About Cambridge

Location
Cambridge is located about 60 miles (100 Km) from London. Its university was founded in the twelfth century by disaffected academics from Oxford University. The oldest building from that time is in St John's College but the oldest surviving college is Peterhouse. Cambridge and Oxford are similar distances from London: Oxford lies to the west and Cambridge to the north.

University - a brief history
The University has evolved slowly over the centuries and for much of the time it has been more like a collection of monasteries than the University that exists today. For example women could not get degrees until 1948 although they had been coming to Cambridge to study for over 100 years prior to that. Indeed, only in 1998 did the University finally get around to awarding degrees to some women students who should have graduated before 1948. To gain entrance to the University students needed to pass exams in Latin until about 30 years ago and until about the 19th century academics were expected to remain celibate. Theology was one of the main subjects for study until the industrial revolution and Isaac Newton spent more time working on theology than he did on mathematics. During the years of the black-death there was a shortage of priests to bury the dead so a college was founded at Cambridge just to boost the numbers of priests - it was called the 'body of Christ', Corpus Christi, and the college still exists to this day.

King Henry VIII destroyed the monastic system in England in the sixteenth century in order to quell opposition to his rule and to accumulate greater power and wealth. He did not destroy the similar institutions in the universities, probably because he valued the technological advantage that might derive from their knowledge - he was a great promoter of technology in the British Navy for example. As well as establishing the Greenwich Naval Academy (the reason the 0 degree meridian passes through Greenwich) he also endowed Cambridge, most notably Trinity College, Isaac Newton's college and the college of many other famous mathematicians and scientists. It remains the most magnificent of the colleges in Cambridge and the best college for the aristocracy to attend (most recently Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales). It is also one of the wealthiest institutions in Great Britain and, reputedly, does not need the income it derives from student fees; it now derives its wealth from the land it owns, particularly Felixstowe docks (the major container port in the UK) and from the science parks around Cambridge.

What to see in Cambridge
View the beautiful gardens along the Backs by hiring a boat on the river. Don't miss Clare College Fellows gardens and Clare Bridge. Punting - the easiest option is to take one of the chauffeur-punts, where in half an hour the chauffeur (usually a Cambridge student) will whisk you from Silver Street Bridge to Magdalene Bridge and back again or take out a self-hire punt and have a go yourself.

• Before Henry VIII the monarchs of England focussed their patronage mainly upon King's College and lying next to it Queen's College. Both contain some beautiful buildings. King's College chapel would do as a cathedral in most other towns. It is one of the most sublimely beautiful buildings in Cambridge. Started in 1438 and completed 100 years later it is the emblem of Cambridge. Forget the Reuben's painting at the alter valued at £ 20,000,000 - look instead at the wonderful fan-vaulted ceiling, the technological marvel of its age. A guided tour is well worth while as is attendance at a service when the choir sings.
• Queen's College Master's lodge and the mathematical bridge which was the first bridge in the World to be designed according to mathematical analysis of the forces in it.
• Trinity College main gate and main courtyard. Over the gate there is a statue of King Henry VIII holding an orb and ...a wooden chair leg. Get the story about the undignified chair leg by going on a guided tour of Cambridge organised by the tourist office.
• Trinity chapel is worth a visit but not particularly for the architecture nor for the atmosphere nor for the choir but it's worth visiting to see statues and plaques about some of its old-boys: Isaac Newton is probably best known but Lord Byron went there too with his pet bear. Trinity boasts more Nobel prize-winners than a certain major European nation so the list of old boys is impressive.
• Trinity gardens, overlooking the river, next to the Wren library.
• The view from the top of St John's College Chapel.
• The view from the top of Great St Mary's Church - don't be on the stairs when the bells are ringing!
• The Erasmus building in St John's College - this is the oldest surviving building in Cambridge but access to it is restricted.
• The Fitzwilliam museum - one of the best art museums outside or inside of London. Great porcelain, Egyptian artefacts going back to about 4000 BC.
• The museum in the New Cavendish Laboratory, JJ Thomson Avenue off Madingley Road. If you are a physicist you will enjoy sitting down at Maxwell's old desk or seeing the vacuum tube used by JJ Thomson when the electron was discovered. The photographs of Cavendish people are worth looking at too. No crowds for this delightful, small museum.
• Downing College. Spacious, quiet buildings with a grand design.
• Magdalene College - beautiful gardens and buildings. The Samuel Pepys library is here but jealously guarded - don't expect to get to see it.
• Scott Polar Museum - worth a visit to see old arctic and antarctic memorabilia.
• Sidgwick Museum on Pembroke Street - see those old dinosaur bones close-up.
• Fitzbillie's confectionery shop - get some of those famous sticky buns. You can even buy them boxed and ready to be posted.
• Emmanuel College where several famous Americans studied, for example William Penn (of Pennsylvania fame) and Mr Harvard.
• The ADC theatre (by Jesus Lane) is where many famous actors and comedians have started their careers.
• The roof of one of the bars in the Eagle pub has names and squadron names left by airmen stationed around Cambridge during the second World war - many American. The names were scorched-on using cigarette lighters. If this is of interest then you should visit the American Cemetry outside Cambridge (Madingley - west of Cambridge 2 miles) and or the Imperial War Museum at Duxford (south of Cambridge about 15 miles by the M11).
• The American cemetery outside Cambridge. Visit the cemetery and the unusual Chapel.
• The Botanical gardens - in summer which is a haven of peace and tranquillity.
• The meadows between Silver Street Bridge and Fen Causeway. There are some nice footbridges to explore, water-fowl to admire, a good children's open-air play area and a secluded swimming pool. Also a good place to rest and eat - watch out for cows. Unfortunately, the busy Fen Causeway cuts through the meadows.
• The Technology Museum, Cheddar Lane off Newmarket Road. A bit off the beaten track but you can get there by following the river out north-east, but stay on the south side of the river - look out for a tall, brick chimney. Check on opening times because the museum is run by volunteers. This is a museum for steam enthusiasts and environmentalists. It is the disused surface water pumping station for Cambridge built in Victorian times. It has an old steam pumping engine and a couple of newer, town-gas pumping engines. An old boiler used to be fired using waste from the city (hence the environmental angle) otherwise the pollution from the chimney was presumably terrible.

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Homerton College

Homerton College is situated on Hills Road just out of the City Centre between the main railway station and Addenbrookes Hospital. For those using Satnav, the postcode is CB2 8PH

Travelling to the college by road

- from London:  Follow directions to Cambridge along the M11.  At Junction 11 take the A1309 into Cambridge.  At the second set of major traffic lights, ignoring all pedestrian lights, keep in the right hand lane and turn right into Long Road (signposted to Addenbrookes Hospital).  Continue to next main crossroads.  Turn left into Hills Road and Homerton College is approximately half a mile on the left hand side.

- from the North:  Follow directions to the A1 south and follow the A1 and A1(M) until it joins the A14.  Take the A14 as far as the M11, and then take the M11 to Junction 11 and follow the A1309 into Cambridge. At the second set of major traffic lights, ignoring all pedestrian lights, keep in the right hand lane and turn right into Long Road (signposted to Addenbrookes Hospital).  Continue to next main crossroads.  Turn left into Hills Road and Homerton College is approximately half a mile on the left hand side.

Parking

For conference visitors and long term parking, please enter the College via Harrison Drive, 100 yards from the main entrance, and continue to the end of this road where you will find the visitor's car park on the left had side. The car parking code for this event will be 3519.

Park and Ride

There is a regular Park and Ride service which runs from Babraham Road - the bus stops right outside the College.

Travel to Cambridge by train

For all timetables see National Rail Enquiries (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/)

From Cambridge train station to Homerton College

Take a taxi from the station to the college. The journey takes about 10 minutes.

Taxis

Taxis at the airports are usually plentiful. There are several taxi ranks, and for pre-booking taxis we recommend Airport Lynx (http://www.airportlynx.co.uk/) or Panther Taxis (http://www.panthertaxis.co.uk/).

From London Stansted to Cambridge

Trains depart from London Stansted airport approximately every hour direct to Cambridge, taking approximately 30-45 minutes. The cost of a return ticket is around £20.

The cost of a one-way trip by taxi from Stansted to Cambridge is approximately £75 and the journey takes about 30 minutes.

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From London Heathrow to Cambridge

Take the Piccadilly underground (tube) line from Heathrow Airport to Kings Cross train station. The service runs every 30 minutes. Underground tickets can be purchased at the ticket office at the Heathrow underground station. Then take a train from Kings Cross Station to Cambridge. Tickets from Kings Cross can be purchased at the station from self-service machines or ticket offices. The total journey time is about 2 hours and the cost of a single ticket is just over £45 approximately.

The cost of a one-way trip by taxi from Heathrow is approximately £100. The journey takes about 1.5 hours respectively.

From London Gatwick to Cambridge

Take a Southern Trains service to London Victoria station (a through ticket to Cambridge can be purchased from Gatwick). From London Victoria station take the Victoria underground (tube) line to King's Cross train station (15-30 minutes). Then take a train to Cambridge from Kings Cross train station. Trains from Gatwick depart every 30 minutes. The total journey time is about 2 hours and the cost of a single ticket is just over £45 approximately.

London Gatwick is approximately 95 miles from Cambridge. If you wish to travel by car we recomend you seek a taxi quote or hire a car.

Hire cars

Cars can be hired at the various London airports via various operators, including Easycar.com (http://www.easycar.com/?supptel=1) or Europcar (http://www.europcar.co.uk/). 

Local transportation

Buses

Cambridge has a network of local buses, called Citi buses, which travel around the city and beyond. Please see link to buses and timetables:

http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/around/buses/bus-locations.htm?L=C&Loc=Cambridge

Taxis

Taxis are plentiful around the city. There are several taxi ranks, and for pre-booking taxis we Panther Taxis (http://www.panthertaxis.co.uk/).

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