The 'other place' - Cambridge

[Caz]

Although I now live quite close to Oxford (and thoroughly enjoyed the DP visit there), I was brought up close to Cambridge. My daughter had never been, so took her yesterday on the way to Stansted to revisit some of my old haunts.

This was taken from the new bridge, on the way to The Backs:

I was surprised to find that you can no longer enter Kings College from The Backs and that you had to pay to pass through Clare. When I worked in Cambridge in 1970, I used to walk through the grounds of Kings every day.

However, I stumped up for 1 adult and 1 student to get into the Chapel - and it was definitely worth it.

The entrance door is stunning:

.. and of course you have to try to take the ceiling (no flash allowed, had forgotten to take a tripod so this is taken braced on the back of a chair and 'breathing in'!)

And this is Cambridge's version of Tom Tower:

.

By which time it was quite cold and about to rain, so we retired to a tea house...

[Ian]

The chapel was featured in 'How We Built Britain' with David Dimbleby (BBC TV series) - he was able to walk on the upper side of the vaulted ceiling where the stone work meets up along the centre from both sides. It's only a couple of inches thick there and there are spy holes to enable the stone masons to communicate from each side - amazing feat for goodness know how long ago. With all out technology today, we just don't seem to be able to or want to build things like that any more.

Ian

[bigbob]

We took the punt trip up the Cam , when we visited last month .
Nearly got overturned by some mad italians (you'd think they could steer a gondola) .
But it's a fascinating place , pity the universities don't allow visiters .

B..

[Caz]

It is a pity they don't allow visitors - and they were virtually all closed on Saturday. We'd wandered down the county from Huntingdon, visiting one of my old favourite places - Houghton (and before anyone annoys me, that's pronounced "Hoe-tun"!). I'd taken Kat to see the old flour mill, which I used to pass as I cycled through the thicket in St Ives on my way to visit relatives in Hemingford. Unfortunately, the mill wheel had broken in the recent floods and the mill was shrouded in scaffolding and nets.
Here's what it's normally like:

The village itself is also very pretty - chocolate box stuff with thatched cottages, tudor houses and, of course, the river. Just a shame the weather was so overcast and cold (or cold for someone who now lives in central Europe!)

[Pops]

Lovely set of photographs Caz and your right about that entrance door. It looks magnificent.

[Jocelyn Walker]

Oh wow...I'd forgotten just how beautiful those Tudor houses looked! Isn't it funny how Houghton is pronounced differently wherever you go! The posh suburb in Johannesburg is pronounced 'Howton' in Oz....Horton....strange! I really loved both Oxford & Cambridge & all the surrounding areas. The Cotswolds I visited once & ooohhhh....so beautiful! I love cathedrals too....Canterbury especially...Welles etc. I'm fascinated by the clocks, with figures that come out on the chimes! The stories behind the knights etc that are buried in the different cathedrals...Black Knight etc! My sister & her family live in a village near Exeter & I loved visiting the Cathedral there! Watched some archaeologists digging in the grounds there....only few feet down...finding Roman artefacts & remains....fascinating!. (I studied Archaeology & Anthropology in my youth!) There are quite a few old Roman bridges down that way, really great area for photography of all types...nature as well land & seascapes & architecture. I found Bath a fascinating place too!