Cambridge

Cambridge
Cityand non-metropolitan district
King's College Puntson the River Cam Great St Mary's Church Trinity Street
Coat of arms
Cambridge shown within Cambridgeshire
Coordinates:52°12′18″N00°07′21″E / 52.20500°N 0.12250°E /52.20500; 0.12250
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	England
Region	East of England
County	Cambridgeshire
City region	Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Founded	c. 1209as Granta Brygg
City status	1951
Administrative HQ	Cambridge Guildhall
Government [1]
• Type	Non-metropolitan district
• Body	Cambridge City Council
•Executive	Leader and cabinet
•Control	Labour
•Leader	Mike Davey (L)
•Mayor	Baiju Thittala
•MPs	Pippa Heylings(LD) Daniel Zeichner(L)
Area [2]
• Total	16 sq mi (41 km2)
• Rank	258th
Population (2022) [3]
• Total	146,995
• Rank	151st
• Density	9,360/sq mi (3,612/km2)
Demonym	Cantabrigian
Ethnicity(2021) [4]
•Ethnic groups	List 74.5%White 14.8%Asian 5.1%Mixed 2.4%Black 3.1%other
Religion(2021) [4]
•Religion	List 44.7%no religion 35.2%Christianity 5.1%Islam 2.3%Hinduism 1.1%Buddhism 0.7%Judaism 0.2%Sikhism 0.8%other 9.8% not stated
Time zone	UTC+0(GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1(BST)
Postcode areas	CB
Dialling codes	01223
GSS code	E07000008
Website	cambridge.gov.uk

Cambridge(/ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/KAYM-brij)^[5]is a city andnon-metropolitan districtin the county ofCambridgeshire, England. It is thecounty townof Cambridgeshire and is located on theRiver Cam, 55 miles (89 km) north ofLondon. As of the2021 United Kingdom census, the population of the City of Cambridge was 145,700;^[6]the population of the wider built-up area (which extends outside the city council area) was 181,137.^[7]Cambridge became an important trading centre during theRomanandVikingages, and there is archaeological evidence of settlement in the area as early as theBronze Age. The firsttown charterswere granted in the 12th century, although modern city status was not officially conferred until 1951.

The city is well known as the home of theUniversity of Cambridge, which was founded in 1209 and consistently ranks among the best universities in the world.^[8][9]The buildings of the university includeKing's College Chapel,Cavendish Laboratory, and theCambridge University Library, one of the largest legal deposit libraries in the world. The city's skyline is dominated by severalcollege buildings, along with the spire of theOur Lady and the English Martyrs Church, and the chimney ofAddenbrooke's Hospital.Anglia Ruskin University, which evolved from the Cambridge School of Art and the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology, also has its main campus in the city.

Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technologySilicon FenorCambridge Cluster, which contains industries such assoftwareandbioscienceand many start-up companies born out of the university. Over 40 per cent of the workforce have a higher education qualification, more than twice the national average. TheCambridge Biomedical Campus, one of the largest biomedical research clusters in the world, includes the headquarters ofAstraZenecaand the relocatedRoyal Papworth Hospital.^[10]

Cambridge produced the first 'Laws of the Game' forassociation footballand was the site of first game, held atParker's Piece. TheStrawberry Fairmusic and arts festival and Midsummer Fair are held onMidsummer Common, and the annualCambridge Beer Festivaltakes place onJesus Green. The city is adjacent to theM11andA14roads.

Settlements have existed around the Cambridge area sinceprehistoric times. The earliest clear evidence of occupation is the remains of a3,500-year-old farmstead discovered at the site ofFitzwilliam College.^[11]Archaeological evidence of occupation through theIron Ageis a settlement onCastle Hillfrom the1st century BC, perhaps relating to wider cultural changes occurring in southeastern Britain linked to the arrival of theBelgae.^[12]

The principalRomansite is a small fort (castrum)DuroliponteonCastle Hill, just northwest of the city centre around the location of the earlierBritishvillage. The fort was bounded on two sides by the lines formed by the presentMount Pleasant, continuing acrossHuntingdon Roadinto Clare Street. The eastern side followed Magrath Avenue, with the southern side running near toChesterton LaneandKettle's Yardbefore turning northwest at Honey Hill.^[13]It was constructed around AD 70 and converted to civilian use around 50 years later. Evidence of more widespread Roman settlement has been discovered, including numerous farmsteads^[14]and a village in the Cambridge district ofNewnham.^[15]

Following theRoman withdrawal from Britainaround 410, the location may have been abandoned by theBritons, although the site is usually identified asCair Grauth,^[16]as listed among the 28citiesofBritainin theHistory of the Britonsattributed toNennius.^[18]Evidence exists that theinvading Anglo-Saxonshad begun occupying the area by the end of the century.^[19]Their settlement – also on and around Castle Hill – became known asGrantebrycge^[21]("Granta-bridge". ByMiddle English, the settlement's name had changed to "Cambridg koe", deriving from the word 'Camboricum', meaning 'passage' or 'ford' of stream in a town or settlement,^[22][23]and thelower stretchesof theGrantachanged their name to match.)^[24])Anglo-Saxongrave goods have been found in the area. During this period, Cambridge benefited from good trade links across the hard-to-travel fenlands. By the 7th century, the town was less significant and described byBedeas a "little ruined city" containing the burial site ofÆthelthryth(Etheldreda).^[20]Cambridge sat on the border between theEastandMiddle Angliankingdoms, and the settlement slowly expanded on both sides of the river.^[20]

TheAnglo-Saxon Chroniclereports thatVikingsarrived in 875; they imposed Viking rule, theDanelaw, by 878.^[25]Their vigorous trading habits resulted in rapid growth of the town. During this period, the town's centre shifted from Castle Hill on the left bank of the river to the area now known as the Quayside on the right bank.^[25]After the Viking period, the Saxons enjoyed a return to power, building churches, such asSt Bene't's Church, as well as wharves, merchant houses, and amintwhich produced coins with the town's name abbreviated to "Grant".^[25]

In 1068, two years after theNorman Conquestof England,William the Conquerorerected acastleon Castle Hill, themotteof which survives.^[20]Like the rest of the newly conquered kingdom, Cambridge fell under the control of the King and his deputies.

Cambridge's first town charter was granted byHenry Ibetween 1120 and 1131. It granted the town monopoly of waterborne traffic and hithe tolls and recognised theboroughcourt.^[26]The distinctiveRound Churchdates from this period.^[27]In 1209, Cambridge University was founded by Oxford students fleeing from hostility.^[28][29]The oldest existing college,Peterhouse, was founded in 1284.^[30]

Cambridge had a significantJewish community in the middle ages, centred on what is now known as All Saints Passage, then known as the Jewry. A synagogue stood nearby. In January 1275,Eleanor of Provenceexpelled Jews from all of the towns within her dower lands, and the Jews of Cambridge were ordered to relocate toNorwich.^[31]

In 1349, Cambridge was affected by theBlack Death. Few records survive but 16 of 40 scholars atKing's Halldied.^[32]The town north of the river was severely impacted, being almost wiped out.^[33]Following further depopulation after a second national epidemic in 1361, a letter from the Bishop of Ely suggested that two parishes in Cambridge be merged as there were not enough people to fill even one church.^[32]With more than a third of English clergy dying in the Black Death, four new colleges were established at the university over the following years to train new clergymen, namelyGonville Hall,Trinity Hall,Corpus Christi, andClare.^[34]

In 1382, a revised town charter effected a "diminution of the liberties that the community had enjoyed", due to Cambridge's participation in thePeasants' Revolt. This charter transferred supervision of baking and brewing, weights and measures, andforestalling and regrating, from the town to the university.^[26]

King's College Chapelwas begun in 1446 byKing Henry VI.^[35]Built in phases by a succession of kings of England from 1446 to 1515 — its history intertwined with theWars of the Roses— the chapel was completed during the reign ofKing Henry VIII.^[35]The building would become synonymous with Cambridge, and currently is used in the logo for theCambridge City Council.^[36]

Following repeated outbreaks of pestilence throughout the 16th century,^[37]sanitation and fresh water were brought to Cambridge by the construction ofHobson's Conduitin the early 1600s. Water was brought from Nine Wells, at the foot of theGog Magog Hillsto the southeast of Cambridge, into the centre of the town.^[38]

Cambridge played a significant role in the early part of theEnglish Civil Waras it was the headquarters of theEastern Counties Association, an organisation administering a regionalEast Anglianarmy, which became the mainstay of the Parliamentarian military effort before the formation of theNew Model Army.^[39]In 1643 control of the town was given by Parliament toOliver Cromwell, who had been educated atSidney Sussex Collegein Cambridge.^[40]The town's castle was fortified and garrisoned with troops and some bridges were destroyed to aid its defence. AlthoughRoyalistforces came within 2 miles (3 km) of the town in 1644, the defences were never used, and the garrison was stood down the following year.^[39]

In the 19th century, in common with many other English towns, Cambridge expanded rapidly, due in part to increased life expectancy and improved agricultural production leading to increased trade in town markets.^[41]TheInclosure Actsof 1801 and 1807 enabled the town to expand over surrounding open fields and in 1912 and again in 1935 its boundaries were extended to include Chesterton, Cherry Hinton, and Trumpington.^[39]

The railway came to Cambridge in 1845 after initial resistance, with the opening of theGreat Eastern Railway's London to Norwich line. The station was outside the town centre following pressure from the university to restrict travel by undergraduates.^[42]With the arrival of the railway and associated employment came development of areas around the station, such asRomsey Town.^[43]The rail link to London stimulated heavier industries, such as the production of brick, cement andmalt.^[41]

From the 1930s to the 1980s, the size of the city was increased by several largecouncil estates.^[44]The biggest impact has been on the area north of the river, which are now the estates ofEast Chesterton,King's Hedges, andArburywhereArchbishopRowan Williamslived and worked as an assistant priest in the early 1980s.^[45]

DuringWorld War II, Cambridge was an important centre for defence of the east coast. The town became a military centre, with anR.A.F.training centre and the regional headquarters forNorfolk,Suffolk,Essex,Cambridgeshire,Huntingdonshire,Hertfordshire, andBedfordshireestablished during the conflict.^[39]The town itself escaped relatively lightly from German bombing raids, which were mainly targeted at the railway. 29 people were killed and no historic buildings were damaged. In 1944, a secret meeting of military leaders held in Trinity College laid the foundation for the allied invasion of Europe.^[41]During the war Cambridge served as anevacuation centrefor over 7,000 people from London, as well as for parts of theUniversity of London.^[39]

Cambridge was granted itscity charterin 1951 in recognition of its history, administrative importance and economic success.^[39]Cambridge does not have a cathedral, traditionally a prerequisite for city status, instead falling within the Church of EnglandDiocese of Ely. In 1962, Cambridge's first shopping arcade, Bradwell's Court, opened on Drummer Street, though this was demolished in 2006.^[46]Other shopping arcades followed at Lion Yard, which housed a relocated Central Library for the city, and theGrafton Centrewhich replaced Victorian housing stock which had fallen into disrepair inthe Kitearea of the city. This latter project was controversial at the time.^[47]

The city gained its second university in 1992 when Anglia Polytechnic became Anglia Polytechnic University. RenamedAnglia Ruskin Universityin 2005, the institution has its origins in the Cambridge School of Art opened in 1858 byJohn Ruskin.

Cambridge is anon-metropolitan district– one of six districts within the county of Cambridgeshire – and is administered byCambridge City Council. The district covers most of the city's urban area, although some suburbs extend into the surroundingSouth Cambridgeshiredistrict. The city council's headquarters are in theGuildhall, a large building in the market square. Cambridge was granted a Royal Charter by King John in 1207, which permitted the appointment of a mayor,^[48]although the first recorded mayor, Harvey FitzEustace, served in 1213.^[49]City councillors now elect a mayor annually.

For electoral purposes the city is divided into 14 wards: Abbey,Arbury, Castle,Cherry Hinton, Coleridge,East Chesterton,King's Hedges, Market,Newnham,Petersfield, Queen Edith's,Romsey,Trumpington, andWest Chesterton. At the2019 election, Labour retained its majority.^[50]

Each of the 14 wards also elects councillors toCambridgeshire County Council, which is responsible for services including school education, social care and highways.^[51]

Since 2017, Cambridge has also been within the area of theCambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority,^[52]which is led by adirectly elected Mayor. The city is represented on the authority by the leader of the City Council.

Theparliamentaryconstituency of Cambridgecovers most of the city;Daniel Zeichner(Labour) has represented the seat since the2015 general election. The seat was generally held by theConservativesuntil it was won by Labour in 1992, then taken by theLiberal Democratsin 2005 and 2010, before returning to Labour in 2015. A southern area of the city, Queen Edith's ward,^[53]falls within theSouth Cambridgeshireconstituency, whose MP isPippa Heylings(Lib Dems), first elected in 2024.

The University of Cambridge formerly had two seats in the House of Commons; SirIsaac Newtonwas one of the most notable MPs. TheCambridge University constituencywas abolished under 1948 legislation, and ceased at the dissolution of Parliament for the1950 general election, along with the otheruniversity constituencies.

Cambridge is situated about 55 miles (89 km) north-by-east of London and 95 miles (153 kilometres) east of Birmingham. The city is located in an area of level and relatively low-lying terrain just south ofthe Fens, which varies between 6 and 24 metres (20 and 79 ft)above sea level.^[54]The town was thus historically surrounded by low-lying wetlands that have been drained as the town has expanded.^[55]

The underlying geology of Cambridge consists ofgaultclay andChalk Marl, known locally as Cambridge Greensand,^[56]partly overlaid byterrace gravel.^[55]A layer ofphosphatic nodules(coprolites) under the marl was mined in the 19th century for fertiliser; this became a major industry in the county, and its profits yielded buildings such as theCorn Exchange,Fulbourn Hospital, andSt. John's Chapeluntil the Quarries Act 1894 and competition from America ended production.^[56]

TheRiver Camflows through the city from the village ofGrantchester, to the southwest. It is bordered bywater meadowswithin the city such asSheep's Greenas well as residential development.^[55]Like most cities, modern-day Cambridge has many suburbs and areas of high-density housing. The city centre of Cambridge is mostly commercial, historic buildings, and large green areas such as Jesus Green,Parker's PieceandMidsummer Common. Some of the roads in the centre are pedestrianised.

Population growth has seen new housing developments in the 21st century, with estates such as the CB1^[57]andAccordiaschemes near the station,^[58]and developments such asGreat Kneighton, formally known as Clay Farm,^[59]and Trumpington Meadows^[60]currently under construction in the south of the city. Other major developments currently being constructed in the city are Darwin Green (formerlyNIAB), and University-led developments atWest CambridgeandNorth West Cambridge, (Eddington).

The entire city centre, as well as parts of Chesterton, Petersfield, West Cambridge, Newnham, and Abbey, are covered by an Air Quality Management Area, implemented to counter high levels ofnitrogen dioxidein the atmosphere.^[61]

The city has anoceanic climate(Köppen:Cfb).^[62]Cambridge has an official weather observing station, at theCambridge University Botanic Garden, about one mile (1.6 km) south of the city centre. In addition, the Digital Technology Group of the university'sDepartment of Computer Science and Technology^[63]maintains a weather station on theWest Cambridgesite, displaying current weather conditions online via web browsers or anapp, and also an archive dating back to 1995.^[64]

The city, like most of the UK, has amaritime climatehighly influenced by theGulf Stream. Located in the driest region of Britain,^[65][66]Cambridge's rainfall averages around 570 mm (22.44 in) per year, around half the national average,^[67]The driest recent year was in 2011 with 380.4 mm (14.98 in)^[68]of rain at the Botanic Garden and 347.2 mm (13.67 in) at the NIAB site.^[69]This is just below thesemi-aridprecipitation threshold for the area, which is 350 mm of annual precipitation.^[70]Conversely, 2012 was the wettest year on record, with 812.7 mm (32.00 in) reported.^[71]Snowfall accumulations are usually small, in part because of Cambridge's low elevation, and low precipitation tendency during transitional snow events.

Owing to its low-lying, inland, and easterly position within the British Isles, summer temperatures tend to be somewhat higher than areas further west, and often rival or even exceed those recorded in the London area. Cambridge also often records the annual highest national temperature in any given year – 30.2 °C (86.4 °F) in July 2008 at NIAB^[72]and 30.1 °C (86.2 °F) in August 2007 at the Botanic Garden^[73]are two recent examples. Other years include 1876, 1887, 1888, 1892, 1897, 1899 and 1900.^[74]The absolute maximum stands at 39.9 °C (103.8 °F) recorded on 19 July 2022 at Cambridge University Botanic Garden.^[75]Before this date, Cambridge held the record for theall-time maximum temperature in the UK, after recording 38.7 °C (101.7 °F) on 25 July 2019. Typically the temperature will reach 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or higher on over 25 days of the year over the 1981–2010 period,^[76]with the annual warmest day averaging 31.5 °C (88.7 °F)^[77]over the same period.

The absolute minimum temperature recorded at the Botanic Garden site was −17.2 °C (1.0 °F), recorded in February 1947,^[78]although a minimum of −17.8 °C (0.0 °F) was recorded at the now defunct observatory site in December 1879.^[79]More recently the temperature fell to −15.3 °C (4.5 °F) on 11 February 2012,^[80]−12.2 °C (10.0 °F) on 22 January 2013^[81]and −10.9 °C (12.4 °F)^[82]on 20 December 2010. The average frequency of air frosts ranges from 42.8 days at the NIAB site,^[83]to 48.3 days at the Botanic Garden^[84]per year over the 1981–2010 period. Typically the coldest night of the year at the Botanic Garden will fall to −8.0 °C (17.6 °F).^[85]Such minimum temperatures and frost averages are typical for inland areas across much of southern and central England.

Sunshine averages around 1,500 hours a year or around 35% of possible, a level typical of most locations in inland central England.

The city contains threeSites of Special Scientific Interest(SSSIs), at Cherry Hinton East Pit, Cherry Hinton West Pit, and Travellers Pit,^[90]and tenLocal Nature Reserves(LNRs): Sheep's Green and Coe Fen, Coldham's Common, Stourbridge Common, Nine Wells, Byron's Pool, West Pit, Paradise, Barnwell West, Barnwell East, and Logan's Meadow.^[91]

Cambridge is completely enclosed bygreen beltas a part of a wider environmental and planning policy first defined in 1965 and formalised in 1992.^[92][93]While some small tracts of green belt exist on the fringes of the city's boundary, much of the protection is in the surrounding South Cambridgeshire^[94]and nearbyEast Cambridgeshire^[95]districts, helping to maintain local green space, prevent furtherurban sprawland unplanned expansion of the city, as well as protecting smaller outlying villages from further convergence with each other as well as the city.^[96]

At the 2011 census, the population of the Cambridge contiguous built-up area (urban area) was 158,434,^[97]while that of the City Council area was 123,867.^[98]

In the2001 Censusheld during University term, 89.44% of Cambridge residents identified themselves as white, compared with a national average of 92.12%.^[99]Within the university, 84% of undergraduates and 80% of post-graduates identified as white (including overseas students).^[100]

Cambridge has a much higher than average proportion of people in the highest paid professional, managerial or administrative jobs (32.6% vs. 23.5%)^[101]and a much lower than average proportion of manual workers (27.6% vs. 40.2%).^[101]In addition, 41.2% have a higher-level qualification (e.g. degree,Higher National Diploma, Master's or PhD), much higher than the national average proportion (19.7%).^[102]

Centre for Citiesidentified Cambridge as the UK's most unequal city in 2017 and 2018. Residents' income was the least evenly distributed of 57 British cities measured, with its top 6% earners accounting for 19% of its total income and the bottom 20% for only 2%, and aGini coefficientof 0.460 in 2018.^[103][104]

Year	Population			Year	Population
1749	6,131	6131		1901	38,379	38379
⋮				1911	40,027	40027
1801	10,087	10087		1921	59,212	59212
1811	11,108	11108		1931	66,789	66789
1821	14,142	14142		1951	81,500	81500
1831	20,917	20917		1961	95,527	95527
1841	24,453	24453		1971	99,168	99168
1851	27,815	27815		1981	87,209	87209
1861	26,361	26361		1991	107,496	107496
1871	30,078	30078		2001	108,863	108863
1891	36,983	36983		2011	123,900	123900

Local census 1749^[105]Census: Regional District 1801–1901^[106]Civil Parish 1911–1961^[107]District 1971–2011^[108]

Ethnic Group	Year
	1991[109]		2001[110]		2011[111]		2021[112]
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
White: Total	86,519	94.1%	97,365	89.4%	102,205	82.5%	108,570	74.6%
White:British	–	–	85,472	78.5%	81,742	66.0%	77,195	53.0%
White:Irish	–	–	1,708	1.6%	1,767	1.4%	1,885	1.3%
White:Gypsy or Irish Traveller	–	–			109	0.1%	110	0.1%
White: Roma							885	0.6%
White:Other	–	–	10,185	9.4%	18,587	15.0%	28,495	19.6%
Asian or Asian British: Total	3,371	3.7%	6,410,	5.9%	13,618,	11%	21,626	14.9%
Asian or Asian British:Indian	906	1.0%	1,952	1.8%	3,413	2.8%	5916	4.1%
Asian or Asian British:Pakistani	248	0.3%	513	0.5%	742	0.7%	1500	1.0%
Asian or Asian British:Bangladeshi	438	0.4%	976	0.9%	1,849	1.7%	2874	2.0%
Asian or Asian British:Chinese	909	1.0%	2,325	2.1%	4,454	3.6%	6362	4.4%
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian	870	0.9%	644	0.6%	3,160	2.6%	4974	3.4%
Black or Black British: Total	1,080	1.2%	1,461	1.3%	2,097	1.7%	3,561	2.4%
Black or Black British:African	315		786		1,300		2519	1.7%
Black or Black British:Caribbean	454		547		598		639	0.4%
Black or Black British:Other Black	311		128		199		403	0.3%
Mixed or British Mixed: Total	–	–	2,141	2%	3,944	3.2%	7,410	5.2%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean	–	–	454		728		1152	0.8%
Mixed: White and Black African	–	–	214		470		1010	0.7%
Mixed: White and Asian	–	–	735		1,501		2987	2.1%
Mixed: Other Mixed	–	–	738		1,245		2261	1.6%
Other: Total	963	1%	1,486	1.4%	2,003	1.6%	4,507	3.1%
Other: Arab	–	–	–	–	908		1,141	0.8%
Other: Any other ethnic group	963	1%	1,486	1.4%	1,095		3,366	2.3%
Total	91,933	100%	108,863	100%	123,867	100%	145,674	100%

Religion	2001[113]		2011[114]		2021[115]
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Holds religious beliefs	69,433	63.8	65,828	53.1	66,225	45.5
Christian	62,764	57.7	55,514	44.8	51,335	35.2
Buddhist	1,139	1.0	1,573	1.3	1,668	1.1
Hindu	1,293	1.2	2,058	1.7	3,301	2.3
Jewish	850	0.8	870	0.7	1,057	0.7
Muslim	2,651	2.4	4,897	4.0	7,392	5.1
Sikh	205	0.2	213	0.2	322	0.2
Other religion	531	0.5	703	0.6	1,122	0.8
No religion	28,965	26.6	46,839	37.8	65,160	44.7
Religion not stated	10,465	9.6	11,200	9.0	14,315	9.8
Total population	108,863	100.0	123,867	100.0	145,700	100.0

The town's river link to the surrounding agricultural land, and good road connections to London in the south meant Cambridge has historically served as an important regional trading post. KingHenry Igranted Cambridge a monopoly on river trade, privileging this area of the economy of Cambridge.^[116]The townmarketprovided for trade in a wide variety of goods and annual trading fairs such asStourbridge FairandMidsummer Fairwere visited by merchants from across the country. The river was described in an account of 1748 as being "often so full of [merchant boats] that the navigation thereof is stopped for some time".^[117]For example, 2000firkinsof butter were brought up the river every Monday from the agricultural lands to the northeast, particularlyNorfolk, to be unloaded in the town for road transportation to London.^[117]Changing patterns of retail distribution and the advent of the railways led to a decline in Cambridge's importance as a market town.^[118]

Cambridge today has a diverse economy with strength in sectors such as research and development, software consultancy, high value engineering, creative industries, pharmaceuticals and tourism.^[119]Described as one of the "most beautiful cities in the world" byForbesin 2010,^[120]with the view fromThe Backsbeing selected as one of the 10 greatest in England byNational TrustchairSimon Jenkins. Tourism generates over £750 million for the city's economy.^[121]

Cambridge and its surrounds are sometimes referred to asSilicon Fen, an allusion toSilicon Valley, because of the density of high-tech businesses andtechnology incubatorsthat have developed onscience parksaround the city. Many of these parks and buildings are owned or leased by university colleges, and the companies often have been spun out of the university.^[122]Cambridge Science Park, which is the largest commercial R&D centre in Europe, is owned byTrinity College;^[123][124]St John'sis the landlord ofSt John's Innovation Centre.^[125]Technology companies includeAbcam,CSR,ARM Limited,CamSemi,JagexandSinclair.^[126]Microsofthas located itsMicrosoft ResearchUK offices inWest Cambridge, separate from the main Microsoft UK campus inReading, and also has an office on Station Road.

Cambridge was also the home ofPye Ltd, founded in 1898 by W. G. Pye, who worked in theCavendish Laboratory; it began by supplying the university and later specialised in wireless telegraphy equipment, radios, televisions and also defence equipment.^[41]Pye Ltd evolved into several other companies includingTETRAradio equipment manufacturerSepura. Another major business isMarshall Aerospacelocated on the eastern edge of the city. TheCambridge Networkkeeps businesses in touch with each other.

Cambridge City Airporthas no scheduled services and is used mainly by charter and training flights^[127]and byMarshall Aerospacefor aircraft maintenance.London Stansted Airport, about 30 miles (48 km) south via theM11or direct rail, offers a broad range of international destinations.

The city lies on fairly flat land and has the highest level of cycle use in the UK.^[128]According to the 2001 census, 25% of residents travelled to work by bicycle. Furthermore, a survey in 2013 found that 47% of residents travel by bike at least once a week.^[129]

Cambridge railway stationwas opened in 1845.^[130]Trains run toKing's LynnandEly(via theFen Line),Norwich(via theBreckland Line),Leicester,Birmingham New Street,Peterborough,Stevenage,Ipswich,Stansted Airport,BrightonandGatwick Airport.

The station has direct rail links to London with termini atLondon King's Cross(via theCambridge Lineand theEast Coast Main Line),Liverpool Street(on theWest Anglia Main Line) andSt Pancras(on theThameslinkline). Fast trains to London King's Cross run every half-hour during peak hours, with a journey time of 53 minutes, and these are supplemented by semi-fast trains to Brighton via London St Pancras, and slow trains to London King's Cross.^[131]The station's original line to London was toBishopsgate, viaBishops Stortford.

A second railway station,Cambridge North, opened on 21 May 2017; it was originally planned to open in March 2015.^{[132][133][134]}A third railway station,Cambridge South, near Addenbrooke's Hospital is now under construction;^[135]it is expected to open in 2025.^[136]The former station ofCherryhinton, forCherry Hinton, operated when it was separate village to Cambridge.

Several railway lines were closed during the 1960s, including theCambridge and St Ives branch line, theStour Valley Railway, theCambridge to Mildenhall railwayand theVarsity LinetoOxford.

Areas outside the centre are car dependent causingtraffic congestionin the drivable parts of centre.^[137]TheM11 motorwayfrom east London terminates to the north-west of the city where it joins theA14, a road from the port ofFelixstowetoRugby. TheA428connects the city with theA1atSt Neotsas theA421(viaBedfordandMilton Keynes) on toOxford. TheA10connects viaElytoKing's Lynnto the north and the historic route south to theCity of London.

Cambridge has fivePark and Ridesites, all of which operate seven days a week and are aimed at encouraging motorists to park near the city's edge.^[138]Since 2011, theCambridgeshire Guided Buswayhas carried bus services into the centre of Cambridge fromSt Ives,Huntingdonand other towns and villages along the routes, operated byStagecoach in the FensandWhippet.^[139]The A service continues on to the railway station andAddenbrookes, before terminating at a new Park and Ride inTrumpington. Since 2017, it has also linked to Cambridge North railway station.

Service 905 provides a connection withOxford, although passengers wishing to continue beyondBedfordhave to change to service X5; both services are operated byStagecoach Eastand run daily.

In February 2020, consultations opened for a transport system known as theCambridgeshire Autonomous Metro. It would have connected the historic city centre and the existing busway route with the mainline railway stations,Cambridge Science ParkandHaverhill.^[140]In May 2021 the newly elected mayor said he was focused instead on a "revamped bus network" but would not yet abandon the work done. As of November 2022^[update], theGreater Cambridge Partnershipis consulting on plans comprising: transforming the bus network; investing in other sustainable travel schemes; and introducing aCambridge Congestion Chargeas part of a Sustainable Travel Zone.^[141]

In 2024, Cambridge Connect proposed repurposing the planned route of the canceled metro as alight railway. Known as theIsaac Newton line, it would connect the mainline railway stations with Cambourne, the guided busway station atTrumpington, Haverhill,Addenbrookes Hospital, and a new station in Cambridge city centre.^[142]

Cambridge's two universities,^[143]the collegiateUniversity of Cambridgeand the local campus ofAnglia Ruskin University, serve around 30,000 students, by some estimates.^[144]Cambridge University stated its 2020/21 student population was 24,270,^[145]and Anglia Ruskin reports 24,000 students across its two campuses (one of which is outside Cambridge, inChelmsford) for the same period.^[146]ARU now (2019) has additional campuses in London and Peterborough. State provision in thefurther educationsector includesHills Road Sixth Form College,Long Road Sixth Form College, andCambridge Regional College. TheOpen Universityhad a presence in the city between 1979 and 2018.^{[147][148][149]}

Both state andprivate schoolsserve Cambridge pupils from nursery to secondary school age. State schools are administered by Cambridgeshire County Council, which maintains 251 schools in total,^[150]35 of them in Cambridge city.^[151]Netherhall School,Chesterton Community College, the Parkside Federation (comprisingParkside Community CollegeandColeridge Community College),North Cambridge Academyand the Christian inter-denominationalSt Bede's Schoolprovidecomprehensivesecondary education.^[152]Many other pupils from the Cambridge area attendvillage colleges, an educational institution unique to Cambridgeshire, which serve as secondary schools during the day and adult education centres outside of school hours.^[153]Independent schools in the city includeThe Perse School,Stephen Perse Foundation,Sancton Wood School,St Mary's School,Heritage SchoolandThe Leys School.^[154]The city has oneuniversity technical college,Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology, which opened in September 2014.

Cambridge played a unique role in the invention of modernfootball: the game's first set of rules were drawn up by members of the university in 1848. TheCambridge Ruleswere first played onParker's Pieceand had a "defining influence on the 1863Football Associationrules", which again were first played on Parker's Piece.^[155]

The city is home toCambridge United, who play at theAbbey Stadium. Formed in 1912 as Abbey United, they were elected to theFootball Leaguein 1970 and reached theSecond Divisionin 1978, although a serious decline in them in the mid-1980s saw them drop back down to theFourth Divisionand almost go out of business. Success returned to the club in the early 1990s when they won two successive promotions and reached theFA Cupquarter finals in both of those seasons and, in 1992, they came close to becoming the first English team to win three successive Football League promotions which would have taken them into the newly createdFA Premier League; however, they were beaten in the play-offs and another decline set in. In 2005, they were relegated from the Football League and, for the second time in twenty years, narrowly avoided going out of business. After nine years of non-league football, they returned to the Football League in 2014 by winning theConference Nationalplay-offs.

Cambridge United WFCis a women's only football club based in Cambridge. The team compete in the FA Women's National League South East. The club plays home games atSt Neots Town's Rowley Park stadium and the Abbey Stadium.

Cambridge City, of theNorthern Premier LeagueDivision One Midlands, now play in neighbouringSt Ives. Formed in 1908 as Cambridge Town, the club wereSouthern Premier Leaguechampions in 1962–63, the highest they have finished in theEnglish football pyramid. After a legal dispute with their landlords,^[156]the club left theirCity Groundstadium in 2013 to groundshare atHiston'sBridge Roadground. The club have plans to open their own new ground inSawstonin 2024.^[157]

Parker's Piece was used forfirst-class cricketmatches from 1817 to 1864.^[158]The University of Cambridge's cricket ground,Fenner's, is located in the city and is one of the home grounds forminor countiesteamCambridgeshire CCC.^[159]The Cambridgeshire Cricket Association operates an amateurclub cricketleague with six adult divisions, including numerous clubs in the city, plus junior divisions.^[160]Most of the university colleges also operate their own teams, and there are several casualvillage cricketteams that play in the city suburbs.

The city is represented in both codes ofRugby football.Rugby unionclubCambridge R.U.F.C.were founded in 1923^[161]and play inthe RFU Championship^[162]at their home ground,Grantchester Road, in the south-west corner of the city. Cambridge Lions represent the city inrugby leagueand are members ofEast Rugby League.^[163]

TheRiver Cam, which runs through the city centre, is used for boating. The university and its colleges are well known forrowingand theCambridgeshire Rowing Association, formed in 1868, organises competitive rowing on the river outside of the university.^[164]Rowing clubs based in the city includeCity of Cambridge RC,Cambridge '99 RC,Cantabrigian RCandRob Roy BC. Parts of the Cam are used for recreationalpunting, a type of boating in which the craft is propelled by pushing against the river bed with aquant pole.

Cambridge Swimming Club, Cambridge Dive team and City of Cambridge Water Polo Club are all based at Parkside Swimming Pool.^[165]

Home and training ground to many influential traceurs, Cambridge is well known for its vibrant, and at times high-profile,parkourandfreerunningscene.^[166][167]

Cambridge is home to tworeal tenniscourts (out of about 50 in the world) at Cambridge University Real Tennis Club.^[168][169]Cambridgeshire CatsplayAmerican footballat Coldham's Common. Cambridge Royals are members of theBritish Baseball Federation's Triple-A South Division.^[170]Cambridge has two cycling clubs: Team Cambridge^[171]and Cambridge Cycling Club.^[172]Cambridge & Coleridge Athletic Club^[173]is the city's track and field club, based at the University of Cambridge'sWilberforce Roadtrack. CambridgeTriathlonClub is based atImpington Village College.^[174]CambridgeHandballClub compete in the men's England Handball National Super 8 League and the women's England Handball National Super 7 League. There are three field hockey clubs;Cambridge City Hockey Club,Cambridge South Hockey Cluband Cambridge Nomads. The city is also represented inpoloby Cambridge Polo Club, based inBarton, just outside the city. The Romsey Town Rollerbillies playroller derbyin Cambridge.^[175]Cambridge Parnells GAArepresent the area inGaelic football, playing out of Coldham's Common and participating in theHertfordshire GAAChampionship.^[176]Speedwayracing was formerly staged at a greyhound stadium in Coldhams Lane.^[177]

Cambridge is known for the sporting events between theUniversity of Cambridgeand theUniversity of Oxford, especially the rugby unionVarsity Matchand theBoat Race, though many of these do not take place within either Cambridge or Oxford.

Cambridge's main traditional theatre is theArts Theatre, a venue with 666 seats in the town centre.^[178]The theatre often has touring shows, as well as those by local companies. The largest venue in the city to regular hold theatrical performances is theCambridge Corn Exchangewith a capacity of 1,800 standing or 1,200 seated. Housed within the city's 19th century formercorn exchangebuilding the venue was used for a variety of additional functions throughout the 20th century includingtea parties,motor shows, sports matches and a music venue with temporary stage.^[179]The City Council renovated the building in the 1980s, turning it into a full-time arts venue, hosting theatre, dance and music performances.^[179]The newest theatre venue in Cambridge is the 220-seat J2, part ofCambridge Junctionin Cambridge Leisure Park. The venue was opened in 2005 and hosts theatre, dance, live music and comedy^[180]TheADC Theatreis managed by the University of Cambridge, and typically has 3 shows a week during term time. It hosts theCambridge University Footlights Dramatic Clubwhich has produced many notable figures in British comedy. The Mumford Theatre is part ofAnglia Ruskin University, and hosts shows by both student and non-student groups. There are also a number of venues within the colleges.

Within the city there are several notable museums, some run by theUniversity of Cambridge Museumsconsortium and others independent of it.

TheFitzwilliam Museumis the city's largest, and is the lead museum of the University of Cambridge Museums. Founded in 1816 from the bequeathment and collections ofRichard, Viscount FitzWilliam, the museum was originally located in the building of thePerse Grammar SchoolinFree School Lane.^[181]After a brief housing in the University of Cambridge library, it moved to its current, purpose-built building onTrumpington Streetin 1848.^[181]The museum has five departments: Antiquities; Applied Arts; Coins and Medals; Manuscripts and Printed Books; and Paintings, Drawings and Prints. Other members of the University of Cambridge Museums are theMuseum of Archaeology and Anthropology,The Polar Museum,The Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences,Museum of Classical Archaeology,The Whipple Museum of the History of Science, and theUniversity Museum of Zoology.

TheMuseum of Cambridge, formerly known as the Cambridge & County Folk Museum, is asocial historymuseum located in a former pub on Castle Street.^[182]The Centre for Computing History, a museum dedicated to the story of theInformation Age, moved to Cambridge fromHaverhillin 2013.^[183]Housed in a former sewage pumping station, theCambridge Museum of Technologyhas a collection of large exhibits related to the city'sindustrial heritage.

Pink Floydare the most notable band with roots in Cambridge. The band's former songwriter, guitarist and vocalistSyd Barrettwas born and lived in the city, and he and another founding member,Roger Waters, went to school together atCambridgeshire High School for Boys.David Gilmour, the guitarist who replaced Barrett, was also a Cambridge resident and attended the nearbyPerse School. Bands that were formed in Cambridge includeClean Bandit,Henry Cow,the Movies,Katrina and the Waves,the Soft Boys,^[184]Ezio^[185]the Broken Family Band,^[186]Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats,^[187]and the pop-classical groupthe King's Singers, who were formed at the university.^[188]Solo artistBoo Hewerdine^[189]is from Cambridge, as aredrum and bassartists (and brothers)Nu:ToneandLogistics. SingersMatthew Bellamy,^[190]of the rock bandMuse,Tom Robinson,^[191]Olivia Newton-John^[192]andCharli XCXwere born in the city. 2012Mercury PrizewinnersAlt-Jare based in Cambridge.^[193]

Live music venues hosting popular music in the city include theCambridge Corn Exchange,Cambridge Junction, the Portland Arms, and The Blue Moon.^[194][195]

Started in 1991, the annual Cambridge Music Festival takes place each November.^[196]The Cambridge Summer Music Festival takes place in July.^[197]

Cambridge containsKettle's Yardgallery of modern and contemporary art and theHeong Gallerywhich opened to the public in 2016 atDowning College.^[198]Anglia Ruskin University operates the publicly accessible Ruskin Gallery within the Cambridge School of Art.^[199]Wysing Arts Centre, one of the leading research centres for the visual arts in Europe, is associated with the city, though is located several miles west of Cambridge.^[200]Artist-run organisations including Aid & Abet,^[194]Cambridge Art Salon, Changing Spaces^[201]and Motion Sickness^[202]also run exhibitions, events and artists' studios in the city, often in short-term or temporary spaces.

Several fairs and festivals take place in Cambridge, mostly during the British summer.Midsummer Fairdates back to 1211, when it was granted a charter byKing John.^[203]Today it exists primarily as an annualfunfairwith the vestige of a market attached and is held over several days around or close tomidsummers day. On the first Saturday in June Midsummer Common is the site forStrawberry Fair, a free music and children's fair, with various market stalls. For one week in May, onJesus Green, the annualCambridge Beer Festivalhas been held since 1974.^[204]

Launched in 1977Cambridge Film Festivalis the third-longest-running film festival in the UK. Presented annually each autumn by the Cambridge Film Trust, the Festival showcases a selection of around 100, predominantly independent and specialised, films and embeds them within a programme of special events, Q&As, and talks.

Cambridge Folk Festivalis held annually in the grounds ofCherry Hinton Hall. The festival has been organised by the city council since its inception in 1964. The Cambridge Summer Music Festival is an annual festival of classical music, held in the university's colleges and chapels.^[205]TheCambridge Shakespeare Festivalis an eight-week season of open-air performances of the works ofWilliam Shakespeare, held in the gardens of various colleges of the university.^[206]

TheCambridge Science Festival, typically held annually in March, is the United Kingdom's largest freescience festival.^[207]The Cambridge Literary Festival, which focusses on contemporary literary fiction and non-fiction, is held bi-annually in April and November.^[208]Between 1975 and 1985 theCambridge Poetry Festivalwas held biannually.^[209]Other festivals include the annual Mill Road Winter Fair, held the first Saturday of December,^[210]the E-luminate Festival, which took place every February from 2013 to 2018,^[211][212]and The Big Weekend, a city outdoor event organised by the City Council every July.^[213]

Three Cambridge Free Festivals held in 1969, 1970, and 1971 that featured artists includingDavid Bowie,King Crimson,Roy Harper,Spontaneous Combustion,UFOand others are believed by the festival organiser to have been the first free multiple-day rock music festivals held in the UK.^{[214][215][216][217][218][219][220][221][222]}

The city has been the setting for all or part of several novels, includingDouglas Adams'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency,Rose Macaulay'sThey Were Defeated,^[223]Kate Atkinson'sCase Histories,^[224]Rebecca Stott'sGhostwalk^[225]andRobert Harris'Enigma,^[226][227]whileSusanna Gregorywrote a series of novels set in 14th century Cambridge.^[228]Gwen Raverat, the granddaughter ofCharles Darwin, talked about her late Victorian Cambridge childhood in her memoirPeriod Piece, andThe Night Climbers of Cambridgeis a book written byNoel Symingtonunder the pseudonym "Whipplesnaith" about nocturnal climbing on the colleges and town buildings of Cambridge in the 1930s.^[229]

Fictionalised versions of Cambridge appear inPhilippa Pearce'sTom's Midnight GardenandMinnow on the Say, the city renamed as Castleford, and as the home ofTom Sharpe's fictional college inPorterhouse Blue.^[230]

ITVTV seriesGranchesterwas partly filmed in Cambridge.^[231]

News and television programmes are broadcast from theBBC Look East(West) studio in Cambridge.^[232]

Local radio stations areBBC Radio Cambridgeshireon 96.0 FM,Heart Easton 103.0 FM,Cambridge 105on 105 FM,Star Radioon 100.7 FM andCam FMon 97.2 is a student run-radio station at theUniversity of CambridgeandAnglia Ruskin University.

The city's local newspapers areCambridge News,Cambridge IndependentandVarsity, the student newspaper of the University of Cambridge.

Cambridge is served byCambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with several smaller medical centres in the city and ateaching hospitalatAddenbrooke's. Located on theCambridge Biomedical Campus, Addenbrooke's is one of the largest hospitals in the United Kingdom and is a designated regionaltrauma centre. The East of England Ambulance Service covers the city and has an ambulance station on Hills Road.^[233]The smaller Brookfields Hospital stands on Mill Road.^[234]Cambridgeshire Constabularyprovides the city's policing; the main police station is atParkside,^[235]adjacent to the city'sfire station, operated byCambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service.^[236]

Cambridge Water Companysupplies water services to the city,^[237]whileAnglian Waterprovidessewerageservices.^[238]For the supply of electricity, Cambridge is part of theEast of Englandregion, for which thedistribution network operatorisUK Power Networks.^[239]The city has no power stations, though a five-metre wind turbine, part of aCambridge Regional Collegedevelopment, can be seen inKing's Hedges.^[240]The Cambridge Electric Supply Company had provided the city with electricity since the early twentieth century from Cambridge power station. Uponnationalisationof the electricity industry in 1948 ownership passed to theBritish Electricity Authorityand later to theCentral Electricity Generating Board. Electricity connections to thenational gridrendered the small 7.26megawatt(MW) coal fired power station redundant. It closed in 1965 and was subsequently demolished; in its final year of operation it delivered 2771MWhof electricity to the city.^[241]

Following thePublic Libraries Act 1850the city's first public library, located on Jesus Lane, was opened in 1855.^[242]It was moved to the Guildhall in 1862,^[242]and is now located in theGrand Arcadeshopping centre. The library was reopened in September 2009,^[243]after having been closed for refurbishment for 33 months, more than twice as long as was forecast when the library closed for redevelopment in January 2007.^[243][244]As of 2018 the city contains six public libraries, run by the County Council.^[245]

TheCambridge City Cemeteryis located to the north ofNewmarket Road.

Cambridge has anumber of churches, some of which form a significant part of the city's architectural landscape. Like the rest of Cambridgeshire it is part of theAnglicanDiocese of Ely.^[246]Great St Mary's Churchhas the status of "University Church".^[247]Many of the university colleges contain chapels that hold services according to the rites and ceremonies of theChurch of England, while the chapel ofSt Edmund's Collegeis Roman Catholic.^[248]The city also has a number oftheological collegestraining clergy forordinationinto a number of denominations, with affiliations to both the University of Cambridge andAnglia Ruskin University.

Cambridge is in the Roman CatholicDiocese of East Angliaand is served by the largeGothic RevivalOur Lady and the English Martyrs Churchat the junction of Hills Road and Lensfield Road,St Laurence'son Milton Road, St Vincent De Paul Church on Ditton Lane and by the church of St Philip Howard, in Cherry Hinton Road.^[249]

There is aRussian Orthodoxchurch under theDiocese of Sourozhwho worship at the chapel ofWestcott House,^[250]theGreek Orthodox Churchholds services at the purpose-built St Athanasios church under theArchdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain,^[251]while theRomanian Orthodox ChurchshareSt Giles'with the Church of England.^[252]

There are twoMethodistchurches in the city.Wesley Methodist Churchwas built in 1913, and is located next toChrist's Pieces. TheCastle Street Methodist Churchis the oldest of the two, having been built in 1823, and was formerly aPrimitive Methodistchurch.

There are threeQuakerMeetings in Cambridge, located on Jesus Lane, Hartington Grove, and a Meeting called "Oast House" that meets inPembroke College.^[253]

AnOrthodoxsynagogue and Jewish student centre is located on Thompson's Lane, operated jointly by the Cambridge Traditional Jewish Congregation and the Cambridge University Jewish Society, which is affiliated to theUnion of Jewish Students.^[254][255]The Beth ShalomReformsynagogue which previously met at a local school,^[256]opened a purpose-built synagogue in 2015.^[257]There is also a student-led egalitarianminyanwhich holds services on Friday evenings.

Cambridge Central Mosqueis the main place of worship for Cambridge's community of around 4,000 Muslims.^[258][259]Opened in 2019, it is described as Europe's first eco-friendly mosque^[260]and is the first purpose-built mosque within the city. The Abu Bakr Jamia Islamic Centre on Mawson Road and the Omar Faruque Mosque and Cultural Centre in Kings Hedges are additional places of Muslim worship.^{[261][262][263]}

Cambridge Buddhist Centre, which belongs toTriratna Buddhist Community, was opened in the formerBarnwell Theatreon Newmarket Road in 1998.^[264]There are also several local Buddhist meditation groups from variousBuddhistincluding Samatha Trust and Buddha Mettā Society.^[265]AHindushrine was opened in 2010 at the Bharat Bhavan Indian cultural centre offMill Road.^[266][267]

ASikhcommunity has met in the city since 1982, and aGurdwarawas opened inArburyin 2013.^[268][269]

Cambridge istwinnedwith two cities. Like Cambridge, both have universities and are also similar in population;Heidelberg, Germany since 1965,^[270]andSzeged, Hungary since 1987.^[270]

• List of bridges in Cambridge
• List of churches in Cambridge
• Cambridgeshire Archives and Local Studies
• Category:Buildings and structures in Cambridge
• Category:Organisations based in Cambridge
• Category:People from Cambridge

• Barwell, Noel (1910),Cambridge, Blackie & Son Limited
• Bowes, Robert (1894).A catalogue of books printed at or relating to the University, town & county of Cambridge, from 1521 to 1893. Cambridge: Macmillan & Bowes.OCLC1064186.OL23284674M.
• Rawle, Tim(author and photographer),John Adamson(editor).Cambridge(new ed. with foreword by William Bortrick). Cambridge: The Oxbridge Portfolio (2016), 204 pp.ISBN978-0-9572867-2-6.

• Cambridge City Council
• "Cambridge (2.)".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. IV (9th ed.). 1878. p. 728.
• Greater Cambridge Partnership
• Cambridgeshire Association for Local History
• Cambridgeshire Community Archives
• Visit Cambridge: the official tourism website for Cambridge