Daytrip to Cambridge: What to see?
August 25, 2010 5:45 AM Subscribe
What should I do and see during a day trip to Cambridge, UK?
I'm already planning on stopping by the Botanical Gardens but what else should I do?
I need a stop for lunch and for dinner. I love well stocked off licenses, quirky museums and weird tourist things as well as the main attractions. Given the recent weather some indoor options might also be wise.
I'm already planning on stopping by the Botanical Gardens but what else should I do?
I need a stop for lunch and for dinner. I love well stocked off licenses, quirky museums and weird tourist things as well as the main attractions. Given the recent weather some indoor options might also be wise.
Best answer: If you like 20th century or contemporary art, go to Kettle's Yard. It is the house of an art collector (Jim Ede), who used to give personal tours of his collection to anyone who showed up. When he died, he left the house to Cambridge University, and the house is just as he left it. Definitely fits the 'quirky museum' category.
posted by beniamino at 5:59 AM on August 25, 2010
posted by beniamino at 5:59 AM on August 25, 2010
Best answer: King's College chapel, for sure. The botanic garden is lovely, and has a cafe which will do a reasonable lunch, but I'm not sure I'd put it first on my list of things to see in the city (though it often is first on my list, as I'm usually meeting relatives or friends when I visit Cambridge). A few years ago I went with my parents and we took a guided punt tour up and down the canal (sorry, the river) which was very good value for money - a good way of getting a general impression of the colleges. Shamefully, I've never yet been in the Fitzwilliam but my cousin assures me it's fantastic.
posted by nja at 6:03 AM on August 25, 2010
posted by nja at 6:03 AM on August 25, 2010
Best answer: Well stocked off licenses: Bacchanalia - bit out your way from the centre though.
Quirky museums - I like the Museum of Zoology (skeletons!) and the Museum of Classical Archaeology. Check opening times before you rely on visiting these though.
The Fitzwilliam is great, and pretty near the Botanical Garden. Punting if the weather is good.
posted by crocomancer at 6:12 AM on August 25, 2010
Quirky museums - I like the Museum of Zoology (skeletons!) and the Museum of Classical Archaeology. Check opening times before you rely on visiting these though.
The Fitzwilliam is great, and pretty near the Botanical Garden. Punting if the weather is good.
posted by crocomancer at 6:12 AM on August 25, 2010
Best answer: Visit Reality Checkpoint on Parker's Piece, a green space in the centre of town (where a significant early football match was played).
A walk down Mill Road from there to see the "real" Cambridge. It's a hub of locally owned shops with a lot of international food supplies, cheap restaurants and cafes, etc. Along this road you'll find Bacchanalia, one of the best off licences in town (and not out of your way after all, if you're following this route). Good pubs in the area include the Cambridge Blue, the Live and Let Live and the Devonshire Arms (which has just turned into the latest of a small number of pubs in the area associated with the Milton Brewery).
Kettle's Yard is right next to the Cambridge and County Folk Museum. A good pub up the hill from there is The Castle. Also further up Castle Street is Cocum, a Keralan restaurant as mentioned in this thread which has Cambridge dining recs.
posted by galaksit at 6:13 AM on August 25, 2010
A walk down Mill Road from there to see the "real" Cambridge. It's a hub of locally owned shops with a lot of international food supplies, cheap restaurants and cafes, etc. Along this road you'll find Bacchanalia, one of the best off licences in town (and not out of your way after all, if you're following this route). Good pubs in the area include the Cambridge Blue, the Live and Let Live and the Devonshire Arms (which has just turned into the latest of a small number of pubs in the area associated with the Milton Brewery).
Kettle's Yard is right next to the Cambridge and County Folk Museum. A good pub up the hill from there is The Castle. Also further up Castle Street is Cocum, a Keralan restaurant as mentioned in this thread which has Cambridge dining recs.
posted by galaksit at 6:13 AM on August 25, 2010
Best answer: Kettle's Yard was my favorite thing in Cambridge. The house is full of modern art and the house itself is beautiful. Be sure to ask for the key to the chapel at the business office. It's a small, unassuming building on the grounds and you'll most likely be the only person who's asked to see it that week.
posted by HotPatatta at 6:27 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by HotPatatta at 6:27 AM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: There is punting in Cambridge, which is fun and you should do it if you can/want to. It's touristy but whatever.
Also, the last time I was in Cambridge, there is an Antiques store across the street and down from the Fitz that I quite enjoyed. I have no idea what it's called, though. Definitely the Fitz, though, it's fantastic, and they might be showing their Blakes. Never know!
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:55 AM on August 25, 2010
Also, the last time I was in Cambridge, there is an Antiques store across the street and down from the Fitz that I quite enjoyed. I have no idea what it's called, though. Definitely the Fitz, though, it's fantastic, and they might be showing their Blakes. Never know!
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:55 AM on August 25, 2010
Also visit the Eagle which is incredibly touristy but the inspiration for the double helix structure of DNA came to Crick and Watson over a pint there.
Regarding food try the Kingston Arms off Mill Rd which sells very good food and sells great beer. It is usually full of friendly locals and a good place to meet locals.
If the weather is good, also check out Grantchester, about 40 minutes punting or 20 minutes in a car. It is a meadow by the river just outside Cambridge where there is a little cafe that serve scones with cream and cucumber sandwiches which you can eat on the grass overlooking the river.
posted by ddvid at 7:42 AM on August 25, 2010
Regarding food try the Kingston Arms off Mill Rd which sells very good food and sells great beer. It is usually full of friendly locals and a good place to meet locals.
If the weather is good, also check out Grantchester, about 40 minutes punting or 20 minutes in a car. It is a meadow by the river just outside Cambridge where there is a little cafe that serve scones with cream and cucumber sandwiches which you can eat on the grass overlooking the river.
posted by ddvid at 7:42 AM on August 25, 2010
Response by poster: Alas, I go tomorrow and the forecast is rain rain rain rain.
posted by srboisvert at 8:19 AM on August 25, 2010
posted by srboisvert at 8:19 AM on August 25, 2010
Best answer: ooh ooh ooh pick me pick me i live here!!!
Punting is great fun but not so much if it's raining. If you do go, stop off at Sainsbury's first and stock up on punt food. I'm partial to bubbly and strawberries (and caramel shortbread).
Pick a couple of colleges and go explore them. You may have to pay admission to the bigger ones, but it's definitely worth it. Trinity, St. John's, and Kings are good bets for starters; they're all in the centre and big. Chat to the porters and ask them interesting things about previous masters of the college, traditions, old buildings, that sort of thing.
Go look at the weird-ass clock.
Have lunch at the Rainbow Café. It's AWESOME.
Wander down Mill Road if you want a "local's view" of the city. It's full of foreign supermarkets and interesting shops.
The Fitzwilliam is fine but very touristy and not at all Cambridgey. YMMV. Kettle's Yard is good and has less of a museum vibe. The folk museum is there too.
You can walk up Castle Hill and see Castle Mound, which has a hell of a view of the city.
Grantchester Meadows is somewhat famous, and a nice walk if the weather's OK. They sell very expensive cream teas there too.
posted by katrielalex at 9:08 AM on August 25, 2010
Punting is great fun but not so much if it's raining. If you do go, stop off at Sainsbury's first and stock up on punt food. I'm partial to bubbly and strawberries (and caramel shortbread).
Pick a couple of colleges and go explore them. You may have to pay admission to the bigger ones, but it's definitely worth it. Trinity, St. John's, and Kings are good bets for starters; they're all in the centre and big. Chat to the porters and ask them interesting things about previous masters of the college, traditions, old buildings, that sort of thing.
Go look at the weird-ass clock.
Have lunch at the Rainbow Café. It's AWESOME.
Wander down Mill Road if you want a "local's view" of the city. It's full of foreign supermarkets and interesting shops.
The Fitzwilliam is fine but very touristy and not at all Cambridgey. YMMV. Kettle's Yard is good and has less of a museum vibe. The folk museum is there too.
You can walk up Castle Hill and see Castle Mound, which has a hell of a view of the city.
Grantchester Meadows is somewhat famous, and a nice walk if the weather's OK. They sell very expensive cream teas there too.
posted by katrielalex at 9:08 AM on August 25, 2010
Just additional - yes, do see the clock. Also if you want a panoramic view you can go up the tower of Great St Mary's church - or Castle Mound is also good, particularly if you were thinking of going up Castle Hill to Cocum for lunch say.
posted by crocomancer at 1:21 PM on August 25, 2010
posted by crocomancer at 1:21 PM on August 25, 2010
Response by poster: What ended up happening:
We went to the botanical gardens - lovely - nice glasshouses.
Walked around town a bit randomly
We went to the Fitzwilliam - nice small museum
We went into the antique shop - not our kind of stuff but definitely fits into that amusing weird quirky single focus english obsessive category
We made it up to Kettle Yard but it was closed by the time we got there. Saw some punting on the way.
We strolled through Parkers Piece and saw the lamppost on our way down Mill Road to Bacchanailia where I picked up 5 lovely Belgians I hadn't tried before.
The weather was rubbish but the day-trip was a moderate success. Thanks for the tips.
posted by srboisvert at 1:17 PM on September 25, 2010
We went to the botanical gardens - lovely - nice glasshouses.
Walked around town a bit randomly
We went to the Fitzwilliam - nice small museum
We went into the antique shop - not our kind of stuff but definitely fits into that amusing weird quirky single focus english obsessive category
We made it up to Kettle Yard but it was closed by the time we got there. Saw some punting on the way.
We strolled through Parkers Piece and saw the lamppost on our way down Mill Road to Bacchanailia where I picked up 5 lovely Belgians I hadn't tried before.
The weather was rubbish but the day-trip was a moderate success. Thanks for the tips.
posted by srboisvert at 1:17 PM on September 25, 2010
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posted by futureisunwritten at 5:54 AM on August 25, 2010