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89km (55 miles) N of London; 129km (80 miles) NE of Oxford The university town of Cambridge is a collage of images: the Bridge of Sighs; spires and turrets; drooping willows; dusty secondhand bookshops; carol-singing on Christmas Eve in King's College Chapel; dancing until sunrise at the May balls; Elizabethan madrigals; narrow lanes upon which Darwin, Newton, and Cromwell once walked; the "Backs" where the college lawns sweep down to the River Cam; tattered black robes of hurrying upperclassmen flying in the wind. Along with Oxford, Cambridge is one of Britain's ancient seats of learning. In many ways their stories are similar, particularly the age-old conflict between town and gown. Cambridge can name-drop with the best of them, citing alumni such as Isaac Newton, John Milton, and Virginia Woolf. Cambridge continues to graduate many famous scientists such as physicist Stephen Hawking, author of A Brief History of Time. In the 1990s, Cambridge became known as a high-tech outpost, or "a silicon fen," if you will. High-tech ventures continue to base themselves here to produce new software -- start-up companies produce £2 billion ($3.8 billion) a year in revenues. Even Bill Gates, in 1997, financed an £80-million ($152-million) research center here, claiming that Cambridge was becoming "a world center of advanced technology." Back to Top Note: This inform
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| History (Source: WCities) | Top | Chapels, colleges, alleyways, laboratories, libraries; all have a tale to tell. If only the stones could speak – and they do! Henry VIII clutching a chair leg; the grave of Captain Cook’s wife, so far from her husband; Christopher Wren’s first building; the Washington family’s coat-of-arms (which inspired the Stars and Stripes). All can be found if you know where to look. Coming out of the railway station , you join Hills Road. Taking this northward, you follow in the footsteps of Roman legions marching from Colchester. They continued their path till they reached the river, which was forded and later bridged. The crossing point (now Magdalene Street Bridge) with nearby hill ( Castle Hill ) proved an ideal place to settle, and the town of Durolipons was born. After the Romans, others came and went: Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and Normans, all remembered in the local parish names (St Clement, St Bene’t and St Giles reflect three different Christian cultures, and the Anglo-Saxon tower of St Bene’t’s is now the oldest surviving building in the city). The centre of the town moved south to the current market area . With an 11th-century population of some 1,600, Cambridge was one of eastern England’s largest towns. Growth continued into the 13th century. In 1209, King John declared Cambridge a royal borough; a merchant’s guild was established, and regular fairs were held on Midsummer Common . Many goods were transported by boat, and Cambridge’s wharf trade boomed. Thou
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| How To Get There (Source: WCities) | Top | Getting There Air Cambridge City Airport ( +44 1223 373765 / http://www.cambridgecityairport.com/ ) offers limited regional service to destinations throughout England. Cambridge is accessible by train or coach from London City Airport ( http://www.londoncityairport.com/ ), London Gatwick Airport ( http://www.gatwickairport.com/ ), London Heathrow Airport ( http://www.heathrowairport.com/ ), London Luton Airport ( http://www.london-luton.co.uk/en/ ), and London Stansted Airport ( http://www.stanstedairport.com/ ). All airports are located about 30 miles ( 50 km ) south of Cambridge. Airlines offering services to these airports include: Air France ( http://www.airfrance.com/ ) Air India ( http://www.airindia.com/ ) Alitalia ( http://www.alitalia.com/ ) British Airways ( http://www.british-airways.com/ ) Continental Airlines ( http://www.continental.com/ ) KLM ( http://www.klm.com/uk_en/index.jsp/ ) Lufthansa ( http://portal.lufthansa.com/ ) Ryanair ( http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/ ) Swiss Airlines ( http://www.swiss.com/ ) Thomson Fly ( +43 0192 89 598 / http://www.thomsonfly.com/ ) Zoom Airlines ( +1 613 231 7340 / http://www.flyzoom.com/ ) From the Airport Rental Cars: The following companies provide rental services from London Airports. Cambridge is easily accessible to the M11, A14, and A10 Motorways. Alamo ( http://www.alamo.com/ ) Hertz ( http://www.hertz.com/ ) Enterpri
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| What To Do (Source: WCities) | Top | Theatre Cambridge is considered a breeding ground for performing arts talent – but why not judge for yourself? For student-led performances (for example at the ADC Theatre , as well as in the many colleges), see the Listings sections of the two student newspapers The Cambridge Student and Varsity , for details of the plays and events showing during university term-time. As at Oxford, many a famous thesp has honed his or her craft at the university . All year round drama is, of course, available at various locations throughout the city. The Cambridge Drama Centre , off Mill Road offers an alternative approach and concentrates on hosting productions from outside Cambridge. By contrast, The Cambridge Arts Theatre (and The Playroom ) in St Edward’s Passage, offers mainstream theatre and the very best family orientated shows in town as well as more eclectic productions. The ADC Theatre on Park Street plays host to numerous productions – and also has at least 20 student shows a year, including themed productions at key times in the year (for example, Christmas), as well as comedy shows. Cinema There are two cinemas in Cambridge: the multiplex style Warner Brothers Village (at The Grafton Centre ) which offers all the latest blockbusters, and the Cambridge Arts Picture House on St Andrew’s Street which shows a huge variety of less mainstream and foreign language films each week. Themed weeks are a specialty of this cinema, and its cafe
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