Great city walks: Cambridge

Distance 3.1 miles/5 km
Typical duration 2 hours
Start and finish Cambridge YHA
Start postcode CB1 2DN
Step-by-step details and maps ramblers.org.uk/cambridgeroute

In a nutshell

Cambridge is a strikingly good-looking city whichever direction you look in – gorgeous architecture and the riverside setting make a walk here a pleasure any time of year. You could wander aimlessly to take in the sights, but follow this circular route for a whistle-stop tour of some of the city’s most beautiful buildings, including 13 of the university’s famous colleges.

You’ll also pass some lovely old churches, possibly catch a glimpse down a passage into Fenner’s, the university cricket ground, and visit the picturesque area of the Backs on the river Cam.

Why it’s special

The route is crammed with pretty sights and buildings – so keep your eyes peeled, and watch out for over-enthusiastic cyclists. Colleges you’ll tick off along the way include King’s, Pembroke, Peterhouse and Trinity (the bridge near here is a good place to watch the punts go by).

Cambridge is so historically rich you’ll discover plenty of interesting titbits of information along the way. Parker’s Piece, for example, a large, flat common in the centre of town, is regarded as the place where the rules of association football were invented in the 19th century. In summer it’s a popular hangout for picnickers and students enjoying the sunshine. Near the Fitzwilliam Museum you might notice Hobson’s Conduit, built to supply water to Cambridge in 1614, or you may want to stop at the Scott Polar Research Institute museum, near the Department of Chemistry.

The colleges aren’t the only beautiful buildings you’ll see. Noteworthy churches include St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity and Great St Mary’s, the university church. Climb to the top of church tower (for a fee), from where you can see across the towering colleges and city to the rolling Cambridgeshire countryside beyond.

The classical building of Senate House, where the university holds its ceremonial events, is also on the route, as is the Backs, a picturesque area where colleges back on to the Cam – another pretty place to stop and spend a lazy hour or two watching punters on the river.

Reward yourself

Open since the early 1920s, Fitzbillies cake shop and restaurant makes a great place to stop for coffee, lunch or afternoon tea – don’t miss out on their famous sticky Chelsea bun. From Thursday to Saturday it’s open for dinner too, with a menu offering the likes of porter pie, with beef chunks cooked in secret-recipe gravy

Get there

The starting point is less than a 10-minute walk from Cambridge rail station. Many buses also stop nearby. Visit travelineeastanglia.org.uk