15 Interesting Facts About Cambridge
1. The city’s name is known around the world, but it wasn’t always called Cambridge. In the Middle Ages it was known as Grantabridge, meaning the bridge over the river Granta.
2. University of Cambridge celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2009.
3. Cambridge is the cycling capital of the UK, with around a third of trips in the town made by bike.
4. Jesus Green Lido, a popular swimming spot in Cambridge, it is one of the longest outdoor pools in Europe.
5. One of Cambridge’s most eye-catching pieces of public art is the Snowy Farr sculpture in the Market SquareCreated by Gary Webb.
6. The Mathematical Bridge is something of an architectural feat, using exclusively straight pieces of timber to create an elegant arched appearance.
7. St Bene’t’s Church is the oldest church in Cambridgeshire as well as the oldest building in Cambridge, dating back to the 11th century.
8. The Corpus Clock depicts a golden, grasshopper-like monster eating time. Unlike a traditional clock, it has no hands, but you can tell the time by using the three rings of LED.
9. One of the most famous figures in English history, Oliver Cromwell, was laid to rest at Westminster Abbey, but his head was reburied in the chapel of Sidney Sussex, his old Cambridge college.
10. Head to the Museum of Zoology, you will be greeted by an enormous fin whale skeleton. Measuring 21 metres, it’s one of the largest of its kind ever recorded.
11. Cambridge is home to one of the most famous student theatre troupes in the world: the Footlights, founded in the 1880s.
12. Cambridge University Library is one of the UK’s six legal deposit libraries, which means it receives a copy of every book published in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
13. First World War poet Rupert Brooke studied at King’s College, Cambridge, and spent time living in Grantchester.
14. Cambridge has provided a stunning backdrop to many films and TV series, most recently for the film ‘The Theory of Everything’, based on the life of world famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who studied at Cambridge University.
15. The imposing lamppost in the centre of Parker’s Piece bears the words ”Reality Checkpoint”, it is believed to date from around 1860 and is said to be the oldest remaining electrical lamppost in the city. Visit Cambridge
2. University of Cambridge celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2009.
3. Cambridge is the cycling capital of the UK, with around a third of trips in the town made by bike.
4. Jesus Green Lido, a popular swimming spot in Cambridge, it is one of the longest outdoor pools in Europe.
5. One of Cambridge’s most eye-catching pieces of public art is the Snowy Farr sculpture in the Market SquareCreated by Gary Webb.
6. The Mathematical Bridge is something of an architectural feat, using exclusively straight pieces of timber to create an elegant arched appearance.
7. St Bene’t’s Church is the oldest church in Cambridgeshire as well as the oldest building in Cambridge, dating back to the 11th century.
8. The Corpus Clock depicts a golden, grasshopper-like monster eating time. Unlike a traditional clock, it has no hands, but you can tell the time by using the three rings of LED.
9. One of the most famous figures in English history, Oliver Cromwell, was laid to rest at Westminster Abbey, but his head was reburied in the chapel of Sidney Sussex, his old Cambridge college.
10. Head to the Museum of Zoology, you will be greeted by an enormous fin whale skeleton. Measuring 21 metres, it’s one of the largest of its kind ever recorded.
11. Cambridge is home to one of the most famous student theatre troupes in the world: the Footlights, founded in the 1880s.
12. Cambridge University Library is one of the UK’s six legal deposit libraries, which means it receives a copy of every book published in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
13. First World War poet Rupert Brooke studied at King’s College, Cambridge, and spent time living in Grantchester.
14. Cambridge has provided a stunning backdrop to many films and TV series, most recently for the film ‘The Theory of Everything’, based on the life of world famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who studied at Cambridge University.
15. The imposing lamppost in the centre of Parker’s Piece bears the words ”Reality Checkpoint”, it is believed to date from around 1860 and is said to be the oldest remaining electrical lamppost in the city. Visit Cambridge
