Hello,
thank you for returning to my blog! If you have never been on my blog before, then I hope you like it!
This is the last blog on my UK travel series! I hope you have enjoyed reading my recent blogs on Durham and Oxford! If you haven't already read them then you can check them out at the right of this page or see my other travel blogs by clicking on the 'travel' category above the title.
So, Cambridge. I really enjoyed going there. I have actually been on two occasions, and both times I had a lovely time! Despite the fact it rained on one of the days! Anyway, Cambridge is a beautiful city and quite incredible and historic as well! Have you been before? If you haven't here is why and where you should go! If you are driving to Cambridge, it is easier to not bring your car into the centre of the city, and to instead use the buses. We parked our car at a carpark and bought the 'park and ride' tickets which meant we could use the bus.
WHERE TO GO:
Firstly, once we arrived, my family and I walked down the main street and had a look around some of the shops. There were some clothes shops, a fudge shop and many others. I took some photos of the main street, featuring the 'Olde sweet shoppe' and some more. Directly opposite these shops is King's College. One of the colleges, forming Cambridge University. The College is colossal and impressive! It is probably the most renowned college in Cambridge and has very spectacular grounds and a historical chapel.
I would definitely recommend going to King's College, just to see the Chapel. It is incredible. It was founded in 1441 and is famous for its choir. It is also particularly prominent due for its 'A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols' broadcast live every year on Christmas Eve since 1928. The Choir has now established its reputation as one of the finest choirs in the World.
King College's choir consists of 16 choristers, from aged 9 - 13 years old. The choir also consists of 14 undergraduates reaching for degrees in a variety of subjects. Many as well leave Cambridge, pursuing a career in music. There are also two organ scholars. The Chapel Choir performs internationally at prominent venues throughout the World. The Choir has been performing abroad on tours since 1936.
The King's Chapel itself is splendid. Founded in 1441 by Henry VI, It has beautiful stain glass windows and architectural design. It is a definite 'must see.'
As well as visiting the chapel, visitors can explore the large grounds that the college boasts. I took several pictures outside next to Gibbs' building, which is the second oldest building in the college. It was named after James Gibbs, the architect. The building is now home to the Tutorial room and student computer service rooms. There is also the Wilkins' building and the library. The Wilkins' building is where the hall is, now a dining room for both the canteen and formal dinners.
Towards the back lawn of King's College, is the River Cam. This is very popular with tourists, due to the traditional activity of punting which takes place on the River. There are many bridges that you can stand on and take pictures of people punting, from the lawn of King's College. I enjoyed taking pictures, however I did not get the opportunity to go punting due to the bad weather, nevertheless, you should definitely go punting if you visit Cambridge on a sunny day. It is something I certainly wish I could have done!
After lunch, and a lovely look around the city, we returned to sight-seeing. We past the Corpus Clock which is a large sculptural clock at street level, which was unveiled in 2008 by Stephen Hawking. He famously attended the Trinity Hall college in Cambridge. The Clock is spectacular, very distinct and popularly admired among locals and residents. You must take a look at it if you pass the junction of Bene't street and Trumpington street, looking out onto King's Parade. We also took some pictures outside some of the other colleges we past, such as St Catharines. I noticed also how a lot of the students and residents cycle around the main roads and generally there is not much traffic. We also passed the Great St Mary's Church. Although we did not go to the top, we enjoyed seeing it and taking photos from the outside. I would recommend you do go to the top (if you are not scared of heights!) for some great panoramic views of Cambridge.
To end our day trip in Cambridge, we looked around the Fitzwilliam museum. It is a very impressive building and home to 84 collections of artwork. It was established in 1816 and it is not too far from the main streets and is a short walk from King's College. If you are interested in artwork and enjoying visiting museums then I would definitely recommend this museum. Not only is its work impressive, but it is also free admission!
There are some lovely other colleges to visit as well. Including St Catharine's College which I took a picture of from the gates.
I really enjoyed my most recent day trip in Cambridge! I think it is a beautiful city and loved visiting King's College. If I could go again, I would want to look around more of the colleges. What did you do in Cambridge? Comment at the right of this page or tell me via my Instagram -@bethlucyblogs- thank you for reading this blog! Please like it or share it if you enjoyed reading it! I hope you have also learnt something new about Cambridge! I am very sad that my UK travel series has finished for now. Follow my Instagram for details on the release of my next blog (which will be a book review or increase followers on Instagram blog) and also for the opportunity to participate in my fun polls.