Cambridge's Hidden Gems

​Hi everybody, I hope all of our friends around the world are staying safe. In this month’s blog, for a bit of escapism, I’m going to talk about some of the spots in Cambridge that are lesser-known to tourists, but which are great to visit. You might call these places ‘hidden gems’. Hopefully you can come to Cambridge and find them for yourself soon!

1. Mill Road
​Actually not just the road, but an area of Cambridge, Mill road is often described as the cosmopolitan epicentre of our city. It’s a melting pot of different cultures, with at least 85 languages spoken in this one tiny area. Away from the grandeur of central Cambridge, you can find small merchants, greengrocers and intimate cafes, as well as bookshops and charity shops. Gentrification is less detectable in this part of the city, where independent businesses continue to flourish. If you’re lucky enough to come to Cambridge in winter, the Mill Road Winter Fair is a celebration ‘of the local talent, food and creativity’ of the Mill Road community, and it is well worth paying a visit. As well as the stalls on the street, you will find buskers, circus performers, dancers poets and storytellers to entertain the fairgoers. If you want to shop local and support small businesses the next time you are in Cambridge, as well as exciting your taste buds with a range of spices, then head to this hotspot in southeast Cambridge.

2. For a Cup of Coffee
If you want to avoid the chain coffee shops that populate the town centre, indulge yourself with some of the independent cafes that Cambridge has to offer. If you take my advice and head to Mill Road, enjoy Hot Numbers in Gwydir Street. Rumour has it it’s the only place in Cambridge to roast its own coffee beans, so it’s definitely the place to head for an authentic cup. They also hold an Arts Night on Tuesday evenings. I also recommend Sticky Beaks in Hobson Street. Not only can you get an excellent cup of coffee here, they serve fabulous homemade salads which are very popular with local residents.

3. For a Pint
If you want to sample a traditional English pint then you’re in luck. Cambridge is filled with excellent pubs such as The Cambridge Brew House, which brews its own beer, and The Punter, which is conveniently located a 5-minute walk away from our school, so you can pop there after lessons if you wish! If you want to visit more than one pub, then you should head over to King Street, known for its ‘King Street Run’, a pub crawl tradition that originated in the 1950s. The rules: have a pint in each of King Street’s 7 pubs, finishing with an 8th pint back at the first. Not something for the faint-hearted! If you want to head further afield, check out The Blue Ball in pretty village Grantchester, which lies southwest of the city. It’s the oldest pub in the village and it dates back to 1767, maintaining its traditional charm.

4. For a Cocktail
There has to be an honourable mention here for 196 Mill Road. I wonder if you’re sensing a pattern in my blog! Away from the chain bars on the city’s high streets, you can find an intriguing cocktail menu here, and the prices are generally slightly lower too. If you’re looking to celebrate in style, however, the best spot has to be the top of The Varsity Hotel, a rooftop bar with panoramic views of the city below. Try and see how many of the Cambridge landmarks you can name while sipping your drink!

5. Castle Hill
A popular spot with locals, but less-known to tourists, Castle Hill is positioned next to Cambridgeshire County Council’s offices. It’s a grassy mount that once held Cambridge’s original Iron Age fort. If you climb to the top on a sunny summer’s evening you can take in a beautiful sunset with some great views of the town centre below you.

6. Antique Books
If you want to immerse yourself fully in Cambridge’s academic atmosphere, then why not buy yourself some books to take home? The antiquarian shelves of G. David bookshop in St. Edward’s Passage are filled with rare vintage versions of famous books, where you could potentially pick up a first edition copy of your own favourite novel. If you’re in the market for something less expensive, then Oxfam Books on Sidney Street sells all kinds of second-hand books, including some rare editions, and, as it’s a charity shop, all of the money goes to a good cause.

7. Gog Magog Hills
If you fancy taking a walk after all of that shopping and drinking, I can recommend the Gog Magog Hills, a set of chalk hills southeast of Cambridge They are some of the only hills in Cambridge, which is set in the Fens, the flattest area of England! There are a few different walks you can do here, and a breath of fresh air and views of the Cambridgeshire countryside can be a welcome respite from the bustle of Cambridge city centre.

8. Chalk Pits
Another option for a walk amongst nature is to go and look at the Cherry Hinton Chalk Pits. Once upon a time these pits provided hard chalk used to build the Cambridge University colleges, and lime for cement. Nowadays, the pits now provide habitats for a variety of animals and plants. They are located 2.5 miles from the centre of Cambridge, and if you get the chance to go it’s definitely something different to do!

9. American Cemetery & Memorial, Madingley
This fan-shaped cemetery honours American servicemen who lost their lives in the battles of World War II. It is actually one of the stops on the Cambridge City Sightseeing bus tour. Inside its Memorial Building you can see a mosaic ceiling, stained-glass windows which commemorate every US state and a map that details the Battle of the Atlantic and air campaign fought in the skies over Europe. As well as being a place of commemoration, the site is truly beautiful, set on a gentle slope that offers scenes of Ely Cathedral over 17 miles away.

10. The Polar Museum
​There are lots of brilliant museums in Cambridge, but one that is often overlooked is the Scott Polar. Positioned just off the sprawling Hills Road, it is a fascinating library and archive dedicated to the history of Arctic and Antarctic exploration. The Institute was created in memory of polar explorer Robert Falcon Scott, who unfortunately died in Antarctica in 1912 when he attempted to reach the South Pole, only to find that it had been reached by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen just days earlier. To find out more about Scott and other polar missions it is well worth paying a visit to this small museum.

I hope this post has made you optimistic about joining us in Cambridge in the future, and given you some suggestions of out of the ordinary things to do here. Until then, stay home, stay safe! 

Allegra Goodwin, Student Experience Manager