WINDSOR & CAMBRIDGE
Cambridge Town and College Walk
Map: Cambridge Town & College Walk
Windsor and Cambridge are two very different but equally enjoyable day-trip possibilities near London.
The primary residence of the late Queen Elizabeth II, Windsor hosts a castle that’s regally lived-in, yet open to the public. This is simply a charming town that offers relaxation—and its proximity to Heathrow Airport (60 minutes by train west of London) makes Windsor easy to combine with a flight into or out of London. Nearby is an oddball collection of intriguing sights, including Legoland Windsor, Eton College (Britain’s most elite high school), Ascot Racecourse (for horse racing), and Highclere Castle, where Downton Abbey was filmed.
North of London, Britain’s venerable University of Cambridge is mixed into the delightful town of Cambridge, which offers a mellow, fun-to-explore townscape with a big-league university.
GETTING AROUND
By Train: If day-tripping from London, take advantage of BritRail’s discounts. The “off-peak day return” ticket is a round-trip fare that costs virtually the same as one-way, provided you depart London outside rush hour (usually after 9:30 on weekdays and anytime Sat-Sun). Be sure to get the “day return” ticket (round-trip within a single day) rather than the more expensive, standard “return” ticket. You can also save a little money if you purchase tickets before 18:00 the day before your trip.
By Train Tour: London Walks offers a variety of “Daytrips from London” tours year-round by train, including a Cambridge itinerary (see here).
Windsor
Windsor, a compact and easy walking town of about 30,000 people, grew up around the royal residence. In 1070, William the Conqueror continued his habit of kicking Saxons out of their various settlements, taking over what the locals called “Windlesora” (meaning “riverbank with a hoisting winch”)—which eventually became “Windsor.” William built the first fortified castle on a chalk hill above the Thames; later kings added on to his early designs, rebuilding and expanding the castle and surrounding gardens.
By setting up their primary residence here, modern monarchs increased Windsor’s popularity and prosperity—most notably, Queen Victoria, whose stern statue glares at you as you approach the castle. After her death, Victoria rejoined her beloved husband, Albert, in the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore House, a mile south of the castle in a private section of the Home Park (house and mausoleum rarely open). Within the grounds of Frogmore House is Frogmore Cottage—the former home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The late Queen Elizabeth II considered Windsor her primary residence. You can tell if the monarch is in residence by which flag is flying above the round tower: If it’s the royal standard (a red, yellow, and blue flag) instead of the Union Jack, the King is in.
While 99 percent of visitors just come to tour the castle and go, some enjoy spending the night. Daytime crowds trample Windsor’s charm, which is most evident when the tourists are gone. Consider overnighting here—parking and access to Heathrow Airport are easy, and an evening at the horse races (on Mondays) is hoof-pounding, heart-thumping fun.
GETTING TO WINDSOR
By Train: Windsor has two train stations—Windsor & Eton Central and Windsor & Eton Riverside. London’s Paddington Station connects with Windsor & Eton Central (2-3/hour, 35 minutes, easy change at Slough—typically just across the platform, www.gwr.com). London’s Waterloo Station connects with Windsor & Eton Riverside (2/hour, no changes but slower, 1 hour, www.nationalrail.co.uk). Either trip costs about £11 one-way (a few pounds more for same-day return).
By Bus: Green Line bus #702 runs—very sloooowly—from London’s Victoria Colonnades (between the Victoria train and coach stations) to the Parish Church stop on Windsor’s High Street, before continuing on to Legoland (1-2/hour, 1.5 hours to Windsor, from £7 one-way, +44 118 959 4000, www.reading-buses.co.uk).
By Car: Windsor is about 20 miles from London. The town (and then the castle and Legoland) is well signposted from the M-4 motorway. It’s a convenient first stop if you’re arriving at Heathrow and renting a car there.
From Heathrow Airport: The two public transit options are around £13 each. The train requires two changes (first take the Heathrow Express to Hayes & Harlington station, transfer to a train to Slough, then transfer again to Windsor, 50 minutes total). Or take First Bus Company’s bus #8 or #9 from Terminal 5 (2/hour, 1 hour). London black cabs can (and do) charge whatever they like from Heathrow to Windsor; avoid them by calling a local cab company, such as Windsor Cars (£20-27, 25 minutes, +44 1753 677 677, www.windsorcars.com).
Orientation to Windsor
Windsor’s pleasant pedestrian shopping zone litters the approach to its famous palace with fun temptations. You’ll find most shops and restaurants around the castle on High and Thames streets, and down the pedestrian Peascod Street (PESS-cot), which runs perpendicular to High Street.
TOURIST INFORMATION
The TI is in the Windsor Guildhall, to the right as you face the Queen Victoria statue in front of the castle (Wed-Sun 10:00-16:00, closed Mon-Tue, sells discount Legoland tickets; High Street, +44 1753 743 900, www.windsor.gov.uk).
ARRIVAL IN WINDSOR
By Train: At whichever train station you arrive, you’re only a five-minute walk to the castle. From Windsor & Eton Central, walk through the Windsor Royal Shopping Centre and up the hill to the castle. From Windsor & Eton Riverside, you’ll see the castle as you exit—just follow the wall up and around to the ticket office.
By Car: Follow signs from the M-4 motorway for pay parking in the center. River Street Car Park is closest to the castle, but is pricey and often full. The cheaper, bigger Alexandra Car Park (near the riverside Alexandra Gardens) is farther west, just below the central train station (find the stairs up to the station platform, and exit into the Windsor Royal Shopping Centre). The cheapest parking option is the King Edward VII Avenue car-park-and-ride, northeast of the castle on the B-470 (includes shuttle bus into town).
HELPFUL HINTS
Supermarkets: Pick up picnic supplies at Marks & Spencer (on the pedestrian shopping street near the Windsor & Eton Central, at 130 Peascod Street) or at Waitrose (bigger but a bit farther, buried in the King Edward Court Shopping Centre behind the station). Just outside the castle, you’ll find long benches near the statue of Queen Victoria—great for people-watching while you munch.
Hiking and Biking: Windsor and Eton occupy a lovely area on the Thames that’s ideal for a pleasant walk or bike ride—get suggestions at the TI. You can rent bikes at Extreme Motion, near the river in Alexandra Gardens (summer daily 10:00-18:00, Sat-Sun only off-season, +44 1753 830 220).
Sights in Windsor
Windsor and Royal Borough Museum
WINDSOR CASTLE
Windsor Castle, the official home of England’s royal family for 900 years and worth ▲▲, claims to be the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world. Thankfully, touring it is simple. You’ll see sprawling grounds, lavish staterooms, a crowd-pleasing dollhouse, and an exquisite Perpendicular Gothic chapel. Allow at least two hours for a complete visit.
Cost: £28 when purchased in advance, £30 same-day tickets might sell out, ticket includes entry to castle grounds and all exhibits inside.
Hours: Grounds and most interiors open Thu-Mon 10:00-17:15, Nov-Feb until 16:15, closed Tue-Wed except St. George’s Chapel, which is closed Sun to tourists (but open to worshippers; wait at the exit gate to be escorted in). Last entry to grounds and St. George’s Chapel is 1.25 hours before closing.
Information: +44 303 123 7304, www.rct.uk.
Advance Tickets Recommended: Avoid the ticket line and guarantee you’ll get in by purchasing tickets in advance at www.rct.uk (keep the ticket on your phone, print it in advance, or collect it at the prepaid ticket window). It’s also possible to buy tickets in person at the Buckingham Palace ticket office in London. (Once in Windsor, you can only buy tickets in person at the castle, and only for same-day entry, which can sell out.)
Crowd Control: Ticket and security lines can be quite long in summer. You can expect the worst crowds from opening until 13:00 any time of year, with especially long lines inside the castle at the entrances to the State Apartments and Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. To avoid the wait and experience these rooms without crowds, visit them while everyone else is off watching the Changing of the Guard (see schedule below).
Possible Closures: Should the King be here entertaining guests, the State Apartments close (and ticket prices are slightly reduced). Sometimes the entire castle closes. It’s smart to call ahead or check the website (especially in mid-June) to make sure everything is open when you want to go. While you’re at it, confirm the Changing of the Guard schedule.
Tours: An included multimedia guide covers both the grounds and interiors. The official £5.95 guidebook is full of gorgeous images and makes a fine souvenir but adds no information beyond what is covered in the audioguide and tour.
Changing of the Guard: The Changing of the Guard usually takes place Tue, Thu, and Sat at 11:00 (confirm schedule on website; canceled in very bad weather). The fresh guards, led by a marching band, leave their barracks on Sheet Street and march up High Street, hanging a right at Castle Hill, then a left into the castle’s Lower Ward, arriving at about 11:00. After about a half-hour, the tired guards march back the way the new ones came. If you want to view the ceremony from inside the castle, it’s smart to arrive as early as possible (no later than 10:30 on quiet days) to have time to buy tickets, clear security, and stake out a spot with a clear view. If you arrive late, you could just wait for them to march by on High Street or on the lower half of Castle Hill.
Evensong: An evensong takes place in the chapel nightly at 17:15 (free for worshippers, line up at exit gate to be admitted).
Best View: While you can get great views of the castle from any direction, the classic views are from the wooded avenue called the Long Walk, which stretches south of the palace and is open to the public.
Eating: The $ Undercroft Café, on the ground floor below St. George’s Hall, serves sandwiches, wraps, salads, teas, sweets, and ice cream under medieval arches.
Self-Guided Tour
After buying your ticket and going through security, start strolling along the path through...
1 The Grounds
Head up the hill, enjoying the first of many fine castle views you’ll see today. The tower-topped conical hill on your left represents the historical core of the castle. William the Conqueror began building this motte (artificial mound) and bailey (fortified stockade surrounding it) around 1070—one of his first castles in England. Among the later monarchs who spiffed up Windsor were Edward III (flush with French war booty, he made it a palace fit for a 14th-century king), Charles II (determined to restore the monarchy properly in the 1660s), and George IV (Britain’s “Bling King,” who financed many such vanity projects in the 1820s). On your right, the circular bandstand platform has a seal of the Order of the Garter, which has important ties to Windsor (see sidebar). This is where free guided tours depart (look for the posted schedule).
Passing through the small gate, approach the stately St. George’s Gate. Peek through here to the Upper Ward’s Quadrangle, which is surrounded by the State Apartments (across the field) and the private apartments (to the right).
Turn left and follow the wall. Step into the long exhibit, where you’ll pick up your multimedia guide. Take a few minutes to walk through this room that traces the history of the castle, including models of how the structure evolved over time and illustrations of St. George’s Hall in different historical periods.
Back outside, continue up the path. On your right-hand side, you enjoy great views of the Round Tower atop that original motte; running around the base of this artificial hill is the delightful, peaceful garden of the castle governor. The unusual design of this castle has not one “bailey” (castle yard), but three, which today make up Windsor’s Upper Ward (where Queen Elizabeth II once lived, which you just saw), Middle Ward (the ecclesiastical heart of the complex, with St. George’s Chapel, which you’ll soon pass on the left), and Lower Ward (residences for castle workers).
Continue all the way around this mini moat to the Norman Gate, which once held a prison. Carry on past the gate for even finer views of the Quadrangle.
Do a 180 and head back toward the Norman Gate, but before you reach it, go down the staircase on the right. You’ll emerge onto the fine north terrace overlooking the flat lands all around. It’s easy to understand why this was a strategic place to build a castle. That’s Eton College across the Thames. Imagine how handy it’s been for royals to be able to ship off their teenagers to an elite prep school so close they could easily keep an eye on them...literally. The power-plant cooling towers in the distance mark the workaday burg of Slough (rhymes with “plow,” immortalized as the setting for Britain’s original version of The Office).
• Note that this area may be under construction during your visit, as part of a years-long renovation. Some items mentioned in the next part of the tour may be closed, and you may visit things in a different order than described.
Turn right and wander along the terrace. You’ll likely see two lines. The long one leads to Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, then to the State Apartments. The shorter line skips the dollhouse and heads directly to the apartments. Read the following descriptions and decide if the dollhouse is worth the wait (or try to visit during the Changing of the Guard or later in the day, when the line sometimes eases up).
2 Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House
This palace in miniature (1:12 scale, from 1924) is “the most famous dollhouse in the world.” It was a gift for the adult Queen Mary (Queen Elizabeth II’s grandmother), who greatly enjoyed miniatures. It’s basically one big, dimly lit room with the large dollhouse in the middle, executed with an astonishing level of detail. Each fork, knife, and spoon on the expertly set banquet table is perfect and made of real silver—and the tiny pipes of its plumbing system actually have running water. But you’re kept a few feet away by a glass wall, and constantly jostled by fellow sightseers in this crowded space, making it difficult to fully appreciate. Unless you’re a dollhouse devotee, it’s not worth waiting a half-hour for a five-minute peek, but if the line is short it’s worth a look.
3 State Apartments
Dripping with chandeliers, finely furnished, and strewn with history and the art of a long line of kings and queens, they’re the best I’ve seen in Britain. This is where Henry VIII and Charles I once lived, and where Queen Elizabeth II wowed visiting dignitaries. Remember to take advantage of the talkative docents in each room, who are happy to answer your questions.
You’ll start by climbing the Grand Staircase up to the peach-colored Grand Vestibule, where you’ll find exotic items gifted to British monarchs by various visitors over the past 200 years.
In the next room, the magnificent wood-ceilinged Waterloo Chamber is wallpapered with portraits of figures from the pan-European alliance that defeated Napoleon. Find General Wellington (high on the far wall, in red), who outmaneuvered him at Waterloo, and Pope Pius VII (right wall, in red and white), whom Napoleon befriended...then imprisoned.
From here you might step into the Garter Throne Room, which is where new members of the prestigious Order of the Garter are invested (ceremonially granted their titles; for details see the sidebar, earlier).
Next is the Grand Reception Room. Near the window is a large malachite urn, presented to Queen Victoria in 1839 by Czar Nicholas I of Russia. It’s one of the few items that survived a fire here in 1992.
A highlight is St. George’s Hall, decorated with emblems representing the knights of the Order of the Garter. This is the site of some of the most elaborate royal banquets—imagine one long table stretching from one end of the hall to the other and seating 160 VIPs. At the end of the hall, at the top, notice St. George himself slaying the dragon. This is also where you enter the Queen’s Guard Chamber, with more weapons and busts of English war heroes, from Nelson to Marlborough to Churchill. In the far-left corner, look for the bullet that killed Lord Nelson at Trafalgar.
At some point, you’ll pass through a series of living rooms—bedchambers, dressing rooms, and drawing rooms of the king and queen (who traditionally maintained separate quarters). Many rooms are decorated with canvases by Rubens, Van Dyck, and Holbein. You may also tour some rooms that were restored after the 1992 fire, including the “Semi-State Apartments.”
On your way out, you might pass through the China Museum, featuring exquisite settings that were used at royal shindigs.
• Exiting the State Apartments, you’ll head through the gift shop and pass by the Undercroft Café. You’ll find yourself in the courtyard behind the Norman Gate. You have one more major sight to see. Head out through the gate and bear left/downhill (or follow signs) to find...
4 St. George’s Chapel
This church housing numerous royal tombs, most recently that of Queen Elizabeth II, is an exquisite example of the Perpendicular Gothic style (dating from about 1500). Enter at the bottom end, and circle the interior clockwise, finding these highlights:
Stand at the back and look down the nave, with its classic fan-vaulting spreading out from each slender pillar and nearly every joint capped with an elaborate and colorful roof boss. Most of these emblems are associated with the Knights of the Garter, who consider St. George’s their “mother church.” Under the upper stained-glass windows, notice the continuous frieze of 250 angels, lovingly carved with great detail, ringing the church.
In the back-left corner, take in the melodramatic monument to Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of King George IV. Heir to the throne, her death in 1817 (at 21, in childbirth) devastated the nation.
Head up the left side of the nave and find the simple chapel (just past the wooden gate) containing the tombs of Queen Elizabeth II; her husband, Prince Philip; and her parents, King George VI and the “Queen Mum” Elizabeth. Don’t expect to be alone here—crowds gather to see the black ledger stone inscribed with the four royal names—but there’s usually enough time for a quick peek before staff will tell you to move along. The tomb also contains the ashes of Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister, Princess Margaret (see the marble slab against the wall).
Farther up the aisle is the tomb of Edward IV (past the door into the choir), who expanded St. George’s Chapel. Stepping into the choir area, you’re immediately aware that you are in the inner sanctum of the Order of the Garter. The banners lining the nave represent the knights, as do the fancy helmets and half-drawn swords topping the spire of each wood-carved seat. These symbols honor only living knights; on the seats are some 800 golden panels memorializing departed knights. Under your feet lies the Royal Vault, burial spot of Mad King George III (nemesis of American revolutionaries). Strolling farther up the aisle, notice the marker in the floor: You’re walking over the burial site of King Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Henry’s favorite wife (perhaps because she was the only one who died before he could behead her). The body of King Charles I, who was beheaded by Oliver Cromwell’s forces at the Banqueting House, was also discovered here...with its head sewn back on.
Exiting the choir area at the far end, loop around to the left and head to the back of the church. Leaving the church proper in the far corner, you’ll pass the gift shop. On your way out, pause at the door of the sumptuous 13th-century Albert Memorial Chapel, redecorated in 1861 after the death of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, and dedicated to his memory.
• After exiting the chapel, you come into the castle’s...
5 Lower Ward
This area is a living town where some 160 people who work for the monarchy reside; they include clergy, military, and castle administrators. Just below the chapel, you may be able to enter a tranquil little horseshoe-shaped courtyard ringed with residential doorways—all of them with a spectacular view of the chapel’s grand entrance.
MORE SIGHTS IN WINDSOR
Legoland Windsor
Paradise for Legomaniacs, this huge, kid-pleasing park has dozens of tame but fun rides (often with very long lines) scattered throughout its 150 acres. The impressive Miniland has 40 million Lego pieces glued together to create 800 tiny buildings and a mini tour of Europe. Several of the more exciting rides involve getting wet, so dress accordingly or buy a cheap disposable poncho in the gift shop. While you may be tempted to hop on the Hill Train at the entrance, it’s faster and more convenient to walk down into the park.
Cost: £66 but varies by day, significant savings when booked online a week or more in advance, free for kids under three feet tall (90 cm), optional “Reserve & Ride” app allows you to bypass lines (£35-70 depending on when you go and how much time you want to save).
Hours: Check website for current schedule; generally Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, until 18:00 in summer and on Sat-Sun; often closed Tue-Wed outside of summer; closed in winter except for school holidays; +44 1753 626 416, www.legoland.co.uk.
Getting There: A £5 round-trip shuttle bus (#702 & #703) runs from the Parish Church stop on High Street (3/hour). If day-tripping from London, ask about rail/shuttle/park admission deals from Paddington or Waterloo train stations. For drivers, the park is on the B-3022 Windsor/Ascot road, two miles southwest of Windsor and 25 miles west of London. Legoland is clearly signposted from the M-3, M-4, and M-25 motorways (easy paid parking).
Britain’s longest-serving monarch was known for her winning smile, ever-present corgis, and sly sense of humor, but was best defined by one trait: an unwavering devotion to duty.
Born a relatively minor princess (the great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria), young “Lilibet” was thrust into the spotlight at age 10 when her uncle abdicated the crown, putting her next in line. By 25 she was queen, inheriting a nation decimated by World War II and the loss of its colonial empire.
Elizabeth immediately began shoring up the Commonwealth—flying to far-off continents to shake hands with Maori chieftains and have tea with locals. At home, she dutifully assumed the politically powerless but symbolic role of constitutional monarch: cutting ribbons, laying wreaths, and giving upbeat holiday greetings on TV. She also produced heirs to the throne, while guiding her often wayward family through marriages, divorces, and sex scandals.
Over her 70-year reign, Elizabeth rubbed shoulders with everyone from Churchill to Thatcher, Truman to Biden, and Sinatra to Gaga, and saw technology evolve from typewriters to TikTok. She was a steady keel as Britain reinvented itself from global superpower to small but vital nation.
In the new millennium, Elizabeth playfully welcomed the world to London’s Olympic Games alongside James Bond (Daniel Craig). By now a pop icon, the Queen found her life portrayed in books, movies, and on TV. Through the Great Recession, a tumultuous Brexit, and her battle with Covid—at age 95—she kept calm and carried on.
Just months after her 70-year Jubilee, Elizabeth unexpectedly passed. Her pomp-pumped funeral put many of Britain’s great sights in the global spotlight. Her official funeral was in the 1,000-year-old Westminster Abbey—the same place she’d been crowned and married. Finally, at Windsor Castle, she was buried alongside her beloved husband, Prince Philip.
The only monarch most Brits had ever known was gone. But she’d guided the nation from the ashes of an old century to the promise of a new one. As Elizabeth’s son Charles was crowned, a new era began: “God Save the King!”
Eton College
Across the bridge from Windsor Castle is the most famous “public” (the equivalent of our “private”) high school in Britain. Eton was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI; today it educates about 1,300 boys (ages 13-18), who live on campus. Eton has molded the characters of 19 prime ministers as well as members of the royal family—most recently princes William and Harry. Sparse on actual sights, the college is officially closed to visitors except via guided tour, where you may get a glimpse of the schoolyard, chapel, and cloisters (for tour information visit www.etoncollege.com or call +44 1753 370 100). You can, however, visit the Museum of Eton Life and learn about 600 years of school traditions (free, Sat-Sun only 14:30-17:00, access from Baldwin’s Shore Road, +44 1753 370 590).
Eton High Street
Even if you’re not touring the college, it’s worth the few minutes it takes to cross the pedestrian bridge and wander straight up Eton’s High Street. A bit more cutesy and authentic-feeling than Windsor (which is given over to shopping malls and chain stores), Eton has a charm that’s fun to sample.
Windsor and Royal Borough Museum
Tucked into one room beneath the Guildhall (where then-Prince Charles married Camilla), this little museum does its best to give some insight into the history of Windsor and the surrounding area. They also have lots of special activities for kids. Ask at the desk whether tours are running to the Guildhall itself (visits only possible with a guide, leave sporadically, about 20-30 minutes); if not, it’s probably not worth the admission—you can see most of the museum with a sweep of your head from the door.
Cost and Hours: Free, Wed-Sun 10:00-16:00, closed Mon-Tue, in the Guildhall on High Street, +44 1628 685 686, www.rbwm.gov.uk [URL inactive].
Boat Trips
Cruise up and down the River Thames for classic views of the castle, the village of Eton, Eton College, and the Royal Windsor Racecourse. Boats leave from the riverside promenade adjacent to Barry Avenue, and run from early spring through late fall.
Cost and Hours: 40-minute tour—£21, 1-2/hour daily 10:00-17:00; 2-hour tour—£20, 1-2/day; +44 1753 851 900, www.frenchbrothers.co.uk.
Horse Racing
The horses race every Monday at the Royal Windsor Racecourse (£27 entry, online discounts, under age 18 free with an adult, April-Oct except no races in Sept, off the A-308 between Windsor and Maidenhead, +44 1753 498 400, www.windsor-racecourse.co.uk). The romantic way to get there from Windsor is by a 10-minute shuttle boat (£7.50 round-trip, www.frenchbrothers.co.uk). The famous Ascot Racecourse (described next) is also nearby.
NEAR WINDSOR
Ascot Racecourse
Located seven miles southwest of Windsor and just north of the town of Ascot, this royally owned track is one of the most famous horse-racing venues in the world. The horses first ran here in 1711, and the course is best known for June’s five-day Royal Ascot race meeting, famously attended by the late queen and 299,999 of her loyal subjects. For many, the outlandish hats worn on Ladies Day (Thu) are more interesting than the horses. Royal Ascot is usually the third week in June. The pricey tickets go on sale the preceding November; while the Friday and Saturday races tend to sell out far ahead, tickets for the other days are often available close to the date (check website). In addition to Royal Ascot, the racecourse runs the ponies year-round—funny hats strictly optional.
Cost: Regular tickets generally start from £39 and go as high as £95—dress code enforced in some areas and on certain days, +44 344 346 3000, www.ascot.com.
Sleeping in Windsor
$$$ Castle Hotel Windsor, part of the boutique division of Sutton Hotels, offers 108 rooms and elegant public spaces in a central location just down the street from the castle (air-con, elevator in main building, parking-£30/day, 18 High Street, +44 1753 851 577, www.castlehotelwindsor.com, enquiries@castlehotelwindsor.com).
$$$ Dee and Steve’s is a friendly four-room place that sleeps six, above a window shop on a quiet residential street about a 10-minute walk from the castle and station. The rooms are cozy, Dee and Steve are pleasant hosts, and a fully equipped kitchen makes eating-in handy. They also offer a two-bedroom nook, which sleeps three (169 Oxford Road, +44 1753 854 489, www.deeandsteve.com, dee@deeandsteve.com).
$$ Park Farm B&B, bright and cheery, is most convenient for drivers. But even if you’re not driving, this beautiful place is such a good value, and the welcome is so warm, that you’re unlikely to mind the bus ride into town (no children under 12, free off-street parking, 1 mile from Legoland on St. Leonards Road near Imperial Road, 5-minute bus ride or 1-mile walk to castle, £8 taxi ride from station, +44 1753 866 823 or +44 7909 950 095, www.parkfarm.com, stay@parkfarm.com, Caroline and Drew Youds).
$$ 76 Duke Street has two nice rooms, but only hosts one set of guests at a time. While the bathroom is (just) outside your bedroom, you have it to yourself (15-minute walk from station at—you guessed it—76 Duke Street, +44 1753 620 636 or +44 7884 222 225, www.76dukestreet.co.uk, bedandbreakfast@76dukestreet.co.uk, Julia).
$$ Crown & Cushion is a good option on Eton’s High Street, just across the pedestrian bridge from Windsor’s waterfront (a short uphill walk to the castle). While the pub it’s situated over is worn and drab, you’re right in the heart of charming Eton, and the eight creaky rooms—with uneven floors and old-beam ceilings—are nicely furnished (free parking, 84 High Street in Eton, +44 1753 861 531, www.thecrownandcushioneton.co.uk, info@thecrownandcushioneton.co.uk).
Eating in Windsor
Elegant Spots with River Views: Several places flank Windsor Bridge, offering romantic dining after dark. The riverside promenade, with cheap takeaway stands scattered about, is a delightful place for a picnic lunch or dinner with the swans. If you don’t see anything that appeals, continue up Eton’s High Street, which is also lined with characteristic eateries.
In the Tourist Zone Around the Palace: Strolling the streets and lanes around the palace entrance—especially in the shopping zone near Windsor & Eton Station—you’ll find countless inviting eateries. The central area also has a sampling of dependable British chains. Residents enjoy a wide selection of unpretentious little eateries just past the end of pedestrian Peascod Street, where it becomes St. Leonards Road. These include Saffron (recommended later) and a fire station turned pub-and-cultural center (The Old Court Artspace, +44 1753 911 333).
$$$ Windsor Grill is a cozy place serving up juicy steaks with a wide selection of tasty sauces. Their early evening menu is well priced (two courses for £20, 17:30-18:45) and popular with both locals and visitor (65 St. Leonards Road, reservations smart, Tue-Sat dinner only, closed Sun-Mon, +44 17 538 59658, www.windsorgrill.co.uk).
$$$ À la Russe, with a cozy, woody atmosphere, serves elegant French and international dishes (two- and three-course lunch deals, Mon dinner only, Tue-Sat lunch and dinner, closed Sun, 6 High Street, +44 1753 833 009, http://alarusse.co.uk).
$$ The Two Brewers is a busy neighborhood pub with a good selection of ales and wines. Their food is a step up from the usual grub, with a good mix of meat, fish, and salads (34 Park Street, daily, must be 18 or older to enter, +44 17 538 55426).
$$ The Duchess of Cambridge’s friendly staff serves up the normal grub in a pub that’s right across from the castle walls. It feels big, modern, but tasteful, and with an open fireplace to boot. While the pub predates Kate (now the Princess of Wales), it was named in her honor following a remodel and has the photos to prove her endorsement (daily, food until 19:30, later on weekends, 3 Thames Street, +44 1753 864 405).
$$ Al Fassia, just beyond the end of the pedestrian zone, has authentic Moroccan cuisine, including tagines—stew cooked in the cone-shaped pottery of the same name (Mon-Fri dinner only, Sat-Sun lunch and dinner, 27 St. Leonards Road, +44 1753 855 370).
$$ Saffron restaurant, while a fairly long walk from the castle, is the local choice for South Indian cuisine, with a modern interior and tasty dishes. Their vegetable thali is a treat (daily, dinner only, 99 St. Leonards Road, +44 1753 855 467).
Cambridge
Cambridge, 60 miles north of London, is world-famous for its prestigious university. William Wordsworth, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Alan Turing, Jane Goodall, and King Charles III are only a few of its illustrious alumni. The university dominates—and owns—most of Cambridge, a historic town of about 125,000 people. Cambridge is the epitome of a university town, with busy bikers, stately residence halls, plenty of bookshops, and proud locals who can point out where DNA was originally modeled, the atom first split, and electrons discovered.
In medieval Europe, higher education was the domain of the Church and was limited to ecclesiastical schools. Scholars lived in “halls” on campus, which came to be known as “colleges.” The first at Cambridge, Peterhouse, was founded in the 1280s. By 1350, Cambridge had eight separate colleges, each one a self-contained world in itself—enclosed behind walls, with a monastic-type courtyard, chapel, library, and lodgings. These colleges allied in a federation known as the University of Cambridge. That same arrangement survives to this day. Today, Cambridge has 31 colleges, totaling about 12,000 undergrads, scattered around the town center.
For travelers, Cambridge offers a pleasant medieval-era town, art-filled churches and museums, and—most of all—a chance to see some of the colleges (many are open to visitors—some are free and others require a ticket at the gate or a guided tour). You can usually stroll the grounds and pop into a few public areas (mainly chapels and dining halls).
The town is easy to sort out. There’s a small and youthful commercial center—quiet and traffic free (except for lots of bikes), one important museum (the Fitzwilliam), and lots of minor museums (all generally free). The River Cam has boat tours, three public bridges, and a strip of six colleges, which have gardens that basically own the river through the center of town and make it feel like an exclusive park. King’s College has a famous ornate chapel, and Trinity College has its storied Wren Library. The city is filled with students year-round—scholars throughout the regular terms and visiting students enjoying summer programs.
PLANNING YOUR TIME
Cambridge can easily be seen as a day trip from London. A good five-hour plan is to follow my self-guided walk, spend an hour on a punt ride, tour the Fitzwilliam Museum (closed Mon), and see the Wren Library at Trinity College (usually open only two hours a day Mon-Fri year-round and Sat during full term). For a little extra color, consider joining a walk through town with a local guide (2 hours, repeats much of my self-guided walk but splices in local flavor). Confirm which sights are covered on the guided walk, so you don’t duplicate those on your own.
Your visit will be affected somewhat by the university schedule. Cambridge has three terms: Lent term from mid-January to mid-March, Easter term from mid-April to mid-June, and Michaelmas term from early October to early December. During exams (roughly the month of May), the colleges are closed to visitors, which can impede access to some of the town’s picturesque little corners. When class is in session, Cambridge is a bustling town of students buzzing to class on bikes. Between terms there’s less going on, but the main sights—King’s College Chapel and the Wren Library at Trinity College—usually stay open, and Cambridge is never sleepy. On good-weather weekends, the town overflows with visitors—many of them trying their hand, unsuccessfully, at punting the Cam.
If you’re in town in the early evening, the evensong service at King’s College Chapel (Tue-Sat at 17:30, Sun at 15:30) is a must. And if you like plays and music, events are always happening in this thriving cultural hub.
GETTING TO CAMBRIDGE
By Train: It’s an easy 50-minute trip from London’s King’s Cross Station (2/hour express trains). Cheaper direct trains also run from London’s Liverpool Street Station, but take longer (2/hour, 1.5 hours; www.nationalrail.co.uk).
By Bus: FlixBus has frequent direct service from London’s Victoria Coach Station to the Parkside stop in Cambridge (every 60-90 minutes, about 2 hours, www.flixbus.com).
Orientation to Cambridge
Cambridge has a population of about 125,000, but the area visitors enjoy seeing is compact: Everything is within a pleasant 15-minute walk. The main colleges form a north-south row, bordered on one side by the River Cam and on the other by the town. The town center, brimming with tearooms, has a colorful open-air market square. The train station is about a mile to the southeast.
Tourist Information: Cambridge has no brick-and-mortar TI, but you can find town information at VisitCambridge.org. The Cambridge Gift Shop acts as an unofficial info source and a booking point for tours (Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 11:00-16:00, 18 Rose Crescent, at intersection with Trinity Street, +44 1223 355 785).
ARRIVAL IN CAMBRIDGE
By Train: Cambridge’s train station is about a mile southeast of the center. To get downtown, it’s fastest to pay about £6 for a taxi. If you want to stretch your legs, you can walk there in about 25 minutes (exit straight ahead on Station Road, bear right at the war memorial onto Hills Road, and follow it into town). Public buses #1, #3, or #7 go downtown from stops near the station. To find the bus stops, turn left when exiting the station, cross the street, and walk a half-block (£1, pay driver or use contactless payment). Ask the driver which stop is best for the city center.
By Car: To park in the middle of town, follow signs from the M-11 motorway to any of the central (but expensive) short-stay parking lots. Or leave your car at one of the various park-and-ride lots outside the city and take the bus from there into town.
HELPFUL HINTS
Live Theater and Entertainment: With all the smart and talented students in town, there is always something going on. Make a point of enjoying a play or concert. The Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club (ADC) is Britain’s oldest university playhouse, offering a steady stream of performances since 1855. It’s lots of fun and casual, with easy-to-get and inexpensive tickets. This is your chance to see a future Emma Thompson or Ian McKellen—alumni who performed here as students—before they become stars (+44 1223 300 085, www.adctheatre.com).
Cambridge Live Tickets is a very helpful service, offering event info and ticket sales in person and online (2 Wheeler Street, +44 1223 357 851, www.cambridgelive.org.uk).
Festivals: The Cambridge Folk Festival gets things humming and strumming in late July or early August (tickets go on sale several months ahead and often sell out; www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk). From mid-July through August, the town’s Shakespeare Festival attracts 25,000 visitors for outdoor performances in some of the college’s gardens (www.cambridgeshakespeare.com).
Bike Rental: In the Grand Arcade shopping mall, Primo Cycles rents bikes (Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00, closed Sun, 10 Corn Exchange Street, +44 1223 500 502, www.primocycles.co.uk).
Tours in Cambridge
▲▲Walking Tour of the Colleges
A walking tour is the best way to understand Cambridge’s mix of “town and gown.” The walks can be more educational (read: dry) than entertaining, but they do provide a good rundown of the historic and scenic highlights of the university, some fun local gossip, and plenty of university trivia. The Society of Cambridge Tourist Guides leads tours of various lengths and topics; their 1.5-hour “Cambridge Highlights” tour covers a variety of colleges and landmarks for £20. They also do “ghost walks” after dark (£17, 1 hour, mainly in winter...when it’s dark enough). Check out their current offerings and book at www.sctg.org.uk, or, if you’re already in town, stop by the Cambridge Gift Shop to book.
Cambridge’s 31 colleges, where students spend most of their time, are central to the life of the university. Think of them less as schools and more as lodgings and social communities. They house, feed, and parent the students (including a “home professor” who coaches students), while the overall university offers formal teaching and lectures. Over the centuries, each college has developed a reputation: the rich elites, the partiers, the science nerds, the political progressives, and so on.
How to Visit: Some colleges are free to visit and welcoming to the public, some are closed off and very private, and others are famous and make money by charging for visits. Most are open only in the afternoons, and all have a similar design and etiquette. At their historic front gates, you’ll find a porter’s lodge where the porter delivers mail, monitors who comes and goes, and keeps people off the grass. Only fellows (senior professors) can walk on the grassy courts, which are the centerpiece of each college campus. Other than that, you can relax and roam freely, so long as an area is not locked or blocked with a “for members only” sign. Whether a college is open to visitors or private, you can usually at least pop in through the gate, chat with the porter, and enjoy the view of the court.
What You Will (and Won’t) See: The court is ringed by venerable buildings, with a library, dormitories, a dining hall, and a chapel. The dining halls are easy to identify because they have big bay windows that mark the location of a “high table” where VIPs eat. A portrait of the college’s founder usually hangs above the high table, and paintings of rectors and important alumni also decorate the walls. Students still eat in these halls, which is why they are rarely open to the public (but you can look in from the main door).
A college’s chapel is the building that most often allows visitors (including at evensong services, usually at 17:30 or 18:00). In the chapel, seating is usually arranged in several rows of pews that face each other to allow for antiphonal singing and chanting—where one side starts and the other responds. The chapels often contain memorials to students who died in World Wars I and II. Libraries are treasured and generally not open to the public. There’s also a Senior Common Room (like a teachers’ lounge but much fancier), where fellows share ideas in an exclusive social hall, creating a fertile intellectual garden. Student rooms are never open to the public during school terms, though some are available as vacation rentals when classes are not in session.
Cambridge Town and College Walk
This self-guided walk covers the essential sights. We start in the old market square, visit a couple of typical (if less-visited) colleges, pause at the dreamy River Cam, enjoy the glory of King’s College Chapel, and finish at Trinity College with its famous Wren Library (hours are limited; see stop #8 at the end of this walk for contact information). Although we won’t go as far as the Fitzwilliam Museum, you can easily visit it on your own (covered in “Sights in Cambridge,” later).
• Start on Market Hill Square in front of the Guildhall (the brick building with a big clock up top).
1 Market Hill Square
This square has been a center of commerce for more than a thousand years. At a glance, you can see the elements that combined to make Cambridge: church (Great St. Mary’s rear end), university (those modern buildings are student lodgings), and trade (the open-air market and Guildhall).
Think of the history this place has seen: Romans first built a bridge over the Cam in AD 43, Anglo-Saxons and Danes established a market here in the Dark Ages, and Normans built a castle here (now gone) in the 11th century. The city’s coat of arms (above the Guildhall door) shows medieval boats flocking to trade at the newly built bridge over the River Cam, which established “Cam-bridge.”
But the big year was 1209. After scuffles in Oxford between its scholars and townsfolk, many of Oxford’s academics fled here and started their own university. Where’s “the university”? Everywhere, mixed into the town, with the 31 individual colleges, university halls, and student dorms scattered about.
Cambridge suffered no bomb damage in World War II, so the older buildings you see are original. As you walk, notice how peaceful the town is, with almost no cars, but bikes everywhere.
The Guildhall facing this square (the seat of the city council today) overlooks market stalls. The really big market on Sunday features produce, arts, and crafts. On other days, you’ll find mostly clothes and food stands (daily generally 10:00-16:00).
• Let’s get started by exploring a bit of modern Cambridge. Facing the Guildhall, exit the square to your left down Petty Cury Lane, a modern pedestrian shopping street. At the end of the street, turn right, walking down St. Andrews Street (which connects the town center to the train station).
On the left side of the street is our first college: Christ’s College. Its elaborate 16th-century gatehouse proudly displays the college’s coat of arms and colors; look for others around town. Step inside to enjoy the classic court, next to a portrait of alum Charles Darwin (free, open daily 9:00-16:00). Don’t linger—we’ll see a better one in a minute.
Continue down St. Andrews Street two long blocks toward the steeple, then pause at the college on the left...
2 Emmanuel College
This college offers a classic peek at a typical Cambridge college (free, open daily 9:00-17:00). Emmanuel was founded in 1584 as a Protestant college on land that had once been a Dominican friary. Like many monasteries and convents in the 16th century, the friary had been dissolved by the English king in an epic power struggle that left England with its own version of Christianity and the government with lots of land once owned by the Catholic Church.
Entering the courtyard, take in the layout. On the left is the dining hall, marked by its big bay window. Directly ahead (behind the big clock) is the Senior Common Room, a social hall for college fellows. Below the big clock is the entrance to the chapel. Go inside.
The chapel was designed by the famed architect Christopher Wren, who built many churches in the late 1600s, culminating in St. Paul’s Cathedral. Wren gave this his typical two-toned treatment: white walls above and carved-wood below, all lit brilliantly. On the ceiling is a typical Wren design (all in white) of circles in squares, adorned with garlands. In the stained glass (left wall) find the portrait of John Harvard—the Emmanuel College student who went to America and founded a prestigious school of his own.
Explore more of the college grounds. You can look through the doorway into the dining hall (find it in the near-left corner of the courtyard, from where you came in); enjoy the garden behind the chapel, with its fishpond (dating back to monastic days when this was a source of their food); or chat with the porter.
• Leaving Emmanuel College, walk straight ahead along Downing Street (which becomes Pembroke Street). Stop when you reach the intersection with King’s Parade. Notice the recommended Fitzbillies Café on the right (famous for its local cinnamon roll, the Chelsea Bun), then turn left and walk a few steps to the entrance (on the left) to...
3 Pembroke College
Founded in 1347, Pembroke is the third-oldest college in Cambridge (free, open daily). Step into the court, past the porter’s lodge—it’s polite to say hello and ask whether you can wander around. Survey the court. Ahead of you is the medieval dining hall. The fancy building with the pointed clock tower is the library (the statue in front is alumnus William Pitt the Younger—a great 18th-century prime minister), with a charming garden beyond.
The highlight here is the chapel, to the right. It dates from about 1660 and is the first building (of any kind, anywhere) Christopher Wren completed. Before stepping inside to enjoy the interior, pause for a moment at the somber WWI and WWII memorial under the arcade. During the Great War, one in four students and faculty was killed.
• From Pembroke College, cross King’s Parade, jog slightly right, and follow Mill Lane directly down to the River Cam and its mill pond.
4 River Cam, the Mill Pond, and Punting
From this perch you see the “harbor action” of Cambridge. The city was an important port in medieval times: Trading vessels from the North Sea (40 miles away) could navigate to here. Today a weir divides the River Cam from one of its tributaries, sometimes called the River Granta (on the left)—which leads through idyllic countryside from the town of Grantchester. Filling the mill pond is a commotion of the iconic Cambridge boats called punts. Students hustle to take visitors on a 45-minute trip with fun commentary (see “Punting on the Cam,” later in this chapter). Skilled residents rent boats for themselves, as do not-so-skilled tourists—much to the amusement of locals who sip their beer while watching clumsy visitors fumble with the boats (which are tougher to maneuver than they look). If you’d like a detour from this sometimes-chaotic scene, simply cross the weir and walk along the River Granta into the countryside—it quickly becomes sleepy and idyllic.
But to continue this town walk, turn right and follow the narrow walkway along the harbor past the recommended Anchor Pub, then up the stairs to the Silver Street Bridge. From the bridge, you can watch more punt action and check out the famous “Mathematical Bridge,” which links the old and new buildings of Queens’ College. This wooden bridge, although curved, is made entirely of straight boards.
Gazing upstream past the wooden bridge, you see the start of the park known as “the Backs”—the backs of six colleges that line the river, with their fine architecture and most with bridges connecting campus grounds or buildings on both sides of the river.
• From the Silver Street Bridge, walk up Silver Street, back to King’s Parade, and turn left. You’ll follow this one very long block (passing the stately Corpus Christi College on your right). At the first corner, find the fancy gilded clock on your right.
5 The Corpus Clock, Bene’t Street, and Eagle Pub
Designed and commissioned by Corpus Christi College alum John Taylor, this clock was unveiled by Cambridge physicist Stephen Hawking in a 2008 ceremony. Perched on top is the Chronophage—the “time eater”—a grotesque giant grasshopper that keeps the clock moving and periodically winks at passersby. The message? Time is passing, so live every moment to the fullest. It’s a real clock—one blue light marks the hour, the other the minutes. At the top of the hour, it chimes with the sound of rattling chains.
The Eagle Pub, a venerable joint, is just down Bene’t Street on the left. This is Cambridge’s oldest pub and a sight in itself. Poke into the courtyard and atmospheric rooms even if you don’t eat or drink here. From the courtyard, look up at the balcony of second-floor guest rooms that date back to when this was a coachmen’s inn as well as a pub. (It’s said that in Shakespeare’s time, plays were performed from this perch to entertain guests below.) Back inside the pub, find the fireplace with a photo and plaque that remember two esteemed regulars—Francis Crick and James Watson—the scientists who first described the structure of DNA. They announced their finding here in 1953.
At the back of the Eagle is an annex called the RAF Bar. During World War II, US Army Air Corps pilots famously hung out here before missions over Germany. The fun interior is plastered with stickers of air crews and WWII memorabilia.
St. Bene’t’s Church, across the street from the pub, is the oldest surviving building in Cambridgeshire. The rough stone tower dates from 1020. The Saxons who built the church included circular holes in its bell tower to encourage owls to roost there and keep the mouse population under control.
• Return to the creepy grasshopper clock and turn right, continuing down King’s Parade to the regal front facade of King’s College. We’ll stop here to visit...
6 King’s College Chapel
King’s College Chapel, built from 1446 to 1515 by Henrys VI through VIII, is rated ▲▲. It’s England’s best example of Perpendicular Gothic architecture—and the most impressive building in Cambridge.
Cost and Hours: £12.50-14, cheaper online and weekdays; generally open Mon-Fri 9:30-15:45, Sat until 15:15, closed Sun, hours may vary due to school events—check website for schedule; +44 1223 331 100, www.kings.cam.ac.uk. If you didn’t buy tickets online, they may be available in person at the King’s College visitors center at 13 Kings Parade, across the street from the main entrance gate.
Evensong: When school’s in session, you’re welcome to enjoy an evensong service in this glorious space, with a famous choir made up of men and boys (free, Tue-Sat at 17:30, Sun at 15:30; check current schedule at www.kings.cam.ac.uk; for more on evensong, see here).
Visiting the Chapel: Enter through the grand gateway to the spacious grounds. In the courtyard, you’re surrounded by buildings from every era of the college’s long history. To the right is the famous chapel; straight ahead is the Neoclassical fellows hall; and to the left is the Neo-Gothic dining hall. The statue in the center is Henry VII, the man most responsible for the wonder we’ll see next.
Head for the chapel and step inside. Stand and look down the nave, with its tunnel-like effect that accentuates both its length (290 feet) and height. It’s exactly twice as tall (80 feet) as it is wide. Look up and marvel, as Christopher Wren did, at what was then the largest single span of vaulted roof anywhere. Built between 1512 and 1515, its 2,000 tons of incredible fan vaulting—held in place by the force of gravity—are a careful balancing act resting delicately on the buttresses visible outside the building. The round bosses in the center, each weighing nearly two tons, are what hold the structure together.
While Henry VI—who began work on the chapel—wanted it to be austere, his descendant Henry VII decided it should glorify the House of Tudor. So, lining the cream-colored walls are the personal symbols of Henry VII and his wife. There’s the giant Tudor coats-of-arms supported by a dragon (symbolizing Henry’s dad) and greyhound (from his mom’s side of the family). Find other iconography adorning the nearby pillars: The Tudor double rose (of red and white roses) symbolizes the end of the bitter War of the Roses. The portcullis (the iron grate) honors the family of Henry VII’s mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort. And the fleur-de-lis in the coat of arms kept alive the fading hope that someday they might reclaim their place as rulers of France.
The 26 stained-glass windows date from the 16th century. It’s the most Renaissance stained glass anywhere in one spot. (Most of the stained glass in English churches dates from Victorian times, but this glass is three centuries older.) The lower panes show scenes from the New Testament, while the upper panes feature corresponding stories from the Old Testament.
Considering England’s turbulent history, it’s miraculous that these windows have survived for half a millennium in such a pristine state. After Henry VIII separated from the Catholic Church in 1534, many such windows and other Catholic features around England were destroyed. However, since Henry had just paid for these windows, he couldn’t bear to destroy them. A century later, in the days of Oliver Cromwell, another wave of iconoclasm destroyed more windows around England. Though these windows were slated for removal, they stayed put. Finally, during World War II, the windows were taken out and hidden away for safekeeping, then painstakingly replaced after the war ended. The only nonmedieval windows are on the west wall (opposite the altar). These are in the Romantic style from the 1880s; when Nazi bombs threatened the church, all agreed they should be left in place.
The choir screen that bisects the church was added by Henry VII’s son, King Henry VIII—on the medallions at eye level, see his “H.R.” monogram, for Henry Rex. He commissioned the oak screen to commemorate his marriage to Anne Boleyn. By the time it was finished, so was she (beheaded). But it was too late to remove her initials, which were already carved into the screen (look on the far upper left and right for “R.A.,” for Regina Anna—“Queen Anne”). Behind the screen is the choir area, elaborately carved with the crests of the college and university. This is where the renowned King’s College Choir performs. There’s a daily evensong (during school terms), with students in the front-row stalls, the choir in the middle, and fellows in back. On Christmas Eve, a special service is held here and broadcast around the world on the BBC—a tradition near and dear to British hearts.
At the far end of the church is Rubens’ masterful Adoration of the Magi (1634). It’s actually a family portrait: The admirer in the front (wearing red) is a self-portrait of Rubens, Mary looks an awful lot like his much-younger wife, and the Baby Jesus resembles their own newborn at the time.
Inside the chapel to the right (as you face the altar) is a memorial to those who died in the two world wars.
Finally, cross the nave to the door on the far side, with a long and fascinating series of side rooms that run the length of the nave. Dedicated to the history and art of the church, these are a great little King’s College Chapel museum.
• Return to King’s Parade and turn left. Soon you’ll see the grand Neoclassical facade of the...
7 Senate House
This stately classical building with triangular pediments is the ceremonial heart of the University of Cambridge. It’s where the university’s governing body meets, and where graduation ceremonies are held. In June, you might notice green boxes lining the front of this house. Traditionally, at the end of the term, students came to these boxes to see whether they had earned their degree; those not listed knew they had flunked. Until 2010 this was the only notification students received about their status. (These days, they get an email.)
Looming across the street from the Senate House is Great St. Mary’s Church (a.k.a. the University Church), with a climbable bell tower (£6, Mon-Sat 10:00-17:30, Sun 12:00-17:00, daily until 16:00 off-season, 123 stairs). On the corner nearby is Ryder & Amies (22 King’s Parade), which has been the official university outfitter for 150 years. It’s a great shop for college gear: sweaters, ties, and so on.
• Carry on along King’s Parade (which becomes Trinity Street) to our final stop—less than a five-minute walk from here. The road (and sidewalk) narrows as you squeeze between some old houses. Soon you’ll see yet another grand college on your left.
8 Trinity College and Wren Library
Of the more than 100 Nobel Prize winners affiliated with Cambridge, about a third come from this richest and biggest of the town’s colleges, founded in 1546 by Henry VIII. The college has three sights to see, together worth ▲▲: the entrance gate (always viewable), the grounds (mostly accessible but only with a guided tour), and the magnificent Wren Library (limited hours, see later).
Cost and Hours: These are all subject to change—call in advance before you visit. Guided tour of the courts (including the Great Court)—£5, usually daily 10:00 & 14:00, must call to book a spot; The Backs—free, usually daily 10:00-17:00 but may close for special events; library—free, usually Mon-Fri 12:00-14:00, during full term also Sat 10:30-12:30, closed Sun year-round, access via Garrett Hostel Lane; chapel open to visitors during services most of the year, check the website; +44 1223 338 400, www.trin.cam.ac.uk/library/home.
Trinity Gate: You’ll notice gates like these adorning facades of colleges around town. Above the door is a statue of King Henry VIII, who founded Trinity because he feared that Cambridge’s existing colleges were too cozy with the Church. Notice Henry’s right hand holding a chair leg instead of the traditional scepter with the crown jewels. This is courtesy of Cambridge’s Night Climbers, who first replaced the scepter a century ago. According to campus legend, decades ago some of the world’s most talented mountaineers enrolled at Cambridge...in one of the flattest parts of England. (Cambridge was actually a seaport until Dutch engineers drained the surrounding swamps.) Lacking opportunities to practice their skill, they began scaling the frilly facades of Cambridge’s college buildings under cover of darkness (if caught, they’d have been expelled). In the 1960s, climbers actually managed to haul an entire automobile onto the roof of the Senate House. The university had to bring in the army to cut it into pieces and remove it. Only 50 years later, at a class reunion, did the guilty parties finally fess up.
In the little park to the right, notice the lone apple tree. Supposedly, this tree is a descendant of the very one that once stood in the garden of Sir Isaac Newton (who spent 30 years at Trinity). According to legend, Newton was inspired to investigate gravity when an apple fell from the tree onto his head. This tree stopped bearing fruit long ago; if you do see apples, they’ve been tied on by mischievous students.
Beyond the gate are the Trinity grounds. Note that there’s often a fine and free view of Trinity College courtyard—if the gate is open—from Trinity Lane (along the left side of the college; this leads, under a uniform row of old chimneys, around the school to the Wren Library via Garret Hostel Lane).
Trinity Grounds: The grounds are enjoyable to explore, though to see them you’ll likely need to book a tour (except for The Backs, on the River Cam side). Inside the Great Court, the clock (on the tower on the right) double-rings at the top of each hour. It’s a college tradition to take off running from the clock when the high noon bells begin (it takes 43 seconds to clang 24 times), race around the courtyard, touching each of the four corners without setting foot on the cobbles, and try to return to the same spot before the ringing ends. Supposedly only one student (a young lord) ever managed the feat—a scene featured in Chariots of Fire (but filmed elsewhere).
The chapel—which pales in comparison to the stunning King’s College Chapel—feels like a shrine to thinking, with statues honoring great Trinity minds both familiar (Isaac Newton, Alfred Tennyson, Francis Bacon) and unfamiliar. Who’s missing? The poet Lord Byron, who was such a hell-raiser during his time at Trinity that a statue of him was deemed unfit for Church property; his statue stands in the library instead.
Wren Library: Don’t miss the 1695 Christopher Wren-designed library, with its wonderful carving and fascinating original manuscripts. Just outside the library entrance, Sir Isaac Newton clapped his hands and timed the echo to measure the speed of sound as it raced down the side of the cloister and back. Inside, admire Wren’s design—long, white, and aglow with the bright light of the Enlightenment. Wren designed the whole ensemble, including the bookshelves topped with busts of great thinkers. (The one thing he didn’t design is the stained-glass window showing him being honored by George III.) Unlike the other libraries at Cambridge, Wren designed Trinity’s on the upper floor, not the damp, dark ground floor. As a result, Wren’s library is flooded with light, rather than water (and it’s also brimming with students during exam times).
In the library’s 12 display cases (covered with cloth that you flip back), you’ll see a (rotating) display of medieval manuscripts, first editions, letters, and documents. You may see works by William Shakespeare, John Milton, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and A. A. Milne’s original Winnie the Pooh (the real Christopher Robin attended Trinity College). Don’t miss the case with Newton’s memorabilia—a lock of his hair, notebook, pocket watch, walking stick, a prism he used to see how light bent, and a 1687 edition of his landmark book Principia Mathematica that changed forever the way humans viewed the physical world.
Sights in Cambridge
My self-guided walk takes you to most of the main sights in Cambridge, but not all. Here are some more sights and activities worth your time.
▲▲Punting on the Cam
For a little levity and probably more exercise than you really want, try renting one of the traditional flat-bottom punts at the river. You’ll use a giant pole to push yourself up and down (or around and around, more likely) the lazy Cam. The water’s only about six or seven feet deep, so you move by literally pushing off from the river floor (someone in front can use a little paddle to help out). This is one of the best memories the town has to offer, and once you get the hang of it, it’s a fine way to enjoy the scenic side of Cambridge. It’s less crowded in late afternoon (and less embarrassing).
Better yet, let someone else do the punting while you enjoy the ride. The 45-minute lazy punting trips are a delight—informatively narrated by your punter, who tries to avoid the clueless tourists creating a moving, aquatic obstacle course. Watching amateurs struggle with their massive poles, playing bumper cars in the busy river, you’ll be happy someone else is at the helm. On a nice-weather day, there are few more relaxing activities.
Several companies rent punts and also offer tours (open daily 9:00-dusk when the weather’s decent, typically March-Nov). Typically, you’ll pay about £40-45 per hour to rent a punt—or around £20-25 per person to join a guided punt. If it’s quiet, don’t be afraid to bargain. Scudamore’s has two locations: on Mill Lane, just south of the central Silver Street Bridge, and at the less convenient Quayside at Magdalene Bridge, at the north end of town (+44 1223 359 750, www.scudamores.com). Cambridge Chauffeur Punts, directly across the pond and just under the Silver Street Bridge, is a cheaper outfit (+44 1223 354 164, www.punting-in-cambridge.co.uk [URL inactive]).
If renting a punt in the Silver Street Bridge area, be clear on whether you’re punting on the River Cam (the lovely but crowded stream that runs behind the pretty college campuses) or on the other side of the weir, at the River Granta (less crowded and runs through idyllic countryside, but you won’t see the famous landmarks). Most prefer the Cam.
▲Fitzwilliam Museum
One of Britain’s best museums of antiquities and art outside London is the Fitzwilliam. Housed in a grand Neoclassical building a 10-minute walk south of Market Hill Square, it’s a palatial celebration of beauty and humankind’s ability to create it.
Cost and Hours: Free, donation suggested; Tue-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun from 12:00, closed Mon; lockers, Trumpington Street, +44 1223 333 230, www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk.
Visiting the Museum: The Fitzwilliam’s broad collection is like a mini-British Museum/National Gallery rolled into one. The ground floor features an extensive range of antiquities and applied arts—everything from Greek vases, Mesopotamian artifacts, and Egyptian sarcophagi to Roman statues, fine porcelain, and suits of armor.
Upstairs is the painting gallery, with works that span art history: Italian Venetian masters (such as Titian and Canaletto), a worthy English section (featuring Gainsborough, Reynolds, Hogarth, and others), a notable array of French Impressionist art (including Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Degas, and Sisley), and even a few small Picassos. Rounding out the collection are literary and illuminated manuscripts, including some musical compositions from Handel.
Museum of Classical Archaeology
Although this museum contains no originals, it offers a unique chance to study accurate copies (19th-century casts) of virtually every famous ancient Greek and Roman statue. More than 450 statues are on display.
Cost and Hours: Free; Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat from 14:00 during term, closed Sun-Mon year-round; Sidgwick Avenue, +44 1223 330 402, www.classics.cam.ac.uk/museum.
Getting There: The museum is a five-minute walk west of Silver Street Bridge (with all the punts); after crossing the bridge, continue straight until you reach a sign reading Sidgwick Site.
NEAR CAMBRIDGE
Imperial War Museum Duxford
This former airfield, nine miles south of Cambridge, is popular with aviation fans and WWII history buffs. Wander through seven exhibition halls housing 200 vintage aircraft (including Spitfires, B-17 Flying Fortresses, a Concorde, and a Blackbird spy plane, some of which you can enter) as well as military land vehicles and special displays on Normandy and the Battle of Britain. The American Air wing thoughtfully portrays the achievements and controversies of British/US wartime collaboration, including the stories of American airmen based at Duxford.
Cost and Hours: £26; daily 10:00-18:00, off-season until 16:00, last entry one hour before closing; +44 2070 913 067, www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford.
Getting There: The museum is located off the A-505 in Duxford. If using public transit, you’ll find helpful details on their website: Mondays through Saturdays, it’s best to take the train (from London or Cambridge) to Whittlesford Parkway Station, then catch bus #7A from there (6/day, 10 minutes). On Sundays, Myalls bus #132 runs directly to the museum from Cambridge’s train station (5/day, 30 minutes). Or you can take a taxi from Cambridge for about £25 one-way.
Eating in Cambridge
$$ The Eagle, described earlier in my town walk, is the oldest pub in town. While the food is mediocre, the atmosphere is outstanding, and it’s a Cambridge institution—with a history so rich that a visit here practically qualifies as sightseeing (daily, 8 Bene’t Street, +44 1223 505 020).
$ Michaelhouse Café is a heavenly respite from the crowds, tucked into the repurposed St. Michael’s Church, just north of Great St. Mary’s Church. At lunch, choose from salads, sandwiches, and soups, as well as a few hot dishes. They also have coffee drinks and an enticing array of cakes and cookies (Mon-Sat breakfast and lunch, Sun lunch only, occasional free lunchtime concerts, Trinity Street, +44 1223 309 147).
$$ The Anchor Pub has a place in rock-and-roll history as a spot where Pink Floyd band members hung out in their early days. Today it feels modern and fresh, and has some of the best people-watching in town. Choose from its outdoor riverside terrace, inside bar, or more romantic upstairs restaurant (daily, on the riverfront at Silver Street, +44 1224 353 554).
$$ The Mill Pub is a livelier, less formal alternative to The Anchor, but enjoys a similar location right on the river. The clientele is a mixture of students and tourists; the tipples are craft brews, local ales, and ciders; and the food is updated pub standards (daily, 14 Mill Lane, +44 1223 311 829).
$ Bread & Meat serves simple soups and hearty sandwiches. Grab a signature porchetta sandwich to take away or snag a rustic table in the small dining room (daily, Sun unti1 17:00, 4 Bene’t Street, +44 791 808 3057).
$$ The Copper Kettle is a popular place for Greek and Turkish meze, beautifully situated facing King’s College on King’s Parade (also fish-and-chips at lunch; breakfast daily, plus Mon-Wed lunch, Thu-Sun lunch and dinner, possibly longer hours in summer; 4 King’s Parade, +44 1223 308 448).
$$ Fitzbillies, long a favorite for cakes (Chelsea Buns) and coffee, offers inviting lunch and afternoon tea menus (daily, 51 Trumpington Street, +44 1223 352 500).
$ Street Food on Market Hill Square: For an interesting lunch on the go, browse the many food carts tucked into the tight aisles of the open-air market that fills the historic old market square (daily 9:00-16:00). There’s no real seating, but people squeeze along the wall around the stone fountain in the middle of the square.
Supermarkets/Picnicking: There’s a Marks & Spencer Simply Food at the train station (long hours daily). Bigger options in the center include a Marks & Spencer Foodhall on Market Hill Square and a Sainsbury’s at 44 Sidney Street (at the corner of Green Street). A good picnic spot is Laundress Green, a grassy park on the river, at the end of Mill Lane near the Silver Street Bridge punts. There are no benches, so bring something to sit on. Remember, the college lawns are private property, so walking or picnicking on the grass is generally not allowed. When in doubt, ask at the college’s entrance.
Cambridge Connections
From Cambridge by Train to: London (King’s Cross Station: 2/hour express, 50 minutes, additional departures take about 1.25 hours; Liverpool Street Station: 2/hour, 1.5 hours), York (hourly, 2.5 hours, transfer in Peterborough). Getting to Oxford is complex, requiring a change in London with a Tube transfer between stations (2.5 hours). Train info: +44 345 748 4950, NationalRail.co.uk.
By Bus to: London (every 60-90 minutes, about 2 hours via Flixbus, www.flixbus.com); Heathrow Airport (1-2/hour, nearly 3 hours); Oxford (4/day, 6 hours). Bus info: +44 871 781 8181, NationalExpress.com.