Cambridge Become a Disney Travel Agent Near Me

Overview

Introduction

Cambridge, England, is a picturesque town, built where an ancient bridge crossed the River Cam (Cam-Bridge). Located 50 mi/80 km north of London, Cambridge is best known for its university, which was founded in the 13th century.

While in town, meander among the old stone university buildings, stopping at the 16th-century King's College Chapel, Trinity College's Great Court and Wren Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Plan to stroll through the botanic gardens, and, if your timing is good, hear a performance by one of the colleges' fine choirs (try for an evensong service at one of the chapels).

If time permits, spend a few hours punting (boating) on the slow-moving part of the river, which flows past some of Cambridge's oldest buildings. Note the wooden Mathematical Bridge at Queen's College. Originally built without nails, it fits together like a puzzle (which generations of drunken students could take apart but not put back together). Today, alas, it is securely fastened by bolts.

Excursions can be made to Ely (to see the magnificent Gothic Ely Cathedral), Saffron Walden (to see its lovely half-timbered houses and Audley End House, a fine Jacobean manor), Colchester (Britain's oldest city dating from AD 49) and Lavenham (a somewhat touristy but beautifully preserved medieval town).

History

Cambridge is known to have settlements as early as the bronze and iron ages.

The present city was established by the Danes in 875 when they gained control over East England. The Saxons took over Cambridge from the Danes in the 10th century. Since the city stood on the banks of the River Granta, they called it Granta Byrg (Granta Bridge). However, in the course of time, the city was renamed Cambridge and the river was called Cam. Although the Danes burned the small flourishing township, it was soon rebuilt. In fact, the city was burned quite a few times. However, each time, it managed to successfully bounce back to life again.

Toward the early 13th century, Cambridge began to prosper. It also held a fair once a year that was attended by people from all over East England. By this time, Cambridge University had come into existence and owned most parts of the town. Over the years, the university began to expand with many affiliated colleges.

In 1845, Cambridge was connected by rail to London. From the 19th century, Cambridge began to develop rapidly and was home to many notable achievements. Among them were the establishment of a new industry for the manufacture of scientific instruments, the Fulbourn Mental Hospital and the St. Edmunds Hall. The famous Great Bridge in the city was constructed in 1823. In less than a decade, Cambridge set up its first modern police force. The township was granted its city charter in 1951.

Potpourri

Cambridge has specialized dealers from whom you can rent traditional English sports cars, such as the Morgan and Austin-Healey.

A lot of historic inventions have taken place in Cambridge. It was there that Sir Isaac Newton ideated the law of universal gravitation, and Francis Crick and James Watson discovered the concept of the DNA double helix.

A.A. Milne's original manuscript of the beloved children's book Winnie the Pooh can be seen at the Trinity College library.

Cambridge University, a combination of 31 colleges, has been in existence since the early 13th century, making it one of the oldest universities in the world.

Overview

Introduction

Located 55 mi/90 km southeast of Baltimore on the Eastern Shore's Choptank River, Cambridge, Maryland, has several sights that are worth a stop.

The Brannock Maritime Museum has an impressive model ship collection, and the Harriet Tubman Museum (open by appointment) honors the famous black abolitionist and her efforts in helping slaves escape through the Underground Railroad. You can get a feel for the past at the Spocott Windmill, a reproduction of an old mill, and at the adjacent one-room schoolhouse, which was built in the 1800s.

The Old Trinity Church, southwest of town in Church Creek, dates to the late 1600s, making it one of the oldest continuously operated churches in the U.S. If you're a nature lover, don't miss the enormous Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, about 10 mi/16 km south of town. More than 50,000 geese and ducks migrate through the area in the fall. You may also have the chance to spot a resident bald eagle (in the winter) or the endangered Delmarva fox squirrel.