Egyptian sarcophagi and mummies as well and various items from the fifth century onwards. The Upper Galleries are mainly concerned with artistic works such as paintings and sculptures.

If you are visiting Cambridge it is important that you book your accommodation early and with this in mind here are a couple of Cambridge accommodation sites which have comprehensive listings:

Bed & Breakfast in Cambridge - http://www.bedandbreakfastdir.co.uk/uk/cambridge.php

Hotels in Cambridge – http://cambridge.hotelreservationhelper.com/