Home > Cambridge
 | | | |
Learn more about "Cambridge"
|
|
|
Cambridge
The city status in the United Kingdom|city of '''Cambridge''' ( ) is a College town|university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies about 50 miles (80 km) north of London. It is also at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen.
Cambridge is best known for the University of Cambridge, which includes the renowned Cavendish Laboratory, King's College Chapel, Cambridge|King's College Chapel, and the Cambridge University Library. The Cambridge skyline is dominated by the last two buildings, along with the chimney of Addenbrooke's Hospital in the far south of the city and St John's College, Cambridge|St John's College Chapel tower in the north. The pronunciation of the city's name is distinct from that of Cambridge, Gloucestershire|Cambridge in Gloucestershire, England, which is .
According to the 2001 United Kingdom census, the City's population was 108,863 (including 22,153 students), and the population of the urban area (which includes parts of South Cambridgeshire district) is estimated to be 130,000.
History
Prehistory
Settlements have existed around this area of East Anglia since before the Roman Empire. The earliest clear evidence of occupation were the remains of a 3,500-year-old farmstead discovered at the site of Fitzwilliam College["Bronze Age site is found in city", BBC News, 17 January 2008 retrieved 1 November 2008]. There is further archaeological evidence through the Iron Age, a Belgic tribe having settled on Castle Hill in the 1st century BC.
Roman times
The first major development of the area began with the Roman invasion of Britain in about 40|AD 40. Castle Hill made Cambridge a useful place for a military outpost from which to defend the River Cam. It was also the crossing point for the Via Devana which linked Colchester, England|Colchester in Essex, England|Essex with the garrisons at Lincoln, England|Lincoln and the north. This Roman settlement has been identified as ''Duroliponte''.
The settlement remained a regional centre during the 350 years after the Roman occupation, until about AD 400. Roman roads and walled enclosures can still be seen in the area.
Saxon and Viking age
After the Romans had left, Anglo-Saxons|Saxons took over the land on and around Castle Hill. Their grave goods have been found in the area. During Anglo-Saxon times Cambridge benefited from good trade links across the otherwise hard-to-travel fenlands. By the 7th century, however, visitors from nearby Ely reported that Cambridge had declined severely. Cambridge is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as Grantebrycge.
The arrival of the Vikings in Cambridge was recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 875. Viking rule, the Danelaw, had been imposed by 878. The Vikings' vigorous trading habits caused Cambridge to grow rapidly. During this period the centre of the town shifted from Castle Hill on the left bank of the river to the area now known as the Quayside on the right bank. After the end of the Viking period the Saxons enjoyed a brief return to power, building St Bene't's [The Index] church in 1025, which still stands in Bene't Street.
Norman times
In 1068, two years after his conquest of England, William of Normandy built a Cambridge Castle|castle on Castle Hill. Like the rest of the new kingdom, Cambridge fell under the control of the King and his deputies. The distinctive The Holy Sepulchre, Cambridge|Round Church dates from this period. By Norman times the name of the town had mutated to Grentabrige or Cantebrigge (Grantbridge), while the river that flowed through it was called the Granta.
Over time the name of the town changed to Cambridge, while the river Cam was still known as the Granta — indeed the Upper River (the stretch between the Millpond in Cambridge and Grantchester) is correctly known as the Granta to this day. The Welsh language name of the town remains ''Caergrawnt'' (roughly analogous to Grantchester, which is also the name of a village near Cambridge). It was only later that the river became known as the Cam, by analogy with the name Cambridge. The University, formed 1209, uses a Latin adjective ''cantabrigiensis'' (often contracted to "Cantab") to mean "of Cambridge", but this is obviously a retronym|back-formation from the English name.
Beginnings of the university
In 1209, students escaping from hostile townspeople in Oxford fled to Cambridge and formed a university there. The oldest college that still exists, Peterhouse, Cambridge|Peterhouse, was founded in 1284. One of the most impressive buildings in Cambridge, King's College Chapel, Cambridge|King's College Chapel, was begun in 1446 by Henry VI of England|King Henry VI. The project was completed in 1515 during the reign of Henry VIII of England|King Henry VIII.
Cambridge University Press originated with a printing licence issued in 1534. Hobson's Conduit, the first project to bring clean drinking water to the town centre, was built in 1610 (by the Hobson of Hobson's choice). Parts of it survive today. Addenbrooke's Hospital was founded in 1766. The railway and Cambridge railway station|station were built in 1845. According to legend, the University dictated their location: well away from the centre of town, so that the possibility of quick access to London would not distract students from their work. However, there is no basis for this in written record.
Despite having a university, Cambridge was not granted its city status in the United Kingdom|city charter until 1951. Cambridge does not have a List of Church of England dioceses|cathedral (traditionally a pre-requisite for city status), and falls within the Church of England Diocese of Ely.
Original historical documents relating to the ''town'' of Cambridge (as opposed to the university or colleges within Cambridge) are held by Cambridgeshire Archives and Local Studies at the County Record Office Cambridge and at the Cambridgeshire Collection. These records include original registers for the parish churches dating back to the 1530s, local government records, maps, photographs, and records of some businesses, schools and charities.
Cambridge today
Cambridge is now one of East Anglia's major settlements, along with Norwich, Ipswich and Peterborough. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the size of the city was greatly increased by several large council estates planned to hold London overspill. The biggest impact has been on the area north of the river, which is now home to the estates of Arbury, East Chesterton and King's Hedges, while there are many smaller estates to the south of the city.
Drawing on its links with the University, the Cambridge area today is sometimes referred to as Silicon Fen, due to the growth of high tech businesses and business incubator|technology incubators that have sprung up in the series of science parks and other developments in and around the city. Such companies include Abcam plc|Abcam, a global online antibody retailer, CSR plc|CSR, world leader in Bluetooth chips, Acorn Computers (now ARM Limited|ARM) and Sinclair Research Ltd|Sinclair. Microsoft chose to locate its Microsoft Research UK offices in a University of Cambridge technology park, separate from the main Microsoft UK campus in Reading|Reading, Berkshire. Cambridge was also the home of Pye|Pye Limited famous in the last century for early wireless and TV sets. In later years Pye evolved into several other companies including Pye Telecommunications (now Sepura, famous for TETRA radio equipment). Another major business is Marshall Aerospace located on the eastern edge of the city. Such businesses and their early stage precursors are well networked within the Cambridge Network.
The University was joined by the larger part of Anglia Ruskin University, and the educational reputation has led to other bodies (such as The Open University in the East of England) basing themselves in the city.
Governance
Local government
Cambridge is a non-metropolitan district served by Cambridge City Council, England|a city council. The city council's headquarters are in the Guildhall [Cambridge City Council: Council buildings information: Guildhall information], a large building in the market square. City councillors elect a mayor annually. Cambridge has had a mayor since 1213.
- 28 Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrat councillors
- 11 Labour Party (UK)|Labour councillors
- 1 Green Party of England and Wales|Green councillor
- 1 Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative councillor
- 1 Independent councillor
The Liberal Democrats have controlled the city council since 2000.
Westminster
The British House of Commons|parliamentary Cambridge (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency of Cambridge covers most of the city. David Howarth (Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat) was elected Member of Parliament (MP) at the United Kingdom general election, 2005|2005 general election, winning the seat from the sitting MP, Labour Party (UK)|Labour's Anne Campbell. One area of town, the Queen Edith's ward[Election maps - Ordnance Survey] — lies in the
South Cambridgeshire (UK Parliament constituency)|South Cambridgeshire constituency, whose MP is Andrew Lansley (Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative), first elected in United Kingdom general election, 1997|1997. The city had previously elected a Labour MP from 1992 to 2005 and prior to this, usually elected a Conservative after the Second World War. However, the Conservatives came third in the last General Election and have seen their share of the vote fall over the past 20 years.
The University of Cambridge|University used to have a seat in the House of Commons, Isaac Newton|Sir Isaac Newton being one of the most notable holders. The Cambridge University (UK Parliament constituency)|Cambridge University constituency was abolished under 1948 legislation, and ceased at the dissolution of Parliament for the United Kingdom general election, 1950|1950 general election, along with the other university constituency|university constituencies.
Geography
Districts
In 2001 the area inside the inner ring road was divided into eight areas, called Kite, Regent, Downing, Queens, Jesus, Quayside, Brunswick and Fitzroy.[Cambridge Cycling Campaign » Newsletter 34 (February/March 2001)] Some of these names (e.g. Kite[The Kite]) are historic and well-established. Outside this, areas of the city include Arbury, Chesterton, Cherry Hinton, King's Hedges, Newnham, Cambridgeshire|Newnham, Petersfield, Romsey Town and Trumpington, Cambridgeshire|Trumpington.
Transport
Roads
Because of its rapid growth in the 20th century, Cambridge has a congested road network. Several major roads intersect at Cambridge. The M11 motorway from east London terminates here. The A14 road (England)|A14 (formerly A604 and A45) east–west trunk route skirts the northern edge of the city. This is a major freight route connecting the port of Felixstowe on the east coast with the Midlands, North Wales, the west coast and Ireland. The A14 is often congested, particularly the section between Huntingdon and Cambridge where the east–west traffic is merged with the A1 road (Great Britain)|A1 to M11 motorway|M11 north–south traffic on a 2-lane dual carriageway. The A10 road (Great Britain)|A10, a former Roman road from north London, passes round the city on its way to Ely and King's Lynn. Other roads connect the city with Bedford, Bedfordshire|Bedford, St Neots, Newmarket and Colchester, England|Colchester.
The city has a ring road about a mile and a half in diameter, inside which there are traffic restrictions. It has a well developed bus service including five Park and Ride sites encouraging motorists to park near the city's edge,four of which (in Babraham Road, Trumpington, Madingley Road and Newmarket Road) operate 7 days a week.[http://www.parkandride.net/cambridge/cambridge_frameset.shtml Cambridge sites at the National Park and Ride Directory]
Rail
Cambridge railway station was built in 1845 with a platform designed to take two full-length trains, one of the longest in the country. Cambridge has direct rail links to King's Cross railway station|King's Cross (via Hitchin and the East Coast Main Line) and Liverpool Street station|Liverpool Street (via the West Anglia Main Line) stations in London. There is a direct shuttle service to London King's Cross every half hour during off peak hours, taking only 45 minutes to reach London. Peak hour trains to King's Cross all have additional stops, and take between 55 and 65 minutes. It is also linked to King's Lynn and Ely (via the Fen Line), Norwich, England|Norwich (via the Breckland Line), Leicester, Birmingham, Ipswich and to London Stansted Airport. The important UK rail hub of Peterborough is also within reach of Cambridge. The railway service connecting Cambridge and Oxford, known as the Varsity Line, was discontinued in 1968.
Air
The city's airport is known as Cambridge Airport|Marshall Airport Cambridge UK (formerly Cambrdge City Airport) and is owned by Marshall Aerospace. Although the runway can accommodate an unladen Boeing 747 or McDonnell Douglas MD-11|MD-11 and ScotAirways used to make scheduled flights to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, there are no regular scheduled passenger services in 2008 and the airport is used mainly by business, leisure and training flights.[http://www.cambridgecityairport.com/ "Cambridge Airport"][http://www.masfcambridge.com/ "Cambridge Flying Club" ][http://www.cambridgeaeroclub.co.uk/"Cambridge Aero Club"] In 2004 a Charter airline|charter service to Jersey was operated by Aurigny Air Services using Saab 340 turboprop aircraft. A dealer in Glass-reinforced plastic|fibreglass-moulded light monoplanes is also based at the airport. Removal of Marshalls to a site away from the city, with development of the airport site for housing, is a possibility over the next 5-10 years.[[http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_business_companies/displayarticle.asp?id=148868 "At Cambridge East, centred on the airport, there are plans for 12,000 homes - if and when Marshalls relocate." Cambridge Evening News, "Shaping the Future of a Growing City", 26 June 2007 retrieved 9 August 2008]
The London airports at London Luton Airport|Luton and London Stansted Airport|Stansted are both within 30 miles (50 km) of Cambridge.
Cycling
As a university town lying on fairly flat ground and with traffic congestion, Cambridge has a large number of cyclists. Many residents also prefer cycling to driving in the narrow, busy streets, giving the city the highest level of cycle use in the UK.[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/SearchRes.asp?term=KS15&btnSubmit=Search UK Census 2001] According to the 2001 census, 25% of residents travelled to work by bicycle. A few roads within the city are adapted for cycling, including separate traffic lights for cycle lanes and cycle contraflows on streets which are otherwise one-way; the city also benefits from parks which have shared use paths. There are, however, no separate cycle paths within the city centre. Despite the high levels of cycling, expenditure on cycling infrastructure is around the national average of 0.3% of the transport budget. There are a few cycle routes in the surrounding countryside and the city is now linked to the National Cycle Network. The main organisation campaigning to improve conditions for cyclists in Cambridge is the Cambridge Cycling Campaign.[Cambridge Cycling Campaign]
Bike theft in the city is a problem, with over 3000 bicycles reported stolen between April 2005 and March 2006. The actual number is believed to be higher as many thefts are not reported to the police.Guided bus
Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, set to be the world's longest guided busway, is under construction and will pass through Cambridge.[http://www2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/db/pressrel.nsf/cac74a2aba838b5d80256b56004e53ab/edcbd21f6a9cf5b880257295004c237b?OpenDocument Secretary Of State Celebrates Start Of Works On Guided Busway] It will run on the road from Huntingdon to St Ives, Cambridgeshire|St Ives, then along a disused railway line to north Cambridge, where it rejoins the road, to the city's Cambridge railway station|railway station from where it will be guided to Addenbrooke's Hospital and Trumpington, Cambridgeshire|Trumpington.[http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/guided/ Cambridgeshire Guided Busway] The scheme, budgeted at £116.2 million, is scheduled to open in early 2009.
[http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/40F67C0E-CB57-4327-A7BE-440650E8B822/0/CGBleafletweb.pdf Guided Busway leaflet] The scheme has been heavily criticised by campaigners who believe that the route would be better served by a rail link.Culture
Sport
Football
Cambridge played a unique role in the invention of modern association football|football as the game's first set of rules were drawn up by members of the university in 1848. The Cambridge Rules were first played in Parker's Piece and had a "defining influence on the 1863 The Football Association|Football Association rules."Rugby
Cambridge's most successful sports team over recent years is rugby union club Cambridge R.U.F.C.. After three successive promotions they managed to survive their debut season in National Division Two 2006–07. The club's home ground is at West Renault Park on Granchester Road in the south west corner of the city. Cambridge Eagles rugby league team play in the National Conference League East Section during the summer months, often drawing on rugby union players keen to continue playing rugby throughout the year.
Other sports
As well as being the home of the Cambridge Rules in football, Parker's Piece was used for first-class cricket matches from 1817 to 1864.[List of first-class matches on Parker's Piece] The University of Cambridge's Cricket ground, Fenner's, is located in the city and is one of the home grounds for minor counties team Cambridgeshire CCC.[Cambridge University Real Tennis Club] British American Football League club Cambridgeshire Cats play at Coldham's Common.
Motorcycle speedway racing took place at the Greyhound Stadium in Newmarket Road in 1939. It is not known if this venue operated in other years. The team raced as Newmarket as the meetings were organised by the Newmarket Motorcycle Club.
Varsity sports
Cambridge is also known for its University of Cambridge|university sporting events against University of Oxford|Oxford, especially the rugby union The Varsity Match|Varsity Match and the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race|Boat Race. These are followed by people across the globe, many of whom have no connection to the institutions themselves.
Theatre
Cambridge's main theatre is the Cambridge Arts Theatre|Arts Theatre, a venue with 666 seats in the town centre.[Cambridge Arts Theatre Website] The theatre often has touring shows, as well as those by local companies.
There are many amateur theatre groups in Cambridge, often producing plays of a very high standard. The ADC Theatre is managed by the University of Cambridge, and typically has 3 shows a week during term time. The Mumford Theatre is part of Anglia Ruskin University, and hosts shows by both student and non student groups. There are also a number of venues within the colleges.
Cambridge in literature and film
- Gwen Raverat, the granddaughter of Charles Darwin, talked about her late Victorian Cambridge childhood in her memoir ''Period Piece (book)|Period Piece''.
- In the 1950s, the English children's writer Philippa Pearce created a fictionalised version of Cambridge known as "Castleford" (not connected to the Castleford|real town of the same name in West Yorkshire). It appears in several of her books, most notably ''Tom's Midnight Garden'' and ''Minnow on the Say''. The main distinguishing point between "Castleford" and the real Cambridge is that this "Castleford" does not have a university.
- Tom Sharpe is also a Cambridge-based author who has written fictional accounts of teaching at Cambridge Technical College (now Anglia Ruskin University) and of Cambridge college life. His fictional "Porterhouse College" appears in many of his novels.
- Susanna Gregory wrote a series of novels set in 14th century Cambridge and featuring a teacher of medicine and sleuth named Matthew Bartholomew.
- Douglas Adams was at one time a resident of Cambridge, and parts of his novel ''Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency'' are set in the city. This novel was partially reworked from his unbroadcast Doctor Who serial ''Shada'', which also included scenes in Cambridge. The television serial Shada was filmed in Cambridge, but was never finished due to strike action.
- Sylvia Plath, who studied at the University of Cambridge, wrote a number of short stories with a Cambridge setting which are published in the collection ''Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams''.
- Dame Rose Macaulay had strong connections to the city, and set part of her novel ''They Were Defeated'' in the city during the reign of Charles I of England|Charles I.
- Kate Atkinson used the town as the setting for her book ''Case Histories (novel)|Case Histories''.
- Michelle Spring wrote a series of novels about a Cambridge-based private detective, Laura Principal, beginning with ''Every Breath You Take'' (1994).
- Rebecca Stott's ''Ghostwalk'' (2007) is set in the Cambridge of today and of Sir Isaac Newton's time.
- Robert Harris's "Enigma" was partly set in Cambridge, when the leading character, Thomas Jericho, was sent to King's College to recover from a nervous break down. Much of the story describes the centre and west of Cambridge in much detail. The story itself was set in the middle of world war two. The rest of the story was set in Bletchley Park.
- Silent Witness was filmed for large parts in Cambridge.
Music
Popular music
Most notable of the bands that formed in Cambridge are Pink Floyd, the band's former songwriter guitarist and vocalist Syd Barrett was born and lived in the city. He and other founder member Roger Waters went to school together at Cambridgeshire High School for Boys and David Gilmour was also a Cambridge resident and attended the nearby Perse School. Other bands who formed in Cambridge include Henry Cow, Katrina and the Waves, The Soft Boys,Festivals and events
- Midsummer Common|Midsummer Fair is one of the oldest fairs in the UK and at one point was possibly the largest medieval fair in Europe. Today it exists primarily as an annual funfair with the vestige of a market attached.
- Cambridge Folk Festival is one of the largest festivals of folk music in the UK
- Strawberry Fair is a free music and children's fair, with a series of market stalls. It is held the first Saturday in June on Midsummer Common.
- Cambridge Beer Festival, which began in 1974, takes place on Jesus Green for one week in May every year and offers nearly 200 different beers[http://www.cambridgebeerfestival.com/summer/images/34th_poster.png].
- The Cambridge Film Festival is considered to be one of the nation's best. Formerly held annually in July, it was moved in 2008 to September to avoid a clash with the rescheduled Edinburgh Film FestivalPublic services
Cambridge is served by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with several smaller medical centres around the city and a general hospital at Addenbrooke's Hospital|Addenbrookes. Addenbrookes is a learning and teaching hospital, one of the largest in the United Kingdom, and functions as a centre for medical research.
Population
In the United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 Census (held during University term), 89.44% of Cambridge residents identified themselves as white people|white, compared with a national average of 92.12%.[Office For National Statistics 2001 Census (Ethnic group, Cambridge local authority)] Within the University, 84% of undergraduates and 80% of post-graduates identify as white (including overseas students).[University of Cambridge Fact Sheet: Ethnicity, retrieved 17 January 2008]
Cambridge has a much higher than average proportion of people in the highest paid professional, managerial or administrative jobs (32.6% vs. 23.5%)[ONS 2001 Census (Approximated Social Grade - Workplace Population, Cambridge local authority)] and a much lower than average proportion of manual workers (27.6% vs. 40.2%).[Ibid.] In addition, a much higher than average proportion of people have a high level qualification (e.g. degree, HND, qualified doctor), (41.2% vs. 19.9%).[ONS 2001 Census (Qualifications, Cambridge local authority)]
Historical population
References
External links
- Cambridge City Council
-
- The Cambridge Market Place Webcam
Category:Cambridge|
Category:Cities in England
Category:County towns in England
Category:Local government in Cambridgeshire
Category:Shire districts
Category:University towns
Category:Articles including recorded pronunciations (UK English)
simple:Cambridge
bat-smg:Kėmbrėdžos
Related Images
Sources: StartLearningNow, Wikipedia | Usage license: GNU FDL
 |
Welcome to Start Learning Now.
Explore to your heart's content, and we hope you enjoy reading the material we
have assembled for you here! |
 |
| | | | |
Related News
|
|
Further Resources
|
|
Related Resources
search
|
|
