We drove through teeming rain up to Cambridge, through the Dartford Tunnel and on busy motorways. My friend does this every Thursday, or rather her hubby. They have a house just outside Cambridge and look after their grandchild on a Friday. This time it was a Tuesday and I was going with her. I'd been through Cambridge on the train many times, but I'd never stopped.
Trumpington Meadows
The next morning when we woke, the sun was out, and the sky was clear blue. What a change. Our plan for the day was to walk into Cambridge along the river Cam. We set off and parked in the Park and Ride and began our walk through Trumpington Meadows and down to the river. There is Byron's Pool where once the poet, Rupert Brooke, swam naked with Virginia Woolf. Soon we came across Grantchester, where the TV series of the same name, is filmed. I became very excited at that point, as I'm an avid watcher of that programme. We walked into the village and into St Andrew & St Mary Church where we found books about the village and TV series. There was also a lot about Rupert Brooke, who lodged in The Old Vicarage when he was studying at Cambridge, before moving to The Orchard. I believe The Old Vicarage is now owned by Jeffrey Archer.
Byron's Pool
St Andrew & St Mary, Grantchester
After wandering around the village we headed to The Orchard Tea Rooms where we had lunch. The food was wonderful, and the gardens laid out with deck chairs, tables and patio chairs. Afterwards we were back on the trail of the river and soon we were in Cambridge itself.
The Orchard Tea Rooms.
The city was busy with tourists and coach loads of students, but my immediate reaction was I liked this place. Some of the colleges were open for £5 a time to look round, but we found Pembroke College was free, so we walked around the gardens and the chapel (Christopher Wren's first!). We also visited St Botolph's church.
River Cam
Cambridge
We went to view the Mathematical Bridge, and tried to see the Bridge of Sighs, only to discover that the only viewing points are from a punt or St John's College. We walked a fair old way by then and still had to find the Park and Ride bus back. Of course it was at the other end of the city!
A quick look at one of colleges
St Botolph's Church
The Fitztwilliam Museum
Mathematical Bridge
It was a lovely day with perfect weather and wonderful surroundings.
The following day we met up with my friend's son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild at The Orchard Tea Rooms for a mid-morning drink. In the afternoon we set off for Shepreth Wildlife Park. This is a small park but contained meerkats, capybara, a tiger, and red pandas, to name a few. The bat enclosure in the nocturnal section rather floored us. I have walked through a bat enclosure before, but this one was narrower and when we pulled back the heavy curtain the bats seemed to be heading for us. I know they wouldn't due to their excellent echo location, but still, knowing that didn't help. I managed to take a short video before I'd had enough!
Capybara
Red Panda's hiding
Meerkat
Sun beetles
That evening my friend's hubby arrived with their dog, who is much like ours in the way he behaves. He brought my walking boot to me, and in the morning I was first up and he was so pleased to see me, his whole body served from side to side. He sat on my lap as best he could and I couldn't stop laughing.
On my lap
After a quick breakfast, we picked up the grandchild and took her and the dog across the meadows before heading back to the house. Then around 11.30am we all trundled off to the train station so I could get back to London. It was a lovely few days, and I would love to return to Cambridge sometime for a better look round.
Finally, here is my very short video of the Bat Cave at Shepreth Wildlife Park.
And here is one of The Corpus Clock https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1LBqK7n1Q-E
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