The River Cam flows through Cambridge in eastern England, enriching the historic and cultural tapestry of the city. It originates near Debden in Essex and stretches for approximately 69 kilometers (43 miles) until it merges with the River Great Ouse at Pope's Corner, south of Ely. The journey of the Cam from Cambridge to the sea spans about 40 miles (64 kilometers), with the river being navigable for a variety of small watercraft, including punts, rowing boats, and small boats.

The River Cam holds a unique place in local history and etymology. Originally named the Granta, the river was later renamed to align with the evolved Middle English name of the city, Cambridge. This linguistic transition is a rare instance where a river's name is derived from a city rather than the customary reverse. Notably, the upper reaches of the River Cam still carry the name Granta, particularly above the Silver Street Bridge in Cambridge. The river also incorporates the Rhee and another tributary known as the Granta, recognized on Ordnance Survey maps with their dual names.

This river is not only crucial for navigation and connectivity-linking to the Great Ouse which in turn connects to England’s canal system through the Middle Level Navigations and the River Nene-but also serves as a hub for various recreational activities. These activities include angling, swimming, and boating, each adding to the river's vibrant local life and tourist appeal.

The River Cam's significance is enhanced by its academic associations, flowing through the heart of Cambridge, a city renowned for its university and rich academic history. This enhances the scenic and cultural value of the river, making it a cherished feature of the cityscape and a focal point for both residents and visitors.

Tip:
In high Summer the river is very crowded. To hire a punt, the lines can get pretty long on weekends (especially when the weather is nice) and it's not inexpensive. Best to be wary about accepting offers from touts for renting the punts, too. You could hire yours from the actual Mill Pond, behind the Granta Pub on Newnham Road. It's a good, smaller alternative to the hustle you often experience with the main rental company, Scudamore's. Make sure you watch the guide boats and observe their technique before taking on your own, though!

Saint John's College, formally known as the College of Saint John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a distinguished constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It was founded by Lady Margaret Beaufort, a prominent Tudor matriarch, and officially established by a charter on April 9, 1511. The college operates as a charitable corporation and focuses on the promotion of education, religion, learning, and research, by its statutes.

Saint John's is one of the largest colleges within the University of Cambridge in terms of student numbers. In 2022, it ranked 6th out of 29 colleges on the Tompkins Table, which is an annual league table of Cambridge colleges, with over 35 percent of its students earning first-class honors. Financially, it is the second wealthiest college in the combined Oxbridge system, following only its neighbor Trinity College, Cambridge.

The college boasts a remarkable list of alumni, including twelve Nobel Prize winners, seven prime ministers, twelve archbishops from various countries, at least two princes, and three saints. Notable former students include Romantic poet William Wordsworth and abolitionists William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson, who played pivotal roles in ending slavery in the British Empire. Prince William also attended a university-run course in estate management at Saint John's in 2014.

Saint John's College is renowned for its choir and the success of its members in various inter-collegiate sports competitions. The college also hosts an annual May Ball, one of the highlights of the Cambridge social calendar. It has historical ties to several significant societies and traditions, including the founding of the Cambridge Apostles and the Cambridge University Moral Sciences Club. The tradition of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race also began with a Saint John's student.

In 2011, Saint John's celebrated its 500th anniversary, a milestone marked by a visit from Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The college continues to uphold its tradition of excellence in academic and extracurricular endeavors, making it a prestigious and integral part of the University of Cambridge.

The Bridge of Sighs in Cambridge is a significant architectural feature of Saint John's College at the University of Cambridge. Named after the famed Venetian bridge, Cambridge's Bridge of Sighs was constructed in 1831 under the design of architect Henry Hutchinson. Despite its name, the bridge bears little resemblance to its Venetian counterpart aside from being covered.

Positioned over the River Cam, the bridge links the college's Third Court with the New Court, a region on the west side of the river known as the Backs. This area was developed as part of the expansion of Saint John's College, which was the first among Cambridge colleges to extend its facilities to the west bank of the Cam. The architectural style of the bridge is Gothic Revival, reflecting the fashionable trend of the era.

The Bridge of Sighs is not only a Grade I listed building but also a prominent tourist attraction in Cambridge, highly admired by historical figures including Queen Victoria, who reportedly favored it above all other places in the city. Its charm and historical significance have made it a beloved spot for many, including former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who was photographed there as a student and during subsequent visits in 1974 and 2000.

The bridge has also been a backdrop for pranks; notably, in 1963 and again in 1968, students daringly dangled cars from the bridge as part of student pranks, though without causing any damage to the structure. Additionally, it has served as a picturesque filming location, appearing in movies such as "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (2007) and "The Theory of Everything" (2014), further cementing its role as an iconic symbol of Cambridge's heritage.

Trinity College, a prestigious constituent of the University of Cambridge in England, is notable not only for its academic excellence but also for its rich history and significant contributions to various fields. Established in 1564 by King Henry VIII through the amalgamation of Michaelhouse and King's Hall, Trinity stands out as the largest and wealthiest college in both Cambridge and Oxford, and it even owns the O2 Arena.

Trinity College has a notable roster of alumni including two members of the British royal family, six British prime ministers, and numerous other distinguished individuals. Among these are 32 Nobel laureates, representing a significant portion of the 90 Nobel prizes awarded to Cambridge affiliates. Some of its most famous alumni include Sir Isaac Newton, King Charles III, and philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein.

Architecturally, Trinity is renowned for its Wren Library, the largest in Cambridge, housing around 300,000 books and open to the public. The library, along with other historic buildings such as the King's Hostel, the Great Gate, and Neville's Court, illustrates the college's commitment to preserving its heritage while providing modern educational facilities.

The Great Gate, an iconic entrance facing Trinity Street, is usually the first glimpse visitors get of the college. Above its doorway, a statue of Henry VIII, holding a wooden chair leg instead of a scepter due to a historical student prank, greets visitors. This gate leads to the Great Court, reputed to be the largest enclosed quad in Europe, and the central courtyard features a prominent fountain.

Adjacent to the Great Court is Neville’s Court, named after Thomas Neville who was master of the college when he commissioned its construction. It is characterized by its cloisters that provide sheltered walkways linking the Great Hall, the college libraries, and other facilities. The construction of the Wren Library at the end of the 17th century enclosed the court, adding to the grandeur of the college.

Trinity College thus remains a symbol of historical significance, academic achievement, and architectural beauty, continuing to inspire and nurture some of the brightest minds in the world.

King’s College is located on the western side of Cambridge University campus, close to the River Cam and the surrounding Backs area of countryside. The college gatehouse stands adjacent to King’s College Chapel, one of the city’s most iconic buildings. The history of King’s College is one of many paradoxes. Completed in the Tudor era, the college was at one time only accessible to students of Eton, a renowned private school for children of the English upper classes. Nowadays, it has one of the highest intake rates of students from state schools of any Cambridge college.

True to its name, the college was founded by Henry VI and saw heavy investment under his reign, including the creation of the adjoining chapel. Other colleges viewed King’s College as a status symbol for the Tudor monarchy – to this day, many of the buildings, including the striking Gothic gatehouse, feature the Tudor rose emblem repeatedly. Despite its royalist beginnings, King’s College has become known for left wing and republican sentiment among its student base. Famous alumni of the college include authors Salman Rushdie and E.M. Forster.

King’s College Chapel has stood in Cambridge since 1515 when Henry VIII was King of England. As its name suggests, the chapel was built to provide a place of worship for residents of nearby King’s College, at the western end of the city’s sprawling university campus. The chapel is considered to be one of the city’s finest examples of late Gothic English architecture. The interior of the chapel building is notable for its ornate fan vault ceiling, as well as elements of Renaissance-era design. Nikolaus Pevsner, a leading expert on ecclesiastical architecture, stated that King’s College Chapel contains the UK’s finest surviving examples of Italian decoration. The chapel is one of Cambridge’s most distinctive buildings and is featured on the city council logo.

The chapel is known for its exquisite original stained glass windows, which date from the 16th century. Still an active place of worship, King’s College Chapel is also used for college events and concerts, including the college music society’s May Week Concert, where the audience is treated to free champagne and strawberries on the church lawn. The chapel has a rich musical history, on account of its exceptional acoustics, and has a world-famous men’s choir.

Why You Should Visit:
This chapel is like a cathedral in scale and grandeur with high stained glass windows and a wonderful ornate ceiling which is worth seeing on its own.
The grounds offer a superb view of the chapel exterior and other buildings, as well as the river.

Tip:
Try going to Evensong at 5:30pm (you need to get there around 5pm) which is not chargeable, but has a retiring collection; the service is lovely and you can sit within the chapel and soak up the atmosphere of this ancient building.

The Corpus Clock can be found in the Library Court at Corpus Christi College. The newest of three at the college, the court incorporates a former library building, redeveloped and extended to provide accommodation for students. The clock is Library Court’s centrepiece and was unveiled to the public in 2008 by Professor Stephen Hawking, himself a Cambridge University graduate.

The clock is a unique device, a fitting addition to the university campus renowned for invention throughout its history. Fitted with a rippled, 24-carat gold face, the clock displays time through three rings of LEDs, which depict hours, minutes and seconds. The face is topped by a large metal object, which resembles a grasshopper. This is an enlarged clock escarpment, which links the pendulum to the cogs inside the clock. It has been set on top of the clock face to resemble an insect that ‘eats’ time as the clock face rotates. It is even fitted with eyes that blink occasionally.

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the Corpus Clock is the fact that it is only accurate once every five minutes. It has been set to randomly slow and accelerate, to give the appearance that the metal insect is indeed eating up time at will. The clock, one of Time Magazine’s greatest inventions of the 21st century, can be viewed within Corpus Christi’s grounds. Ask at the porter’s lodge for admission times and costs.

Tip:
Try to time your visit after dark and see the clock from across the road, when there's no traffic or significant pedestrian noise, as it is then at its best.
In the daytime, there are generally a number of tourists standing in the road taking photos, gathering particularly on the hour, so take care not to get run over.

Owned and managed by Cambridge University, the Fitzwilliam Museum is located on Trumpington Street, within the university campus. The museum’s collection was founded in 1816 when Viscount Fitzwilliam donated his extensive fine art collection to the university. The current building, an imposing neo-Classical edifice resembling the Parthenon in Athens, was designed by George Basevi and opened to the public in 1848. The museum has achieved global recognition for the quality of its collections and has been described as one of the world’s best small museums. Containing over 30 galleries, the Fitzwilliam specializes in fine art, sculpture and antiquities from around the world.

The Fitzwilliam’s remarkable collection of antiquities includes coins, engravings and pottery from civilisations around the world, including Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire and Persia. The building’s art galleries contain original masterpieces by Monet, Canaletto and Picasso amongst many others. The museum was extensively modernised in 2006, and now houses an impressive collection of 20th-century art.

Why You Should Visit:
To get a sense of the staid, scholarly atmosphere of a respected English university town.
Wide-ranging collection; magnificent surroundings and buildings; occasional free lunchtime concerts.
Photography is allowed, so long as you don't use a flash, making it a brilliant place for stocking up the photo album.
You probably won't see everything the first time, but that's fine because admission is free and you can pop back another time.
The café serves delicious soup and has a superb choice of cakes; the shop has a lovely range of gifts and is a jigsaw fan's haven of delight.

Tip:
Consider researching what the museum has to offer in advance of your visit to make sure you fully benefit from the eclectic exhibits – there is something here to cater for the whole family's interests.