Adventure to Cambridge

The purpose of our adventure to Cambridge was in order to see our nephew and to discover Cambridge.

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The Touring was started by going punting down the river Cam which contributes to the name of the town Cambridge after the Romans built a bridge over it. 

Cambridge 
There is archaeological evidence of settlement in the area during the Bronze Age and Roman times; under Viking rule Cambridge became an important trading center.
 
Cambridge is most widely known as the home of the University of Cambridge, founded in 1209 and consistently ranked one of the top five universities in the world.

Cambridge does not have a cathedral,which traditionally is a prerequisite for city status.




Punting
The word ‘punt’ refers to a vessel that is typically characterised by a flat bottom without a Keel and is usually propelled by a 5m pole known as a ‘Quant’.  

Traditionally the only method of propulsion relies on the pole. The act of propelling the punt with the pole is referred to as ‘punting’

Originally punts were used for negotiating shallow marshland areas such as the Fens area situated just north-east of Cambridge.

The flat-bottomed design also facilitates the carrying of big loads without the boat sitting too far down into the water which makes the punt useful for transporting cargo across the marshlands and along riversides. 
(http://www.thecambridgepuntingcompany.co.uk/a-brief-history-of-punting/)
Below: Kings College

King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Formally named The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge.

King's was founded in 1441 by Henry VI, soon after he had founded its sister college in Eton. However, the King's plans for the college were disrupted by the Wars of the Roses and resultant scarcity of funds, and his eventual deposition. Little progress was made on the project until in 1508 Henry VII began to take an interest in the college.

The building of the college's chapel, begun in 1446, was finally finished in 1544 during the reign of Henry VIII.


King's College Chapel is regarded as one of the greatest examples of late Gothic English architecture. It has the world's largest fan-vault, and the chapel's stained-glass windows and wooden chancel screen are considered some of the finest from their era.

On 1 September 1939, the day of the German invasion of Poland and the cause of the UK's entrance into World War II, permission was sought from the College Council to remove the stained glass from the east window of the chapel. By the end of 1941, all the ancient glass had been removed to various cellars in Cambridge for safe keeping.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_College,_Cambridge) 

 Above: Cambridge General Market in Market square







Above : One of the displays in the Market Square







 
Above: Corpus Clock
It was officially unveiled to the public on 19 September 2008 by Cambridge physicist Stephen Hawking.

This clock tells two types of time. 

For more information on the Corpus clock see link below.
http://youtu.be/pHO1JTNPPOU




 
Left: Finally a visit to see my little nephew and his two massive guinea pigs, fluffy and spike.

Left: A proper English Sunburn, as evidence of how hot and sunny it is here at the moment. 

Right: Today's Journey