Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
King's College
HISTORIC SITE Henry VI founded King's College in 1441,
and although most of its buildings date from the 18th century and later, the world-
famous
King's College Chapel
was started in the Middle Ages and is
regarded as one of Europe's finest Gothic buildings. Rubens's
Adoration of the Magi,
painted in 1634, is a highlight, as are the striking stained-glass windows (most paid
for by Henry VIII). An exhibition in the seven northern side chapels shows why and
how the chapel was built. Carols are broadcast worldwide from the chapel every
Christmas Eve, and there are concerts and organ recitals throughout the year, with
tickets available from the Shop at King's, on King's Parade.
Insider tip:
See the chapel as it should be enjoyed, by attending a service. Even-
song on an early summer's evening is one of the most uplifting experiences you'll ever
have in the city. And while the chapel is beautiful inside, it is best viewed from The
Backs, where you can also take a picnic and have a break from sightseeing. E. M.
Forster came here to contemplate scenes for his novel
Maurice.
King's Parade.
&
01223/331100.
www.kings.cam.ac.uk. Admission £6.50 adults; £4.50 children 12-16,
students, and seniors; free for children 11 and under.
Peterhouse College
HISTORIC SITE This is the oldest Cambridge college,
founded in 1284 by Bishop of Ely Hugh de Balsham. The Hall was built in 1286 but
only the hall remains of the original buildings, rebuilt in the 1860s in the Gothic
Revival style by Sir George Gilbert Scott, who was responsible for the Parliament
buildings in London. The stained-glass windows were designed by British Arts and
13
punting
ON THE CAM
You haven't really experienced Cam-
bridge if you haven't been punting on
the
River Cam.
There's nothing more
enjoyable on a sunny day than sitting
back in one of the flat-bottomed
wooden boats and gliding elegantly
past the ivy-covered colleges and their
immaculate gardens along the mirror-
like river. All you have to do is put the
long pole, about 5m (16 ft.), straight
down into the shallow water until it
finds the riverbed, then gently push
and retrieve the pole in one deft, simple
movement. Actually, it's easy once you
know how to do it, but watching inexpe-
rienced enthusiasts lose their pole or
steer into the riverbed is a traditional
form of entertainment in Cambridge.
Rent a punt from
Scudamore's Punting
Company
any time of the year to punt
past The Backs from its Magdalene
Bridge or Mill Lane stations, or you can
punt up to Grantchester from its Mill
Lane Boatyard in Granta Place, Mill Lane
(
&
01223/359750;
www.scudamores.
com). Punts cost £18 per hour (maxi-
mum of six people per punt). A credit
card imprint is required as deposit.
Grantchester
is 2 miles upriver, and was
immortalized by the World War I poet
Rupert Brooke in “The Soldier”: “Stands
the Church clock at ten to three? And
is there honey still for tea?” asks the
poem, and in fact the church clock was
left frozen in time at 10 minutes to three
when it was stopped for repairs in 1985.
If you walk the 1 mile from the river at
Grantchester Meadows
to the village
you can see for yourself, and have tea
at the
Orchard Tea Garden
(
&
01223/
551125;
www.orchard-grantchester.com)
near the church or have a drink at the
400-year-old pub
The Green Man,
in the
High Street (
&
01223/844669;
www.
thegreenmangrantchester.co.uk).
